Engine Management Light - Carbon Canister Valve

[par]

Recently bought a 2002 1.4MPI Fabia for my daughter and the engine management light has come on, car had been sitting for a while and the oil was a bit sludgy so I changed the oil and carried out a service on it. Local garage scanned the fault and said it was showing as a fault with the carbon canister valve, they reset the light but it has come on again after about 30 miles.

 

Is this something that can be cleaned or does it need to be replaced? Is this the same as EGR valve I have read on here or is that only on diesels?

 

Any help would be appreciated as this was supposed to be an upgrade on her SEAT Arosa which she has driven for the last 2.5 years with the CEL light on!

 

 

[par]

Meant to add the car pulls well enough so doesnt appear to affect performance too much, it has a bit of a lumpy idle but that seems to be quite common for these engines.

[rwbaldwin]

The EGR valve and N80 purge valve are different. Usually, when the N80 is faulty, it needs to be replaced.

[Steve Neate]

Check the fuses that are anything to do with the engine.

 

SN

Edited 21 April, 2014 by Steve Neate

[TMB]

The MPI doesn't have an EGR valve.

 

The purge canister solenoid valve is next to the coolant reservoir and easy to change if needed. Valve looks like this...

 

Edited 21 April, 2014 by TMB

[par]

Thanks!

 

Will check the fuses and locate the valve, is this a VW/Skoda only supplied part?

[Tech1e]

The canister could just have run out. It has a service life so I wouldn't be surprised.

 

It can also be wrecked by brimming the fuel tank if the vent is released in the filler neck and the canister gets filled with fuel.

[Breezy_Pete]

The canister could just have run out. It has a service life so I wouldn't be surprised.

 

It can also be wrecked by brimming the fuel tank if the vent is released in the filler neck and the canister gets filled with fuel.

 

I've never heard that before. How long is the service life according to Skoda?

[rwbaldwin]

I've never heard that before. How long is the service life according to Skoda?

I've seen references to them being 'past their best' after 8 years, but I don't think there is schedule. Other components such as the MAF have a service life but no schedule (past their best after 4 years).

[Tech1e]

Stands to reason though doesnt it. Any filter will have a 'life'. Gradually the carbon will soak up the fuel vapour before its returned through the system, sooner of later it will get to a point where it is saturated and it wont be affective anymore.

[Breezy_Pete]

How could the ECU know how well the carbon canister is/isn't doing its job?

 

Seems far more probable to me that it's the purge valve (or connection to) with electrics and moving part that is the problem.

 

Part number as far as I can see is 6Q0906517, not sure if it's dealer only, but Google/Ebay will probably reveal.

[Tech1e]

The ECU will know as fuel vapour will be being pumped into the inlet manifold thus effective the mixture/fuelling.

 

We had a bulletin on the over fuelling many years ago.

[Breezy_Pete]

Thanks.

[Avalon]

Note to self: Don't do vented fills on an mpi.

[Steve Neate]

Further to my recent post.

 

Usually there is a heater in the oil breather tube between the oil separator on the side of the block and the air filter.  It burns out and blows the fuse which also has the purge valve on it.  Disconnect the heater, replace the fuse.  Replace the heater at your leisure.

 

SN

[Breezy_Pete]

That would be a very nice cheap fix (the price of a fuse) if you're right Steve.

 

Can't imagine the heater is vital except maybe on the harshest of winter mornings (in this country).

[Steve Neate]

We have a Lupo GTi which has it.  That's how I found out.

 

It's currently running with a burnt out heater disconnected.

 

SN

[par]

OK now had a chance to look at this and found all the fuses were good. Located the canister solenoid valve - can this be tested in any way? I can blow through this in both directions when disconnected, one way is more restricted than the other or should it be sealed in one direction?

 

Regarding the comments above about brimming it, the light did come on just after I refuelled (didnt deliberately brim it, just to the first click) so sounds like it is related.

 

Is there a quick way of resetting the fault code without a scanner or is just a case of disconnecting the battery overnight?

 

Will try getting hold of a new solenoid valve and see if this fixes it but think I might need a new carbon canister by the sound of things as the car has done 114K.

 

thanks for all the advice, its genuinely appreciated.

[Avalon]

The vented fill is where you push the small black pin in the filler neck to allow an additional 12-15ltrs of fuel to be pumped. Filling it to one click is fine.

[Tech1e]

It will need a fault code scanner to clear the code. VCDS can activate the valve to check the ECU side of it is working.

[rum4mo]

Note to self: Don't do vented fills on an mpi.

I kind of think when Tech1e first posted that advice about 8 years ago, it was intended to cover all petrol engines, not just mpi, I've certainly followed that advice since finding that out!