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#251467 - 11/03/2005 14:49 "Check Engine Light" decoding?
burdell1 old hand Registered: 14/01/2002 Posts: 931 Loc: Minnetonka, MN	A few weeks ago my 'Check Engine' light came on in my 1997 Pontiac Sunfire GT. A friend of mine who owns a transmission shop offered to check the code for free and it said "P1441 - Evap System Flow During Non-Purge." Has anyone else had this same problem? What might be causing it? I know it is not something simple like the gas cap not being tight cause I checked that.....
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#251468 - 11/03/2005 15:58 Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? [Re: burdell1]
wfaulk carpal tunnel Registered: 25/12/2000 Posts: 16706 Loc: Raleigh, NC US	Quote: This deals with the purge solenoid, vent solenoid, charcoal canister, all the vacuum lines in this system, as well as the gas cap. Any one of these components may contribute to this code being set. All the wiring should be tested including the connectors for any problems. Vacuum lines should be checked for cracks or loose connections. The canister may be damaged or not working properly. reference Quote: Most likely the canister purge valve or vacum valve is stuck open allowing engine vacum into the fuel tank. Also if you have had any work done and the vacum lines were installed backwards, this will also cause your problem. reference Edited by wfaulk (11/03/2005 16:01) _________________________ Bitt Faulk
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#251469 - 11/03/2005 16:04 Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? [Re: wfaulk]
tfabris carpal tunnel Registered: 20/12/1999 Posts: 31597 Loc: Seattle, WA	Yeah, I've had the gas cap code come on at times when I was sure I'd done the three clicks. I'm now at the point where I don't trust "three clicks", I slowly and firmly turn the cap so that it strains against the clicking mechanism, so that it's tighter than the "three clicks" rule would normally account for, and the gas-cap codes went away. _________________________ Tony Fabris
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#251470 - 11/03/2005 16:09 Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? [Re: tfabris]
wfaulk carpal tunnel Registered: 25/12/2000 Posts: 16706 Loc: Raleigh, NC US	Sounds like you need a new gas cap. _________________________ Bitt Faulk
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#251471 - 11/03/2005 16:49 Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? [Re: wfaulk]
tfabris carpal tunnel Registered: 20/12/1999 Posts: 31597 Loc: Seattle, WA	The car and the gas cap were brand new. I took it to the dealership multiple times (they were the ones reading the code and telling me it was a gas cap code), and they kept insisting that they checked it and there was nothing wrong with the gas cap and it did not need to be replaced. _________________________ Tony Fabris
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#251472 - 11/03/2005 17:06 Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? [Re: tfabris]
g_attrill old hand Registered: 14/04/2002 Posts: 1172 Loc: Hants, UK	Put tape over the check engine light. Seriously, I've done that a couple of times. Somebody removed all the emissions stuff from my Camaro and the light would always come on after about 20-30 mins driving flat out on the motorway. At night this would be very bright so on the odd occasion I was driving that late the tape worked fine! edit: I forgot that this was of course Homer Simpson's idea in #AABF04 Gareth
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#251473 - 11/03/2005 17:15 Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? [Re: g_attrill]
JeffS carpal tunnel Registered: 14/01/2002 Posts: 2858 Loc: Atlanta, GA	Quote: Put tape over the check engine light. Also works for blinking 12:00 on VCRs. _________________________ -Jeff Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.
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#251474 - 11/03/2005 18:14 Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? [Re: JeffS]
lastdan enthusiast Registered: 31/05/2002 Posts: 352 Loc: santa cruz,ca	I don't think it's the gas cap. that would give a 'leakage' code in the evap system. I have seen a number of cases where vacuum was allowed to reach the fuel tank when it's not meant to. the result is that the fuel tank collapses, destroying the fuel pump and tank sender. my point is that this may not be a case where 'tape over the light' is such a good idea. check purge valves, check for shorts to solenoids.
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