Hi everyone, I'm looking for technical advice on a persistent P0446 code on my 2004 Toyota Prius (Gen 2). The history of this fault is quite specific: 1. The Incident: About 5 weeks ago, the car was rear-ended on the right side. The impact damaged the right rear light housing and slightly compressed the area housing the 12V auxiliary battery. 2. Delayed Symptoms: After the body repairs, the car ran fine for about a month. However, I started noticing: Decreased Fuel Economy: A significant drop in MPG. Frequent Cycling: The ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) started cycling on and off much more frequently than usual. Rough Transitions: The transition from EV to ICE became very jerky, with pronounced vibration/shuddering upon engine startup. 3. The Trigger: A few days ago, shortly after a full refuel, the Check Engine Light finally illuminated with code P0446 (Evaporative Emission System Vent Control Circuit). My Analysis & Questions: Given the right-rear impact, I suspect the Charcoal Canister or its associated Vent Valves/Vacuum lines (located near the rear) might have sustained a hairline crack or loose connection that only manifested as a hard fault after the pressure change of a refuel. Has anyone experienced a rough engine start/stop specifically tied to an EVAP circuit fault? Could a hairline crack in the canister cause these hybrid system driveability issues before the CEL even triggered? Should I focus my inspection on the CCV (Canister Closed Valve) or the fuel filler neck area? Any insights from the community would be greatly appreciated. Located in a high-temperature climate (Phnom Penh), which might be stressing the plastic components. Thanks in advance!
But damages are on side opposing the filler tube and related tubing . Isn't cannister for evap kinda centered under car above tank ,??? Unless rear quarter is pushed do far as to crumple spare tire well? And push that area to canister a quick look under car would tell srory. Or pics from under car?
You need to vacuum test the system for leaks and isolate the it from the back or front of the car. Your in a hot humid climate, so for a car that old, those rubber seals on the valves will corrode and fall apart. There's also the distinct possibility that you got some contaminated fuel. I know they sell fuel on every corner, out of a liter or two soda containers - at least they used to do that a decade ago. I would start with the gas cap seal. That's the most common issue. Your rear wheel may be out of alignment or your traction battery pack is going bad. When was the last time you cleaned out your traction battery cooling assembly? You should check the traction pack with the Dr Prius app. Good Luck....
Second on checking the gas cap seal. A loose or leaking cap is the most common source of that code (on most cars, anyway). Running rough could be a vacuum leak, probably up front. Or it could be any of the other usual suspects, like fuel problems, bad plugs, dirty injectors, an iffy coil pack, and so on. It may or may not have anything to do with the accident. The rough transitions are probably from the plate between the motor and the transmission trying to compensate for the motor running poorly. Whenever the ICE is not happy that plate will let you know. This video gives an overview of what I'm talking about: