I have read my books, but still not clear. Can someone explain exactly what the purge canister does and where all the vacuum lines go?

 

The purge canister is really part of the Evaporative Emissions Control System. The function is to draw fuel vapors from the tank and carburetor, store them in a charcoal filter in the canister and them burn them during normal engine operation. The system is supposed to trap and store fuel vapors that evaporate from the fuel tank, throttle body, and intake manifold. So, the canister doesn't do much other than store the vapors. There is a solenoid valve which controls vacuum to a purge valve in the canister. The valve is controlled by the ECM. If the purge valve is inoperative, the canister damaged, the hoses split or cracked, or hoses connected to wrong tubes, one may experience poor idle, drivability or stalling. Hope that helps a little.

 

thank you, that was very helpful

 

Hmm, that's interesting. Mine was completely removed before I bought the car. I have another one and the solenoid but I haven't figured out exactly how to hook it up. I didn't know it would effect the way the car runs.

 

Basically, if it's not hooked up you're venting gas vapors into the air instead of storing them in the canister and burning them in the engine when you drive.