Evening 3rd gen members,
When I was going through the EGR change out, I took a look around to see and smell where that raw fuel smell was coming from, and it was the fuel evaporative canister.
Simply buy a filter (which goes on the BOTTOM of the canister. I also replaced my fuel tank control valve as well. No more fuel smell. That filter was full. There's only a perforation or pronounce slit in order for it to breathe. I removed a good 1/8 inch of road grime in the immediate pan area and the filter was completely blocked. I think the whole canister job cost me around 50.00.

 

I don't have a fuel smell but lots of stuff in my car is still original. Photo, make, model etc of filter and location?

 

Do you have a part number or link for the filter and control valve?

 

I dont have a part number, but its a round thin filter that is tucked in the bottom. You can also change out the carbon in the canister with aquarium carbon. I just took mine out to make room and get rid of all the vacuum lines.

 

its not that filter that stops fuel smell, its the charcoal inside that sucks it up and the CCPV that allows the engine to draw from it.

the charcoal wears out with time and doesn't hold vapors well, the filter just cleans the air sucked into engine through it.

 

How would one go about changing the carbon? Get a can opener and cut open the top, pour some fish filter carbon in and "seal" it back up? Or, do you HAVE to buy a replacement?

 

Above the filter in the bottom of the canister there is a grate that prevents the carbon from falling out. Usually you would cut the canister just above the grate, dump it out, fill it up with fresh carbon, reseal the canister with epoxy and you are good to go.

Your only other option is to buy a new one. And yes, the pores in the carbon are what absorbs the fumes. The smaller the carbon, the greater its surface area overall and therefore the more it will absorb. Just dont get carbon that is small enough to fall through the grate even if there is a filter below it.