Hi all, I'll be posting thing things I work on here on my '97 SE (Canadian base model, 1.5L)
It hasn't needed too much in the past, but here's what I can think of that I've done in the past (Besides normal maintenance, of course!)
Headlight bulbs
Wiper Transmission
FL Wheel bearing
Windshield Washer Pump (Three Times. Napa Part failed twice on me, both within a year.)
LF Caliper
RR Piston
Just today, I tackled my P0455 that's been looming over me for the past two years of ownership. Here was the method of my madness.
After replacing the fuel cap, I started by inspecting the venting system, Living in a rust belt has taught me wheel wells get hit hard by road grime and salt. Low and behold, the CDCV (Located behind the plastic cover in LR wheel well) was completely rotted out. Plastic body had pulled from the metal solenoid. After finding the solenoid was still moving, I managed to JB-Weld it back together, and it works! Re-installed.
Still the code persisted.
The details of what I did after that are fuzzy, but I eventually inspected the metal lines near filler neck, also rusted, and had cracked. Repaired with fuel line and silicone sealer over the cracked portion. Despite these efforts; code persisted.
Then, I pinched the vent line, and inevitably forgot I did that.
Interesting things happened; When the tank was first filled; code would not be set until the tank level dropped to 75%. Then, it would set the code once. Next time it ran, code clears, until next fill. When it would be filled, A noticeable hiss came from the fuel cap.
This told me a few things:
1. There is no evap leak on tank side (It held a constant vacuum until fill)
3. Vacuum could reach the tank pressure sensor.
2. The system only runs an evap check when the tank when the tank is 25-75% filled, and ambient temp had something to do with it (When it was really cold it wouldn't check!)
Once I also applied slight pressure to the system from the CDCV, and it held pressure for ~20 minutes before I released it. So both sides held pressure, and vacuum could reach my sensor. So it had to be the joint between the sides.
The Tank Pressure Control Valve (TPCV)
(It's located on the rear of the tank; jack the rear to drop the suspension out of the way, you'll see it.)
It's essentially a small check valve one way, and a solenoid to control the other. If the solenoid wasn't working, my tank would be able to draw in air through the check valve (To prevent implosion, and preventing my "hiss" when I open the cap), and the system wouldn't have enough vacuum to pull through the solenoid (It allows air over a certain pressure through, to allow expansion the charcoal canister can't account for)
To test my theory, I removed the lines from the TPCV, and used two barb fittings and a coupling, to bypass the solenoid altogether. Was running short of time, so I didn't test the TPCV itself today.
After doing this, the code didn't set on about an hour long run! (It should have ran an evap check)
Now, what's the job of the TPCV? Why was it put there? Long story short; to prevent excessive fumes from escaping from the tank; while allowing it to vent, and pull a vacuum to check integrity of tank.
I may take a look at it sometime in the future, it looked in decent shape when I pulled it off (Could have been a dirty connection, by all means), But I'm very happy with this improvement.
Next up; tackling that Fuel Filter (And it seems nasty!)
P.S. I'll probably take picture from now on for you guys. Makes it look much better than a wall of text.
It hasn't needed too much in the past, but here's what I can think of that I've done in the past (Besides normal maintenance, of course!)
Headlight bulbs
Wiper Transmission
FL Wheel bearing
Windshield Washer Pump (Three Times. Napa Part failed twice on me, both within a year.)
LF Caliper
RR Piston
Just today, I tackled my P0455 that's been looming over me for the past two years of ownership. Here was the method of my madness.
After replacing the fuel cap, I started by inspecting the venting system, Living in a rust belt has taught me wheel wells get hit hard by road grime and salt. Low and behold, the CDCV (Located behind the plastic cover in LR wheel well) was completely rotted out. Plastic body had pulled from the metal solenoid. After finding the solenoid was still moving, I managed to JB-Weld it back together, and it works! Re-installed.
Still the code persisted.
The details of what I did after that are fuzzy, but I eventually inspected the metal lines near filler neck, also rusted, and had cracked. Repaired with fuel line and silicone sealer over the cracked portion. Despite these efforts; code persisted.
Then, I pinched the vent line, and inevitably forgot I did that.
Interesting things happened; When the tank was first filled; code would not be set until the tank level dropped to 75%. Then, it would set the code once. Next time it ran, code clears, until next fill. When it would be filled, A noticeable hiss came from the fuel cap.
This told me a few things:
1. There is no evap leak on tank side (It held a constant vacuum until fill)
3. Vacuum could reach the tank pressure sensor.
2. The system only runs an evap check when the tank when the tank is 25-75% filled, and ambient temp had something to do with it (When it was really cold it wouldn't check!)
Once I also applied slight pressure to the system from the CDCV, and it held pressure for ~20 minutes before I released it. So both sides held pressure, and vacuum could reach my sensor. So it had to be the joint between the sides.
The Tank Pressure Control Valve (TPCV)
(It's located on the rear of the tank; jack the rear to drop the suspension out of the way, you'll see it.)
It's essentially a small check valve one way, and a solenoid to control the other. If the solenoid wasn't working, my tank would be able to draw in air through the check valve (To prevent implosion, and preventing my "hiss" when I open the cap), and the system wouldn't have enough vacuum to pull through the solenoid (It allows air over a certain pressure through, to allow expansion the charcoal canister can't account for)
To test my theory, I removed the lines from the TPCV, and used two barb fittings and a coupling, to bypass the solenoid altogether. Was running short of time, so I didn't test the TPCV itself today.
After doing this, the code didn't set on about an hour long run! (It should have ran an evap check)
Now, what's the job of the TPCV? Why was it put there? Long story short; to prevent excessive fumes from escaping from the tank; while allowing it to vent, and pull a vacuum to check integrity of tank.
I may take a look at it sometime in the future, it looked in decent shape when I pulled it off (Could have been a dirty connection, by all means), But I'm very happy with this improvement.
Next up; tackling that Fuel Filter (And it seems nasty!)
P.S. I'll probably take picture from now on for you guys. Makes it look much better than a wall of text.
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