Fred's Charcoal Update - Good News!
Sunday June 14, 2009
You may remember Fred from his earlier woes involving an expensive charcoal canister repair to his Camry. He refused to take a $650 repair estimate lying down, and now he's proven further that being your own diagnostic team can pay off. AutoZone is one of many parts retailers that will read your car's OBD codes free of charge. Fred decided to go to AutoZone to see if there was any more information to be gleaned from his Toyota's brain. I'll let him tell the rest:
Well Matt, here's one for you. My neighbor suggested that I take my Camry to AutoZone for a second opinion. AZ read the codes and turned the light off. The guy next asked if I always turn the gas cap for at least three clicks after filling up. And did I leave the ignition on while gassing up. I told him I just turned the cap for 1 or 2 clicks and that I always leave the engine running while fueling. He explained that those conditions where causing the computer in the car to get a poor vacuum reading and that that probably caused the 'check engine' light to come on. It's been about 300 miles since the light was turned off and it hasn't come back on. Looks like Auto Zone saved me $650. -- FredLet's all hold hands and sing "Way To Go Fred." Ok, let's skip the hand holding and just tell him. Way to go, Fred!
isn’t it dangerous to leave the engine on while refueling?
I know they say on the signs in the gas station to shut off everything
Fred: Now take some time and disconnect your battery (with the engine and ignition off). Then turn on the ignition, headlights and blower for the air conditioning – heater. Wait five minutes. Turn everything off and reconnect your battery. See one of my other posts and put some oil on the battery connectors while you are doing all this.
The system loads will drain all residual electrons/voltage from the computer memory and the car will not cause a hiccup on the next inspection. Or at least it worked for me.
You do get to re-program your radio, reset your clock, and let the system reprogram to accommodate your driving habits.
Monte: Vapor and fumes escape from the tank fill port and hose nozzle while fueling. In a respectable breeze this is not significant. In relatively still air the pool of vapors can ignite from high exaust temps, a backfire, ignition sparks in the engine compartment. There have been some spectaular fires. The metal nozzle should be kept in contact with the metal of the filler port to eliminate static sparks that can also cause fires. Other causes of fires during fueling are those vapors trailing away to a lit cigarette or other open fire like suprisingly distant burning trash. Vapor flow is downwind and in quiet air, downhill.
Hello Matthew,
Your site is wonderful. I came across it by doing a google search. I own a 2001 Acura TL. Just yesterday the engine light came on. I checked the manual and did the gas cap fix. Also checked all fluid levels and found the oil to be low. Of course I didn’t have any so I drove my husbands car to Advanced Auto. Told the serivce guy about my problem and he said to bring the car in and they would do an OBD Test for “FREE”. I’ve also read some of your blogs from others with what seems like a similar problem. Guess I’ll know more after I have Advanced Auto check it out. I am so happy to have found your site and will let my co-workers, family and friends know. I have my fingers crossed all will go well today.
Thanks so much for your website and all those who contribute.
Debbie
Fred: What were you thinking when leaving the engine running while refueling? The last time I did that was with an old Pontiac that was running on generator input and a battery that probably couldn’t have cranked a Briggs 5hp lawnmower. In most places that’s illegal, but, rarely enforced.
This can happen as well when someone replaces the gas cap with a locking cap!
It is not only dangerous, but illegal in most jurisdictions, to leave your vehicle running while refueling. The risk of fire and its rather dire consequences in that environment is extreme. In addition, there is no reason to leave the engine on; most of the time it is lack of knowledge about one’s car’s systems that leads people to do so. In reality, you are not saving fuel by leaving the car running – in truth, with today’s modern fuel delivery systems, shutting off the engine for about seven (yes, SEVEN) seconds will start saving fuel. In carburetor days, many cars were hard to start when hot due to percolation of fuel, but that is almost unknown today. The excuse that the passengers will get too hot (in summer) or freeze (in winter) doesn’t wash, either. Even in the coldest parts of North America, you can survive inside a car for many hours without a heat source (if you have a candle, it will keep enough heat in the car, without consuming a lot of oxygen, for days, even at -30! Ditto for the hot weather: it won’t hurt anyone to have to sit in a car for a couple of minutes with the AC off. Car makers have this great invention to keep the interior cooler – roll-down windows! Some even have electric motors to open them with no physical effort.
That is the first time I have ever heard of anything good coming from free code extracting from autozone.All I ever here is people buying the parts involved with the code and throwing there money away.Then they bring their vehicles to me ,a professional master certified tech,but cant afford to pay for my diagnostic time because they were chasing ghosts with autozone.
There is a first for everything.And this guy is a nut for fueling his car while it is running.Unfortunitly these Bozos dont get hurt but they hurt others.
Another con…..I own a Renault Espace & was charged £90 to replace drive shaft gaitor retaining clip…main agents reason that they have to strip wheel & hub assembly to facilitate fitting it……got it on ramp at friends works & discovered they had opened up a jubilee clip & fitted that instead of manufacturers expensive plastic clip. No dismantling necessary..obviously I got my £90 back….Good tip in all situations..keep a camera/camera phone in car & always take pictures if any doubt.