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2007 Check Engine light & fuel "venting"

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Mr. Humidity, Oct 3, 2019.

  1. Mr. Humidity

    Mr. Humidity Junior Member

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    About 6 months ago, the check engine light on my Prius (2007, 130K miles) came on. I took it to a shop that scanned it. They said the fuel cap was leaking and offered to sell me a "new" kind of cap for ~$70. That sounded like BS so I passed on their $70 cap. I called my Toyota dealership, asked if the Prius had had a new fuel cap issued, and they said no. So I bought a new fuel cap for $15 from an auto parts store and reset the check engine light. And then a couple of months later, the check engine light came back on and again. The car runs great and performs efficiently.

    Now, I'm trying to pass my annual inspection, but it's failed due venting from the fuel system. It's not clear if the state (Louisiana) inspector scans the car's computer or actually physically tests the fuel system itself.

    If anyone has any insight on this, I would appreciate your feedback. It seems unlikely that the fuel system is venting, because the miles per tank is still good. Could it be a bad sensor? If not, any thoughts on the repair?

    Thanks
     
  2. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat!!

    When the shop performed the OBD2 scan, did they supply you with the retrieved DTC (code)?
     
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    There are at least nine different diagnostic trouble codes which relate to the fuel tank.

    "Venting" does not necessary imply that liquid fuel is being lost. Rather, fuel vapor may be lost due to inadequate performance of the fuel tank system. This lost vapor is not going to adversely impact mpg but is sufficient to register a DTC and cause you to fail emissions testing.

    Yes, a sensor may have failed. You need to identify the specific DTC to have a further clue about what may be wrong with the system.
     
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  4. Mr. Humidity

    Mr. Humidity Junior Member

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    The DTC code is PO456. I was told by the shop that it's a small evaporative leak.

    Also, was I correct in my conclusion that there's not a new fuel cap substantially different than the original?

    Thanks.
     
    #4 Mr. Humidity, Oct 4, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2019
  5. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    I wonder if your discount replacement fuel cap has failed?
     
  6. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Here is the workup for DTC P0456 (and P0442 / P0455) : https://share.qclt.com/%E4%B8%B0%E7%94%B0%E6%99%AE%E7%91%9E%E6%96%AF%E5%8E%9F%E5%8E%82%E8%8B%B1%E6%96%87%E6%89%8B%E5%86%8Cpdf%E6%A0%BC%E5%BC%8F/Repair%20Manual/04pruisr/05/2054m/cip0442.pdf
    A quick call to a toyota parts counter, then ask how much a new cap costs.
     
    #6 SFO, Oct 5, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2019
    m.wynn and Raytheeagle like this.
  7. Paul Schenck

    Paul Schenck Active Member

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    California is not Louisiana the Air Quality Maintenance Division is even more tyrannical. Here that smog laws say there can be no MILs on (Mal Function Indicators) it doesn’t matter what they are for. In the case of my 2005 with 570,000 it was the coolant valve in the wrong position. Even changing the valve did not resolve the problem ( of course I knew if I was getting over 42 mpg driving at 75 there was not way I was hurting the air quality more than any car on the road getting less. Right?
    I eventually found and replaced the faulty plug and resolved it only to find codes for the Evaporative fuel system, the O2 sensor 2 ( I had replaced with non OEM) and the Engine Control Module (ECM)
    I had a 06 parts Prius so I swapped the ECM, Ordered an OEM O2 sensor and new exhaust gaskets for the mid section. I removed the gas Tanks and found when they were side by side they had different wiring harnesses ( see my other posts). After I put it back together the light wasn’t off! It said the tank pressure sensor was high, impossible right? Changed out the gas cap and it’s gone!
    If you’ve replaced the gas cap and your code still says EVap system fault you need to drop the tank and replace the Evap canisters. Both of them while you are at it.
    Hope this helps.


    iPhone ?
     
  8. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Patrick Wong is correct. You need to find out what all the codes that are showing point to.
    And sometimes, especially with hybrids the codes can be misleading, and point at everything except the real problem that is
    causing all the other codes to trip. But once you find out what all the codes mean you have a much better chance of finding what the real cause of the problem is.
    Evap codes can be as easy as the gas cap or can be things like the EGR valve or canister(s) or shut valve(s) O2 sensor(s) PVC valve etc.
    Here is a diagram of the Evap system for a 2007 prius Touring Genuine OEM Emission Components Parts for 2007 Toyota Prius Touring - Olathe Toyota Parts Center


    If you need to bring it to a mechanic and it turns out to be an Evap system issue, you may hear about a smoke test that is used to help a mechanic find a leak in the EGR system. That is if it actually is an Evap issue.
     
  9. Mr. Humidity

    Mr. Humidity Junior Member

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    Well, 140 miles after the inspection, the check engine light is back on today.

    I assume it's something other than the fuel cap. The new fuel cap I got (from O'Reilly's) looked identical to the original. I also called the local Toyota dealership who confirmed that there had been no significant change to my Prius' fuel cap. My point regarding the price was just that the repair shop was trying to charge me $70 for a $15 part.

    So, I assume now I need to look into the evaporative canisters, right? Anything else come to mind? Thanks.
     
  10. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Are you doing the work yourself or are you taking it to a shop to have them do the work?

    The small leak could be in the canister or shut valve or it could be in ten other places.
    We can't be sure what it is with the data you've provided so far.

    If all the shop sees is the one code, they don't know where the leak is either, most likely.
     
    SFO likes this.