Posted by: burdell1
"Check Engine Light" decoding? - 11/03/2005 14:49
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.....
Posted by: tfabris
Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? - 11/03/2005 16:04
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.
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? - 11/03/2005 16:09
Sounds like you need a new gas cap.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? - 11/03/2005 16:49
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.
Posted by: g_attrill
Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? - 11/03/2005 17:06
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
Posted by: lastdan
Re: "Check Engine Light" decoding? - 11/03/2005 18:14
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.