How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
08-23-2016, 04:18 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
I was diagnosing some fuel smell problems (different thread) and in the process decided to rebuild my vapor canister. Did a little internet research and discovered it was easy and pretty cheap (about $30 for the new internal stuff bought from my local pet store). You can buy brand new charcoal canisters, but they are in excess of $100 and finding the same original design with the same external hookups for your particular Camaro model looked very difficult based on my internet research.
The car was my wife's 1987 IROC with 5.7 TPI. This car has the canister mounted underneath the front left of the car near the front of the driver fender. There are different designs used on these cars, but this canister has an "open" bottom that was originally covered with a round foam filter to keep impurities out of the canister and also help keep the charcoal from falling out.
Removing the canister was as simple as removing one screw holding it in and disconnecting the old rubber lines. The rubber was original to the car so I put new lines on using low pressure fuel line hose from the auto parts store.
Inspection of the canister surprised me. It was completely empty of charcoal, except for a few leftover particles that had not managed to fall out. I realized that the round foam filter on the bottom of the can had long since rotted away. There is another foam filter inside the canister that the charcoal rests on, but it was twisted up and between vibrations from the car and the lack of foam on the bottom outside of the canister all the charcoal must have trickled out YEARS ago. The canister no longer had any charcoal left to filter fumes and was basically worthless. It was glued shut from the factory, so I used a hacksaw to carefully cut the bottom off, leaving about 2" at the bottom to allow space to epoxy it back together later. There were three foam pieces inside that were dirty but still solid so I washed and re-used them. In the pictures you see the round bottom foam piece that the charcoal rests on. A small round foam piece goes in the top vent tube to keep charcoal from getting sucked into your intake through a vacuum line, and the larger round foam with circle cut-out also goes up top to keep particles from entering the fuel tank lines.
I bought a 22oz box of "activated filter carbon" at the pet store. It is basically small pieces of charcoal used to filter fish tank water. The particles are about the size of rock salt. The original charcoal in the canister was the size of table salt and leaks out through any tiny opening. I also bought a foam fish tank filter and cut it up later.
To help keep the charcoal from leaking out again I cut pieces of fiberglass screen that I had on hand from the hardware store. I cut pieces for the top of the canister to make sure no particles entered the lines, and I cut two pieces for the bottom of the canister. I installed the screen, placing the bottom two pieces at a 45* angle to each other to close off the bottom and keep charcoal in. I then installed the cleaned up original foam pieces on top of the mesh. Now for charcoal to escape it must pass though the foam AND the fiberglass mesh (not gonna happen), but air still can flow freely to vent the canister and lines. I put the canister upside down and poured the charcoal in, then used plastic epoxy to glue the short bottom piece back on. I smeared a coating of epoxy around the seam to make sure all cracks were sealed shut. I cut the fish tank filter foam into a circular bottom filter for the canister and tucked it into the grooves at the bottom of the canister. I think auto parts stores sell this filter for a few dollars, cheaper than the fish tank filter foam I used.
I installed it back in the car and now the canister works like it should, filtering fuel vapor from the tank through the charcoal before it enters the atmosphere.
The car was my wife's 1987 IROC with 5.7 TPI. This car has the canister mounted underneath the front left of the car near the front of the driver fender. There are different designs used on these cars, but this canister has an "open" bottom that was originally covered with a round foam filter to keep impurities out of the canister and also help keep the charcoal from falling out.
Removing the canister was as simple as removing one screw holding it in and disconnecting the old rubber lines. The rubber was original to the car so I put new lines on using low pressure fuel line hose from the auto parts store.
Inspection of the canister surprised me. It was completely empty of charcoal, except for a few leftover particles that had not managed to fall out. I realized that the round foam filter on the bottom of the can had long since rotted away. There is another foam filter inside the canister that the charcoal rests on, but it was twisted up and between vibrations from the car and the lack of foam on the bottom outside of the canister all the charcoal must have trickled out YEARS ago. The canister no longer had any charcoal left to filter fumes and was basically worthless. It was glued shut from the factory, so I used a hacksaw to carefully cut the bottom off, leaving about 2" at the bottom to allow space to epoxy it back together later. There were three foam pieces inside that were dirty but still solid so I washed and re-used them. In the pictures you see the round bottom foam piece that the charcoal rests on. A small round foam piece goes in the top vent tube to keep charcoal from getting sucked into your intake through a vacuum line, and the larger round foam with circle cut-out also goes up top to keep particles from entering the fuel tank lines.
I bought a 22oz box of "activated filter carbon" at the pet store. It is basically small pieces of charcoal used to filter fish tank water. The particles are about the size of rock salt. The original charcoal in the canister was the size of table salt and leaks out through any tiny opening. I also bought a foam fish tank filter and cut it up later.
To help keep the charcoal from leaking out again I cut pieces of fiberglass screen that I had on hand from the hardware store. I cut pieces for the top of the canister to make sure no particles entered the lines, and I cut two pieces for the bottom of the canister. I installed the screen, placing the bottom two pieces at a 45* angle to each other to close off the bottom and keep charcoal in. I then installed the cleaned up original foam pieces on top of the mesh. Now for charcoal to escape it must pass though the foam AND the fiberglass mesh (not gonna happen), but air still can flow freely to vent the canister and lines. I put the canister upside down and poured the charcoal in, then used plastic epoxy to glue the short bottom piece back on. I smeared a coating of epoxy around the seam to make sure all cracks were sealed shut. I cut the fish tank filter foam into a circular bottom filter for the canister and tucked it into the grooves at the bottom of the canister. I think auto parts stores sell this filter for a few dollars, cheaper than the fish tank filter foam I used.
I installed it back in the car and now the canister works like it should, filtering fuel vapor from the tank through the charcoal before it enters the atmosphere.
Last edited by Aaron R.; 08-23-2016 at 04:37 PM. Reason: Added pictures
The following 3 users liked this post by Aaron R.:
08-23-2016, 09:12 PM
#2
Supreme Member
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 4,637
Received 751 Likes
on
577 Posts
Car: 1988 Trans Am
Engine: L03
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt 2.73 Open
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
Nice repair Aaron. Thanks for sharing the details. I saved copies of those photos for future reference.
08-23-2016, 10:47 PM
#3
Supreme Member
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
Nice job. 
I remember when GM first stared using those canisters. I worked on a Vega that would act fuel starved.
Pulled the top of the Monojet carb to take a look. The fuel bowl was full of charcoal.
I remember when GM first stared using those canisters. I worked on a Vega that would act fuel starved.
Pulled the top of the Monojet carb to take a look. The fuel bowl was full of charcoal.
09-07-2018, 10:21 PM
#4
Supreme Member
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Colorado USA
Posts: 2,375
Received 615 Likes
on
464 Posts
Car: '83 Firebird (T/A Clone)
Engine: 350 carbed with L-69 components
Transmission: 700R-4 w/2000 RPM stall converter
Axle/Gears: 10-bolt/3.73 ..
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
I know this is an old thread, but I've recently been trying to research this subject.
On the original factory design; is that round foam filter on the bottom the only thing holding the carbon pellets inside? Or is there an additional component inside that's supposed to do that?...
On the original factory design; is that round foam filter on the bottom the only thing holding the carbon pellets inside? Or is there an additional component inside that's supposed to do that?...
09-08-2018, 05:18 PM
#5
Supreme Member
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
Very interesting repair.
A couple related questions.
1. Am I correct to assume that when fuel pressure in the tank reaches a certain point, that the tank vapors are forced into the cannister?
2. What operating condition causes the solenoid on the cannister to activate, and allow the intake to suck air through the cannister to draw the absorbed fuel through the motor?
A couple related questions.
1. Am I correct to assume that when fuel pressure in the tank reaches a certain point, that the tank vapors are forced into the cannister?
2. What operating condition causes the solenoid on the cannister to activate, and allow the intake to suck air through the cannister to draw the absorbed fuel through the motor?
09-08-2018, 07:04 PM
#6
Member
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Ormond Beach, Florida
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: '88 Firebird Formula
Engine: 360hp/417ft. lb. 350
Transmission: Pro-Built Street/Strip 700R4
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
Okay, this popped up around the time I had the same questions.
Getting the hiss from the fuel tank, and it'll actually run up and out the fill neck after a full tank of gas. Gas smell is prevalent after a long drive. Been searching around the boards and I've seen pressure valve on the tank itself, as well as a large amount of talk about the charcoal canister itself. I can occasionally get a whiff of vapors in the cabin while driving, which is what leads me to believe the canister might be an issue. Thoughts?
'88 Formula, 350 TPI.
Getting the hiss from the fuel tank, and it'll actually run up and out the fill neck after a full tank of gas. Gas smell is prevalent after a long drive. Been searching around the boards and I've seen pressure valve on the tank itself, as well as a large amount of talk about the charcoal canister itself. I can occasionally get a whiff of vapors in the cabin while driving, which is what leads me to believe the canister might be an issue. Thoughts?
'88 Formula, 350 TPI.
09-09-2018, 12:09 AM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
I know this is an old thread, but I've recently been trying to research this subject.
On the original factory design; is that round foam filter on the bottom the only thing holding the carbon pellets inside? Or is there an additional component inside that's supposed to do that?...
On the original factory design; is that round foam filter on the bottom the only thing holding the carbon pellets inside? Or is there an additional component inside that's supposed to do that?...
Trending Topics
09-09-2018, 12:18 AM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
Very interesting repair.
A couple related questions.
1. Am I correct to assume that when fuel pressure in the tank reaches a certain point, that the tank vapors are forced into the cannister?
2. What operating condition causes the solenoid on the cannister to activate, and allow the intake to suck air through the cannister to draw the absorbed fuel through the motor?
A couple related questions.
1. Am I correct to assume that when fuel pressure in the tank reaches a certain point, that the tank vapors are forced into the cannister?
2. What operating condition causes the solenoid on the cannister to activate, and allow the intake to suck air through the cannister to draw the absorbed fuel through the motor?
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...high-tank.html
This year has been an unusually hot and long summer too, and the smell and mooing are still permanently fixed from this link to the repair I made for that.
Last edited by Aaron R.; 09-09-2018 at 12:37 AM.
10-02-2018, 01:12 PM
#9
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1989 Camaro RS
Engine: 2.8L V6
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
I am also getting a strong nauseating fuel smell and my fuel cap is hard to get off in the heat when the tank gets low. Does anyone have a diagram of where the vacuum lines go? I recently replaced my lines as they were original and rotted hoping to get rid of the strong odor. Low and behold I find a T-connection with a hose that goes nowhere. Any help is appreciated.
I have an 89 2.8L.
I have an 89 2.8L.
07-13-2019, 08:52 PM
#10
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
I was diagnosing some fuel smell problems (different thread) and in the process decided to rebuild my vapor canister. Did a little internet research and discovered it was easy and pretty cheap (about $30 for the new internal stuff bought from my local pet store). You can buy brand new charcoal canisters, but they are in excess of $100 and finding the same original design with the same external hookups for your particular Camaro model looked very difficult based on my internet research.
The car was my wife's 1987 IROC with 5.7 TPI. This car has the canister mounted underneath the front left of the car near the front of the driver fender. There are different designs used on these cars, but this canister has an "open" bottom that was originally covered with a round foam filter to keep impurities out of the canister and also help keep the charcoal from falling out.
Removing the canister was as simple as removing one screw holding it in and disconnecting the old rubber lines. The rubber was original to the car so I put new lines on using low pressure fuel line hose from the auto parts store.
Inspection of the canister surprised me. It was completely empty of charcoal, except for a few leftover particles that had not managed to fall out. I realized that the round foam filter on the bottom of the can had long since rotted away. There is another foam filter inside the canister that the charcoal rests on, but it was twisted up and between vibrations from the car and the lack of foam on the bottom outside of the canister all the charcoal must have trickled out YEARS ago. The canister no longer had any charcoal left to filter fumes and was basically worthless. It was glued shut from the factory, so I used a hacksaw to carefully cut the bottom off, leaving about 2" at the bottom to allow space to epoxy it back together later. There were three foam pieces inside that were dirty but still solid so I washed and re-used them. In the pictures you see the round bottom foam piece that the charcoal rests on. A small round foam piece goes in the top vent tube to keep charcoal from getting sucked into your intake through a vacuum line, and the larger round foam with circle cut-out also goes up top to keep particles from entering the fuel tank lines.
I bought a 22oz box of "activated filter carbon" at the pet store. It is basically small pieces of charcoal used to filter fish tank water. The particles are about the size of rock salt. The original charcoal in the canister was the size of table salt and leaks out through any tiny opening. I also bought a foam fish tank filter and cut it up later.
To help keep the charcoal from leaking out again I cut pieces of fiberglass screen that I had on hand from the hardware store. I cut pieces for the top of the canister to make sure no particles entered the lines, and I cut two pieces for the bottom of the canister. I installed the screen, placing the bottom two pieces at a 45* angle to each other to close off the bottom and keep charcoal in. I then installed the cleaned up original foam pieces on top of the mesh. Now for charcoal to escape it must pass though the foam AND the fiberglass mesh (not gonna happen), but air still can flow freely to vent the canister and lines. I put the canister upside down and poured the charcoal in, then used plastic epoxy to glue the short bottom piece back on. I smeared a coating of epoxy around the seam to make sure all cracks were sealed shut. I cut the fish tank filter foam into a circular bottom filter for the canister and tucked it into the grooves at the bottom of the canister. I think auto parts stores sell this filter for a few dollars, cheaper than the fish tank filter foam I used.
I installed it back in the car and now the canister works like it should, filtering fuel vapor from the tank through the charcoal before it enters the atmosphere.
The car was my wife's 1987 IROC with 5.7 TPI. This car has the canister mounted underneath the front left of the car near the front of the driver fender. There are different designs used on these cars, but this canister has an "open" bottom that was originally covered with a round foam filter to keep impurities out of the canister and also help keep the charcoal from falling out.
Removing the canister was as simple as removing one screw holding it in and disconnecting the old rubber lines. The rubber was original to the car so I put new lines on using low pressure fuel line hose from the auto parts store.
Inspection of the canister surprised me. It was completely empty of charcoal, except for a few leftover particles that had not managed to fall out. I realized that the round foam filter on the bottom of the can had long since rotted away. There is another foam filter inside the canister that the charcoal rests on, but it was twisted up and between vibrations from the car and the lack of foam on the bottom outside of the canister all the charcoal must have trickled out YEARS ago. The canister no longer had any charcoal left to filter fumes and was basically worthless. It was glued shut from the factory, so I used a hacksaw to carefully cut the bottom off, leaving about 2" at the bottom to allow space to epoxy it back together later. There were three foam pieces inside that were dirty but still solid so I washed and re-used them. In the pictures you see the round bottom foam piece that the charcoal rests on. A small round foam piece goes in the top vent tube to keep charcoal from getting sucked into your intake through a vacuum line, and the larger round foam with circle cut-out also goes up top to keep particles from entering the fuel tank lines.
I bought a 22oz box of "activated filter carbon" at the pet store. It is basically small pieces of charcoal used to filter fish tank water. The particles are about the size of rock salt. The original charcoal in the canister was the size of table salt and leaks out through any tiny opening. I also bought a foam fish tank filter and cut it up later.
To help keep the charcoal from leaking out again I cut pieces of fiberglass screen that I had on hand from the hardware store. I cut pieces for the top of the canister to make sure no particles entered the lines, and I cut two pieces for the bottom of the canister. I installed the screen, placing the bottom two pieces at a 45* angle to each other to close off the bottom and keep charcoal in. I then installed the cleaned up original foam pieces on top of the mesh. Now for charcoal to escape it must pass though the foam AND the fiberglass mesh (not gonna happen), but air still can flow freely to vent the canister and lines. I put the canister upside down and poured the charcoal in, then used plastic epoxy to glue the short bottom piece back on. I smeared a coating of epoxy around the seam to make sure all cracks were sealed shut. I cut the fish tank filter foam into a circular bottom filter for the canister and tucked it into the grooves at the bottom of the canister. I think auto parts stores sell this filter for a few dollars, cheaper than the fish tank filter foam I used.
I installed it back in the car and now the canister works like it should, filtering fuel vapor from the tank through the charcoal before it enters the atmosphere.
07-16-2019, 10:54 AM
#11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
You do not need to grind the charcoal smaller, and a thicker filter is fine.
07-16-2019, 09:15 PM
#12
Supreme Member
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
The canisters for the TBI trucks are widely available. The only diff from the cars is that its twice as high and doesnt have the solenoid on top. But I think you can still get the hood down if its mounted in the same place. You would have to get a truck solenoid, mount it somewhere (the connector is the same) and then hook up the tubes. I'm willing to bet that even a canister from the 96-98 trucks (a little black box) would work as well. Maybe even the 99+ ones that were mounted next to the gas tank with a little electrical rewiring.
The following users liked this post:
Bruceak04 (04-16-2023)
11-05-2019, 10:06 AM
#13
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
1989 Firebird 2.8L MPFI
I recently bought the car but drove it several times before I bought it and never detected any fuel odor. When the fuel tank became low, a fuel line (transition from steel to rubber) located behind the left rear tire started to leak fairly fast. I added a clamp and got it to stop. I then filled the tank. When I got home gas was pouring from the top of the tank. I was parked sideways on a hill so that the filler tube was located down hill. I parked the car opposite on the hill and the leak stopped. I then had a steady fuel leak from the vapor canister located above the right front tire, under the hood.
I took the car to my mechanic. He pulled the tank and said that the filler tube was damaged & he could not repair it, He replaced fuel tank. He says that it appeared to be twisted. This made sense because the previous owner had gotten the car after it sat for years. He took it to a High School Vo-tech to empty the old fuel and had the students drop the tank. I chalked this up to inexperience.
The new tank fixed all the fuel leaks in the rear of the vehicle. The problem now is that the vapor canister is leaking liquid fuel. Sometimes after driving it leaks enough to drip from the plastic and make a large puddle. It has a strong fuel odor all the time and it is even strong from inside the car while driving. The leak is worse when parked with the front of the car facing downhill. I have done a lot of searches and read a lot about the EVAP system on this forum but none that seemed to have this much liquid fuel leaking from the vapor canister.
When adding fuel, the first 2 gallons always shut off the auto-filler on the pump handle repeatedly and then it takes fuel fine.
The fuel cap appears to be aftermarket and is not vented. It does not hiss when removed.
I removed the fuel tank vent located on the brake bracket of the left rear tire and cleaned it. It appears to be in working order and I can blow hard with my lips and make it release.
To trouble shoot overpressure in tank vs underpressure in canister I disconnected the fuel tank hose from the top of the vapor canister and drove for a bit. Liquid fuel was pouring from the hose.
Mechanic says all lines to fuel pump are correct.
I've read enough to learn that I probably overfilled the tank initially or the damaged filler tube caused the initial problem of fuel in the vapor canister but why does it continue to happen? I know I have to replace or clean/refill the canister but this is pointless until I solve the leaking problem. Thanks!
Also, I know that I should start a new thread for this but I've tried 3 times and it just never shows up anywhere. Is that normal? I really appreciate any help. Also my car started hesitating as this problem worsens.
I recently bought the car but drove it several times before I bought it and never detected any fuel odor. When the fuel tank became low, a fuel line (transition from steel to rubber) located behind the left rear tire started to leak fairly fast. I added a clamp and got it to stop. I then filled the tank. When I got home gas was pouring from the top of the tank. I was parked sideways on a hill so that the filler tube was located down hill. I parked the car opposite on the hill and the leak stopped. I then had a steady fuel leak from the vapor canister located above the right front tire, under the hood.
I took the car to my mechanic. He pulled the tank and said that the filler tube was damaged & he could not repair it, He replaced fuel tank. He says that it appeared to be twisted. This made sense because the previous owner had gotten the car after it sat for years. He took it to a High School Vo-tech to empty the old fuel and had the students drop the tank. I chalked this up to inexperience.
The new tank fixed all the fuel leaks in the rear of the vehicle. The problem now is that the vapor canister is leaking liquid fuel. Sometimes after driving it leaks enough to drip from the plastic and make a large puddle. It has a strong fuel odor all the time and it is even strong from inside the car while driving. The leak is worse when parked with the front of the car facing downhill. I have done a lot of searches and read a lot about the EVAP system on this forum but none that seemed to have this much liquid fuel leaking from the vapor canister.
When adding fuel, the first 2 gallons always shut off the auto-filler on the pump handle repeatedly and then it takes fuel fine.
The fuel cap appears to be aftermarket and is not vented. It does not hiss when removed.
I removed the fuel tank vent located on the brake bracket of the left rear tire and cleaned it. It appears to be in working order and I can blow hard with my lips and make it release.
To trouble shoot overpressure in tank vs underpressure in canister I disconnected the fuel tank hose from the top of the vapor canister and drove for a bit. Liquid fuel was pouring from the hose.
Mechanic says all lines to fuel pump are correct.
I've read enough to learn that I probably overfilled the tank initially or the damaged filler tube caused the initial problem of fuel in the vapor canister but why does it continue to happen? I know I have to replace or clean/refill the canister but this is pointless until I solve the leaking problem. Thanks!
Also, I know that I should start a new thread for this but I've tried 3 times and it just never shows up anywhere. Is that normal? I really appreciate any help. Also my car started hesitating as this problem worsens.
11-05-2019, 01:41 PM
#14
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 1,149
Received 83 Likes
on
67 Posts
Car: 1989 Pontiac Formula 350
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: BorgWarner 3.27 Posi
Re: How I rebuilt my charcoal / vapor canister
1989 Firebird 2.8L MPFI
I recently bought the car but drove it several times before I bought it and never detected any fuel odor. When the fuel tank became low, a fuel line (transition from steel to rubber) located behind the left rear tire started to leak fairly fast. I added a clamp and got it to stop. I then filled the tank. When I got home gas was pouring from the top of the tank. I was parked sideways on a hill so that the filler tube was located down hill. I parked the car opposite on the hill and the leak stopped. I then had a steady fuel leak from the vapor canister located above the right front tire, under the hood.
I took the car to my mechanic. He pulled the tank and said that the filler tube was damaged & he could not repair it, He replaced fuel tank. He says that it appeared to be twisted. This made sense because the previous owner had gotten the car after it sat for years. He took it to a High School Vo-tech to empty the old fuel and had the students drop the tank. I chalked this up to inexperience.
The new tank fixed all the fuel leaks in the rear of the vehicle. The problem now is that the vapor canister is leaking liquid fuel. Sometimes after driving it leaks enough to drip from the plastic and make a large puddle. It has a strong fuel odor all the time and it is even strong from inside the car while driving. The leak is worse when parked with the front of the car facing downhill. I have done a lot of searches and read a lot about the EVAP system on this forum but none that seemed to have this much liquid fuel leaking from the vapor canister.
When adding fuel, the first 2 gallons always shut off the auto-filler on the pump handle repeatedly and then it takes fuel fine.
The fuel cap appears to be aftermarket and is not vented. It does not hiss when removed.
I removed the fuel tank vent located on the brake bracket of the left rear tire and cleaned it. It appears to be in working order and I can blow hard with my lips and make it release.
To trouble shoot overpressure in tank vs underpressure in canister I disconnected the fuel tank hose from the top of the vapor canister and drove for a bit. Liquid fuel was pouring from the hose.
Mechanic says all lines to fuel pump are correct.
I've read enough to learn that I probably overfilled the tank initially or the damaged filler tube caused the initial problem of fuel in the vapor canister but why does it continue to happen? I know I have to replace or clean/refill the canister but this is pointless until I solve the leaking problem. Thanks!
Also, I know that I should start a new thread for this but I've tried 3 times and it just never shows up anywhere. Is that normal? I really appreciate any help. Also my car started hesitating as this problem worsens.
I recently bought the car but drove it several times before I bought it and never detected any fuel odor. When the fuel tank became low, a fuel line (transition from steel to rubber) located behind the left rear tire started to leak fairly fast. I added a clamp and got it to stop. I then filled the tank. When I got home gas was pouring from the top of the tank. I was parked sideways on a hill so that the filler tube was located down hill. I parked the car opposite on the hill and the leak stopped. I then had a steady fuel leak from the vapor canister located above the right front tire, under the hood.
I took the car to my mechanic. He pulled the tank and said that the filler tube was damaged & he could not repair it, He replaced fuel tank. He says that it appeared to be twisted. This made sense because the previous owner had gotten the car after it sat for years. He took it to a High School Vo-tech to empty the old fuel and had the students drop the tank. I chalked this up to inexperience.
The new tank fixed all the fuel leaks in the rear of the vehicle. The problem now is that the vapor canister is leaking liquid fuel. Sometimes after driving it leaks enough to drip from the plastic and make a large puddle. It has a strong fuel odor all the time and it is even strong from inside the car while driving. The leak is worse when parked with the front of the car facing downhill. I have done a lot of searches and read a lot about the EVAP system on this forum but none that seemed to have this much liquid fuel leaking from the vapor canister.
When adding fuel, the first 2 gallons always shut off the auto-filler on the pump handle repeatedly and then it takes fuel fine.
The fuel cap appears to be aftermarket and is not vented. It does not hiss when removed.
I removed the fuel tank vent located on the brake bracket of the left rear tire and cleaned it. It appears to be in working order and I can blow hard with my lips and make it release.
To trouble shoot overpressure in tank vs underpressure in canister I disconnected the fuel tank hose from the top of the vapor canister and drove for a bit. Liquid fuel was pouring from the hose.
Mechanic says all lines to fuel pump are correct.
I've read enough to learn that I probably overfilled the tank initially or the damaged filler tube caused the initial problem of fuel in the vapor canister but why does it continue to happen? I know I have to replace or clean/refill the canister but this is pointless until I solve the leaking problem. Thanks!
Also, I know that I should start a new thread for this but I've tried 3 times and it just never shows up anywhere. Is that normal? I really appreciate any help. Also my car started hesitating as this problem worsens.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/newt...newthread&f=22
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post