iNdoMeX

arite, i have a 98 es3....my check engine light came on so i wanted to get a diagnostic for it but it was 85 bucks at the lexus dealership but then i saw an ad for a free diagnostic at autozone....so anyway, i took it to autozone, and the guy told me it was an EVAP Emissions System Control malfunction and he told me that just a hose got moved a little bit or somethin, it was a really small problem, and that it would fix itself and go back to normal....he said that if i took it to lexus, id just be spendin a lot of money on somethin really small....but then i go to work a few days later, and this girl there used to work in the service dept there and she had a friend who is a technician at the lexus dealership so she told me to go to him and hell give me a free diagnostic....so i go there today, he gives me the diagnostic and he says there could be a lotta possibilities of whats wrong with it and that they needa check under the car/under the hood for like an hr to see exactly whats wrong with it and thatd be 85 bucks....he said it could be somethin with the charcoal canister and he checked the hoses and they were all attached fine, but he said it could just have somethin to do with that charcoal canister....he said theres also somethin wrong with the pressure in my gas tank and that its just lettin out pressure when he opens it and thats gonna be related to whatever problem i have under the hood....i was told that this could cost up to like 500 bucks or so....oh yea, my 4yr 50k miles warranty ended like 6 months ago....and i know some things are covered under a 6yr 70k mile warranty but they said this isnt.....and to make matters worse, im drivin the car up to pennsylvania this saturday.....so im really confused about my problem ....yea so if anyone can shed light on this , that would be really good, thanx

Pianoman72

http://206.117.169.65/emission.htm

that website explains a little bit about the charcoal thing. Here's what might apply:

"One common problem with this system is that the purge valve goes bad and engine vacuum draws fuel directly into the intake system. This enriches the fuel mixture and will foul the spark plugs. Most charcoal canisters have a filter that should be replaced periodically. This system should be checked when fuel mileage drops."

Maybe you can replace that charcoal filter like they say in the article? At any rate, it sounds like your fuel/air mixture is running rich. Have you noticed a decrease in gas mileage?

I would go ahead and take your car on that trip, but if you have time, change your oil/oil filter, air filter, fuel filter and see if any of those things make the light go off. If you can check the spark plugs youself, do. They can provide clues to what might be wrong.

Then you can spend money at the Lexus dealer but it doesn't sound to me like the Autozone guy was being dishonest. Of course I understand why you would want a 2nd opinion!

(I hope that helps you a little bit, I saw your post and thought I'd start the ball rolling)

iNdoMeX

thanks a lot! that did help!.....well i just got my oil and filter changed a few weeks ago....do ya think i should DEFINITELY get it fixed before i go on the trip or should i be okay cuz from that website, it doesnt seem like its a HUGE problem but i should prolly get it fixed sometime....cuz i dont know how much time im gonna have to get it done

DevilDog

What trouble code did the tech retrive from your car??????? Was it an evap code??? P0440, P0441, P0442, P0446, etc...

That system is very complicated. There are very few techs who can properly diagnose the system. Sounds like everyone is just GUESSING at what is wrong. Nobody has correctly diagnosed your problem, not even the lexus tech. If he understood exactly how the evap system worked, then he could have diagnosed the problem when he had it. What code or codes were in your car?



DD

iNdoMeX

well i dunno what the code was....but anyway, the lexus tech looked at my car today and he told me the problem.... the whole entire charcoal canister had to be replaced so i got it replaced since i gotta leave saturday morn.....a smooth 620 bucks

whitels

Hey, isn't the charcoal canister a part of the emissions sytem and therefore should be covered by the longer emissions warranty?

iNdoMeX

yea it is part of the emissions system but the dealership said it wasnt covered under the extended warranty....is it definitely covered under it?