Manager Forum

Feels great doesn't it. I know at least for me when I track something down and it's not something I should have picked up on right away I feel like I really accomplished something. After I make a repair like this I quickly make a copy of the order and attach all my notes to it for future reference and put it somewhere that I'll never be able to locate when I need it. Seriously I have a group of binders divided by vehicle and symptoms that I store these on. Also I look back in the repair and see if there was anything I missed along the way that would have been a tip. Probably if I were watching the scanner at the time of the stall I would have noticed a spoke in the fuel trim and of I froze the screen would have or should have seen the valve open. I remember years ago the Plymouth and Dodge K cars would do this occasionally and if someone crossed the vacuum lines on the evap canister on a G.M. this would happen. First time I've seen it on a Toyota. Gotta feel great and if you get paid for your time that would add to your joy.

ricmorin wrote:Makes perfect sense. The evap purge was allowing raw fuel into the mix during a purge event. The engine stalled as this should only be vapor and was unable to handle it. No codes because the engine stopped running before it new what happened.

But, they did get the car to run for some extended periods of time. If the canister was full of gas, and it was, shouldn't that have set an EVAP code, at some point? Again, this is my thinking, a non-tech.

steven kiser wrote:Feels great doesn't it.

Yes, it sure does feel great. We're just lucky the customer could be without the car long enough for the guys to figure it out.

We have another one (99 CR-V), that Mark finally found the cause of late last Friday, just before we closed. I'll post that one, after we write it up (with the Hondas of course).

But, they did get the car to run for some extended periods of time. If the canister was full of gas, and it was, shouldn't that have set an EVAP code, at some point? Again, this is my thinking, a non-tech.

Usually canisters get full of fuel when owners overfill. Monitors that would provide codes for the evap system don't run unless the tank is between 15 and 85%. These same owners often keep the tank very full, all the time. Thus, the evap codes never show because the conditions to run the tests never exist. That's one of many possible scenarios.

After reading Ric's post in the difficulty of diagnosing the issue has made me rethink and rewrite my customer query sheet. Actually adding a few questions on how customers keep their vehicles, for lack of a better phrase, prepared. Ones along the lines of the fuel level, run time, length of most uses, how many operators, and a few others. My question sheets for the customer are a bit lengthy especially for a first time customer but no where is there a question about the fuel level and looking at this over a broader or out of the box view it is rather important. I can think of a few times that asking this question may have answered monitoring system situations. I think this can be expanded upon in the request section of the forum especially if the form can somehow be added to vehicle / customer so it can be reviewed and updated. Having this attached to the clip board along with the tech sheet would be an added advantage. Just a thought.