Of Happened. Still broken. Damn it.

"thebigbossyboss" (thebigbossyboss)
06/10/2014 at 07:02 • Filed to: None

The check engine light made an appearance on my car while I was on vacation. I went over to Zippy's house and we diagnosed it as evaporative system leak.

So on the weekend, I bought a new gas cap for my Cavalier and sanded down the fuel filler neck lip which was covered in a bit of rust.

Then in order to reset the check engine light, I disconnected my battery (which in order to disconnect the positive terminal, you have to remove my air intake haha) and reset the light.

I then drove 20 kms on sunday, and drove around yesterday. However this morning the check engine light appeared again. I'm guessing the problem wasn't the gas cap then, although it's possible I didn't sand down the filler neck enough.

I'll try and sand it more tonight, maybe that will be the problem (although I doubt it).

So much for the easy fix.

I hate you check engine light. Evap system is no big deal...except my emissions test is due in two months and I'm gonna fail if I go with the check engine light on.

DISCUSSION (20)

Party-vi > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 07:15

I've got the same issue now - downstream O2 sensor heater circuit. I need to put a torch on it to get the damn thing out, but I don't have a torch or a lift. Guess I'm living with my light for a while.

thebigbossyboss > Party-vi
06/10/2014 at 07:17

Oh dear. I hope it's not that. I am going back to school soon, so I really don't need more car repairs. Edit: How did you figure out it was that sensor? When I look at the code reader it just says evap system and that's it.

Party-vi > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 07:21

Different codes - my generic code reader gave me an OBDII code for the issue. Evap system probably means you have a vacuum leak - if it's not at the gas cap it's probably somewhere in the engine compartment.

thebigbossyboss > Party-vi
06/10/2014 at 07:23

Of course, I forgot to add, a certain party has promised to scrap drive clean, and the election is June 12. Maybe they'll do it ASAP and I wont have to go. Potential victory?

shop-teacher > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 07:29

My '06 Sierra recently needed a new ... Let's see if I can get this right by memory ... An evaporative purge solenoid ... I think that's what its called. Its the thing that let's air burp out of your gas tank when you're filling it up.

The symptoms were occasionally I had a hell of a time getting gas into the tank. The pump kept clicking off at anything over a painfully slow fill rate. Then eventually the check engine light came on. The body of the solenoid was cracked. I believe the part cost $29 or something like that.

Hope that helps!

TheRallyStache > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 07:34

Just move to Michigan. We don't test here. At least half the cars here have the CEL on.

yamahog > TheRallyStache
06/10/2014 at 08:08

Welcome to Pure Michigan! It's all fun and games until you see someone driving down the highway in something held together with plastic wrap and electrical tape that should've been totaled a long time ago. This will happen on a daily basis but it will eventually stop being alarming.

yamahog > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 08:10

I have to routinely check my CEL for new codes because PO did a cat delete resulting in permanent CEL, and I'd rather not pay 1/4 of what the Jeep's worth to add a new one.

Squid > yamahog
06/10/2014 at 08:15

Get a spark plug de fouler to got your sensor out of the exhaust flow and that should take care of the CEL, unless you like checking codes regularly.

yamahog > Squid
06/10/2014 at 08:19

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into that!

RotaryLover > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 08:27

I feel lucky to not have emissions tests to do...

thebigbossyboss > shop-teacher
06/10/2014 at 08:47

Thanks for this. The gas *seems* to go in normal. I do however appreciate not only the tip but your experience of having bizarre parts break. Once on a previous vehicle my harmonic balancer came off or broke or stopped working. I never knew there was a harmonic balancer until mine went.

twochevrons > yamahog
06/10/2014 at 09:02

Having moved to MN, where the situation is pretty much the same, from New Zealand, where there are 6-monthly safety/emissions inspections (though at least they're heavy on the safety and light on the emissions part), and vehicles are ordered off the road at the slightest hint of structural rust, I do find the state of some vehicles here rather alarming.

Every day I walk past a '90s Subaru Legacy that is entirely missing its outer (and much of its inner) sills, with bodywork that I suspect would give me tetanus at a range of five feet, and tires worn down to the cords. I'm all about old beaters, but there has to be a line drawn at some point!

shop-teacher > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 09:05

No problem. The gas thing only happened occasionally. If you do end up changing that part, they way to do it on my truck was to simply cut the tube going into the old one, and then join the tube to the new solenoid with a small piece of vacuum hose and a couple of hose clamps.

Good luck!

The Transporter > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 09:32

It took me about 8 months to get my CEL to stay off. Every time I would fix one code, another code would take its place.

buford-t-justice > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 12:05

If you can get the light to clear before the e-test you should be fine. I had a CEL on before my e-test cleared it and passed (in Ont too)

thebigbossyboss > buford-t-justice
06/10/2014 at 12:15

how many kilometers did you drive between clearing the light and going to the test?

buford-t-justice > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 12:37

Not that many, maybe 200 mix of highway and city. My error was fuel system one too.

thebigbossyboss > buford-t-justice
06/10/2014 at 12:39

I only went about 40 kms and it came back. It's been on the last 3000 kms or so.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > thebigbossyboss
06/10/2014 at 20:13

I really glad I've never had any issues like this on any car at my house. I'm sure they're coming though now that I said that.