Charcoal Canister

[jdselman]

I have a 1987 924S. Do the charcoal canisters go "bad"? I suspect that mine has been overwhelmed by an overly rich running engine. I see they are fairly expensive to replace so not wishing to waste money.

thanks,
James

[Gawernator]

I was wondering what they are even for ..lol

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_a_charcoal_canister_do_on_a_vehicle

[9FF]

Fuel tank breather used for emissions. One side goes to a bunch of solenoids in the engine bay the other vents to atmosphere through a tube under your rocker panel.

The solenoids vent the tank through there when the engine isn't running and vent it through your intake when it is running.

You will know when its not working, when you fill up with gas it bubbles back at you through the filler hole. The air in the tank cannot escape fast enough through the canister. This only happens on a newer gas pump though, the type that seals the fill hole will a rubber shield.

[HondaDustR]

I'm sure they do, but who cares? The EPA maybe, but they don't test it...only makes sure it's there. There is a vacuum thermal actuated valve that opens a vent to send the recovered vapors to the intake once the engine is warmed up.