Blah, Small Evap leak...

[Quiksilver]

=( P0442 code it being thrown up on my '01 Dodge Ram 5.9L.

From my google skills this is a small evap leak code, which is linked to a bunch of things.

Poor sealing gas cap, split hoses, purge solenoid, evap canisters, etc.

My question is, if I can't find a cracked hose or something relatively easy... how much do you think I could expect to pay if I take it into the shop to get a smoke test done to see if there is a leak?

I'll probably be crawling around during some light tomorrow checking over hoses + gas cap seals. If I can't find a crap hose I'm gonna have to take it in...

 

[imagoon]

Does that year have the LDP? If it has the leak detection pump, odds are that is it.

 

[Quiksilver]

Not sure. Never heard of that before. If you could describe what it looks like and its general location I could see tomorrow as its not pitch black out.

 

[imagoon]

Sits on top of the gas tank. Black valve type thing.

 

[Quiksilver]

I'll check it out tomorrow and see if something like that is there. I'm gonna be annoyed if I gotta drop my tank to get at it though.

 

[SSSnail]

Usually evap leak is caused by the old and brittle rubber hoses connect to the housing, replacing them aren't terribly expensive, try that first.

 

[tortillasoup]

Check engine bay for brittle, old cracked vacuum hoses, may even have disconnected hoses.

 

[leper84]

Having a smoke test/ diagnostic should run you an hour of labor, so somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 if you take it somewhere.

Don't listen to the places that say free diagnostic. Nothing is free.

 

[imagoon]

I'll check it out tomorrow and see if something like that is there. I'm gonna be annoyed if I gotta drop my tank to get at it though.

Might not be it and your truck might not have one. It was just a really common failure item in that era. Both my Parent's Chrysler vehicles had them replaced for example. The pump is used to pressurize the evap system and if it leaks (which was the common issue) it never builds pressure and throws the small leak code. There is a code for the LDP but it rarely is thrown unless the LDP is missing.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Did you check your gas cap? Wipe off the rubber seal, retighten, delete code, see if it comes back. Evap leak can be lots of things, but gas cap is it most of the time.

 

[BUTCH1]

I recently had to rectify a similar situation with my car, the good news was the part (vent solenoid) was cheap, $16, the bad part was it is located on top of the tank which meant I had to drop it to change it out..

 

[arch113]

I have the same error on my 2006 Avalanche....

 

[Raduque]

I've been chasing an evap leak on my truck for the better part of a year now. I think the filler neck is cracked, or there's a leak where it connects to my gas tank. I think this because I filled up the tank last November before I drove 500 miles, and gas was dripping on the ground.

I don't have a CEL, but my message center says to check the gascap. Just started that a couple weeks ago.

Edit: Should say the truck runs fine and gets the same mileage it always has. I'm just worried I won't pass inspection in April. Have to find out if they check the computer up here in West Texas or not.

 

[leper84]

I've been chasing an evap leak on my truck for the better part of a year now. I think the filler neck is cracked, or there's a leak where it connects to my gas tank. I think this because I filled up the tank last November before I drove 500 miles, and gas was dripping on the ground.

I don't have a CEL, but my message center says to check the gascap. Just started that a couple weeks ago.

Edit: Should say the truck runs fine and gets the same mileage it always has. I'm just worried I won't pass inspection in April. Have to find out if they check the computer up here in West Texas or not.

El Paso is the only county out west that does emissions testing, so as long as you aren't registered there a check engine light wont fail you. A bad gas cap will, however.

Easy way to test your theory- fill up, park on an incline with the back of your truck downhill, check with a flashlight. If anything gets wet or leaks it will definitely set an evap code.

 

[Quiksilver]

Sorry for the really late reply back here I forgot about my own thread ._.

Anyway, I got a chance and followed all the hoses. Every. Last. One.

None of them were cracked or worn and on a whim I purchased a gas cap to see if that was it and that didn't fix it.

So I borrowed my neighbor for abit and had him sit in the truck while I played with the connector for the purge valve and low a behold, wiggling it around would trigger the CES and codes to trigger on and off.

I ended up cleaning the connector of debris and cleaned the wires up and it seems to be working again.

We shall see if it holds up, I might end up replacing it later this summer just to make sure.

 

[lupi]

had one of those in the tundra not long ago, thought it was going to be expensive troubleshooting, popped open the hood and saw a hose that became bad at the end and had come loose, thank god for that.

 

[mvbighead]

Had an evap code that kept coming up on a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Evap solenoid was cheap and was said to fix the specific code I got, so I bought one. Installed it in less than 15 minutes. A day or two later, the code comes back.

Had my mechanic check it out, and he said the solenoid looked fine (the hooked multimeter to it or something) and that his best guess, at the time, was the computer. That'd run something to the tune of $500 installed for a refurbed one. They suggested waiting on that as it wasn't a certainty.

Code comes back, and I was getting some intermittent stalls, so I decide to take it to the dealer. The thought being that the dealer had the best diagnostic tools and could pinpoint the problem. They check it, the code leads them to the purge valve, they replace it, and my $99 diagnostic turned into about $400 to replace a $20 valve that sits on top of the engine bay. I wasn't very pleased, but figured it was done and good to go. Check engine light popped on during my short drive home (5 miles).

Brought it back to the dealer the next day, and also called to voice concerns about the cost for what was supposed to be a $99 diagnostic. They cleared some of the charges, and then the tech ended up suggesting a new computer... at $1200 or so.

Took it back to my mechanic, he did the computer replacement, and it was fine ever since.

Not saying this will be the case with yours, but sometimes it isn't the easy simple things you would think it should be.