JTS06Z06

My 00 ES Platinum that I just bought last week triggered a CEL and VSC light yesterday while sitting at a light. The car did not change the way it drives whatsoever still runs perfectly. I went to find out the codes at Autozone and they are P0440, P0441, and P0446 all having the do with the evap emissions system I guess. It did not happen after filling up gas since I have not even put gas in the car yet anyway. The fuel cap seems to be in good condition and on tight. The only work I did to the car was replaced the spark plugs with new NGK Iridiums. The job went smoothly and was very easy with no issues. The car has 103,000 miles.

Looking for any ideas on what I can check myself to fix this. I guess I will first start by resetting the codes and see if they come back.

Thanks for any help.

James

PFB

All of the above codes could have been stored in your car's computer memory prior to you having purchased the car. They could have been designated as pending, and only after a certain number of starting and driving cycles, will the computer trigger the CEL light if it detects the problem as still being there. Otherwise it will erase them from pending memory. and you will never have seen the CEL light.

So unless you checked for any pending codes in memory when you bought the car, then chances are that the problem was pre-existing.

As to what the specific issue may be, it could be a multitude of things, but as you said they all relate to the Evaporative system, so further diagnosis needs to be done to pinpoint the exact problem.

Foe example it could be a defective vacuum valve, a leaking/disconnected vacuum hose, Defective charcoal canister, defective fuel cap, etc,, etc..

Good Luck,

Phil

zajac

iTrader: (1)

I had the same exact codes on my 2000 at 113K miles. Went to talk to the techs at McGrath. They said it is one of two things, gas cap leaks air or its the charcoal canister. Bought a gas cap for $28, reset the light and it came back. Changed the charcoal canister and problem free.

So, it is your charcoal canister. It goes for about $250 I can get you the part number if you need it. It is a black box the size of a shoe box that sits under the rear of the car right above the sway bar and has about ten hoses connected to it. Let me know if you have any questions.

JTS06Z06

^^^ alright thanks. DFamn that sucks if I have to spend $250 bucks on this thing right away. For started I did the same thing as you I reset the code and checked the cap. We will see what happens.
I guess go ahead and get me that part number just incase. I would hate to buy that part though to find out it was something else like one of the solenoids or something.

Thanks,
James

zajac

iTrader: (1)

I'll post the part number once I get home. This seems to be a common problem after the 100K mile mark. Somewhere on here I read that if all three codes appear then it is definately the charcoal canister. The canister has a purge valve on it that usually is the culprit and I'm pretty sure you can just replace that but for an extra $100 might as well get the whole unit.

ontoy

zajac,
so whats the part number for the charcoal canister. my ES also have this P0440 code back in April and now it came back on again. is this part pretty easy to replace or what.

renatodato

Before you buy the canister, check the vacuum hoses for leaks. You could have accidently bumped the hoses when you were doing the spark plugs especially the back three where it's tight. My ES has almost 200K and I never changed the canister.

JTS06Z06

Just a heads up on the situation. Since I got that code the easiest thing to do before spending money was to reset the codes and simply clean the gas cap filler neck to make sure it seals good. I have since driven almost 500 miles with no CEL light. I dont know how long it would take to re-trigger that light if the problem does exist, but 500 miles seems like a pretty long time and still nothing. So we will see but so far its all good.

James

JTS06Z06

^^^ I wanted to follow up today as the CEL came on again so it looks like there is for sure a problem. It took a few weeks and over 700 miles of driving for the light to come back on. Anyway, I will call the dealership and see what im looking at as far as cost goes to have them look at it. Otherwise, is it relatively easy to replace the entire vapor canister or is it a pain in the *** to access everything? I found a couple brand new ones on ebay for around $250ish, also newlexusparts.com also has it for around $245.

Thanks,
James

L's TLS

iTrader: (1)

Having this same problem. Changed the gas cap and problem went away for over 1K miles, then the fiance (its her car) took her car to self service station and the cranked the cap excessively. problem came back 20 miles later. Going to try and clean the neck that the gas cap screws into and if that doesnt work replace the charcoal canister. Part # 77740-33122. Anyone have the DIY?

GoodRevs

Bumping this thread because I just had code p0440 come up today. Here's the thing - for the past week I've smelled the faint aroma of gas near the front passenger side every time I shut the car off. I reset the gas cap and pulled the battery; CEL and TRAC lights haven't come back on since, but that doesn't give me much comfort. Any idea's?

GoodRevs

Funny how things go...almost five years later to the day and my CEL +TRAC lights came on, I pulled the code and it's P0446. I go to search the forums and come across my old post; I totally forgot I had P0440 back in '12.

So I'm going to start with the gas cap and resetting the codes, then check the lines, and finally go to the charcoal canister. Any suggestions?

PFB

Its unlikely to be the gas cap. I had that code within days of buying my 2001 ES300 in 2008. In my case it was one of the VSV valves. Unfortunately I can't remember which one. it was completely seized and would not move. The used car dealer that I bought it from diagnosed the problem and changed it for me free of charge. Been good ever since

GoodRevs

Yeah I figure that but here's to being hopeful. Do you recall where the VSV valves are located?

PFB

i wasn't there when the mechanic fixed it, but he gave me back the defective VSV. I took it home, applied power , and noticed the plunger inside wasn't moving. Just heard a faint click. Took it apart and it was completely rusted inside. So a smoke test would not have helped since there was no leak.

im not saying that definitely that's your cause, but it certainly was mine.

I believe the VSV is located somewhere in the top of the engine, and should be visible when you remove the plastic engine beauty cover.