What symptoms occur when a car's charcoal canister and solenoid valve fail?
2 Answers
Here are the specific symptoms of a damaged charcoal canister solenoid valve: 1. Difficulty starting the engine, charcoal canister solenoid valve stuck open: Since the solenoid valve remains open continuously, the intake manifold becomes filled with fuel vapors. When starting the engine, the overly rich air-fuel mixture causes difficult engine starting or even stalling. 2. Fuel vapor leakage, charcoal canister solenoid valve stuck closed: When the solenoid valve remains closed continuously, the fuel vapors stored in the charcoal canister cannot be purged, leading to increased fuel tank pressure. This eventually causes fuel vapors to leak from the tank's pressure relief valve.
After driving for so many years, the only issues I've encountered are a faulty carbon canister and solenoid valve, which were incredibly frustrating. That day, I was driving to pick up a friend when I noticed a strong gasoline smell, as if the fuel cap was left off after refueling. I stopped to check around the fuel tank but found no leaks, so I suspected the carbon canister had cracked, allowing fuel vapors to escape. Then, when starting the car, the idle was unstable, the engine roared loudly, and acceleration was particularly sluggish—most likely due to a faulty solenoid valve failing to direct fuel vapors into the engine. The most annoying part was the check engine light on the dashboard, indicating an emissions problem. Not only did fuel consumption noticeably increase, but the fuel tank also made a 'hissing' sound when refueling, a sign of disrupted vacuum pressure. I rushed to the repair shop, where the mechanic said these issues not only cause inconvenience but can also pollute the air, so they needed to be fixed promptly with replacement parts.
