Service Engine Soon light

[djhl]

Two things have happened. Rechecked gas cap and realized it was not "clicking". Worked on it and it now clicks when turning after inserting it. 2nd - had to disconnect battery for another reason and then light was out. It never did "blink"' just was on steady. Have driven car about 5 times locally and light stays out, car accels good, runs smoothly as far as I can feel. Light continues to stay out.

Here on island auto parts stores will not do scanner/reader check as apparently is done on mainland. Am buying scanner, doing homework, and will do check myself soon.

 

[Adieu]

SES = "check engine" = EMISSIONS FAULT


Get the codes read, then depending on what it is and whether your state has smog/inspections, either fix or ignore

 

[djhl]

SES light "saga" continues. After 6-7 times running car w/ no light, it reappeared - steady. Had gotten code reader, done homework and it showed just one (was pleased with that) DTC, a 0455 which per my book says - "EVAP emission control system leak detected (no purge flow or large leak)" . As I understand the car, this seems consistent with the gas cap not sealing (clicking) properly. Question to you guys who know - this malfunction isn't doing any "near term" harm the engine?? I intend to keep looking into it, just want to make sure I got a little time. Have ordered a gas cap - has to come from "off island". Thanks

 

[buddy]

Mine came on and code said emissions.

 

[Trainmaster]

The EVAP system captures evaporated gas vapors from the tank and stores them to be burned later. Your truck checks that the system is tight and can hold a vacuum each time you drive. If it finds a leak, it will give you that code. If the leak is huge, it may affect the idle quality or the mileage. Most small leaks woun't affect anything.

To diagnose the leak, shops use a smoke generator, fill the system with smoke and look for a leak. Check all your vacuum hoses, especially the ones near the fuel tank. Look for a small cracked hose or rusted out vapor line between the tank and engine and in the engine bay. Of course a defective gas cap can also cause this code.

Diving it with a small vapor leak woun't cause you any troubles. You just don't want a rough running engine due to a gross vacuum leak. The system's all environmental nonsense anyway.

 

[johnboneske]

You need to get a smoke machine. Worked wonders for me! I searched and searched for a hole or puncture in my lines and found nothing. Hooked up a smoke machine and it found it in less than 2 minutes. Replaced the rubber hose and has been perfect since...

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/282339070632

 

[djhl]

Appreciate the advice given.

Have replaced gas cap. Driven car on a couple of highway trips. Book says three such driving cycles are needed to put out light,. Am waiting to see. Meanwhile took advice and inspected system as best I could by crawling under back end and looking & feeling area by gas fill port and over to gas tank. Could find nothing obviously wrong. Had to do with car on ground. To make a joke, its much easier to get down than get up. Hard line up to front goes inside frame about midway so could not get to it there. But up at front found something that might be wrong. At that valve (VBV, I think) there are two male ports, one receives that hard line (with a short piece of rubber line) from back of car and other has rubber line over to engine. Line to engine seemed newer and had no clamps at either end, unlike other line from back of car. But that line to engine felt very tight at both ends. Certainly could not pull it off with any moderate level of force. The valve has a 90degree plastic fitting at each port with the input and output rubber lines hooked up to those fittings. The green colored one (line over to engine) seemed loose. Couldn't move the other. And maybe green one wasn't as far up the valve port as the other. Very hard to see. There was some funky looking latch/keeper (?) at end of fittings closest to the valve body. Is this some release device? The fittings can't screw on as they would hit each other.

Will look to get/rent some sort of smoke machine.

This gives me reason to get away from house projects.

 

[djhl]

Anyone with knowledge of the valve and the 90 degree fitting and keeper?

 

[johnboneske]

Are you talking about the valve/solenoid that's on the firewall, with a green service port that has a Schrader valve?

 

[johnboneske]

This port? Its common for the rubber line on the green service port which goes to the back side of the intake near the throttle body to either crack, or get a hole in it.

A smoke machine will find the issue... You can search for HOURS and never find it.