Common OBD Two Codes
Locking gas cap
One of the most common OBD two codes would be for the evaporative emissions system. These codes were designed by the manufacturer and mandated by clean air laws.
Basically this is that the fuel system on every automobile must be completely sealed. No longer are you allowed to vent fuel vapor into the atmosphere.
This means that a storage and burning system is necessary to properly handle the naturally occurring fuel vaporization process.
Depending on the year make and model of the vehicle the codes set will usually be in the P0400 range. These codes when set will help you determine what the problem with the system may be.
When the fuel vapor system is determined to be leaking the severity of the leak is measured. Individual codes may set for a small leak, a medium-sized leak, or even a large fuel vapor leak.
Also in the P0400 range of codes will be specific codes for the canister and purge valve functions of the evaporation emissions system. All of the failures in the P0400 range could be considered common OBD codes. Again depending on the year make and model of the vehicle. But I have seen failures in all parts of the evap at one time or another.
OBD two evap systems leaks
OBD two monitors the evaporative system by testing the ability of the fuel tank to hold pressure as well as purging the system to vent petroleum fumes from the charcoal canister storage device. The most common way that this pressure test is deployed is with a small pump. Read more
Auto Repair Information
Auto Mechanic
This was an auto repair information blog when I started it two years ago. Things stayed on topic, but changed a little when gas prices started to climb in early 2008. This is also when I purchased the water 4 gas systems and decided to share the details of my project with visitors. In today’s post I wanted to return to the original reason I started this blog. And that was to supply auto repair information for people that like to fix their own cars.
After fielding many questions over the last couple years on my car repair help page I have noticed one very common piece of advice that I continue to dispense. It also happens to be the first step in almost all of my automotive diagnosis procedures that I personally use. And this is the visual inspection. It is very common that I will uncover the cause of the car problem by simply performing a thorough visual inspection.
Auto repair visual inspections
I’m going to provide some examples of what to look for, and some of the most common things that I have found. It would seem that a visual inspection during these winter months are more important then in the summer. But regardless, I perform this procedure as a quick first step in automotive diagnosis no matter what the weather is like.
My first example actually happened yesterday and got me thinking about how I should share this with website visitors. I was working on a 2006 Read more
Gas Caps Are Leaving
Gas caps will be a thing of the past as Ford Motor Company takes the lead and has begun to make good on a 2006 promise to get rid of the gas caps on its entire model lineup. Doing away with the pesky lids, which often wind up left on trunks or fenders or even dangling from cars as they fly down freeways. This project moves forward in the new 2009 F150 pickup truck. The quick refueling system is already on the 2008 Ford Explorer.
Ford’s top-selling F 150 will also have this new system, which was unveiled at the North American international auto show. It will be in your local showrooms and ford dealerships this fall. This new feature is also coming to the 2009 crossover vehicle the Lincoln MKS luxury sedan.
This new feature may not cause people to buy the trucks, but it is something that they will appreciate every time you fill up. The quick fueling system that was inspired by Ford’s NASCAR racing experience first appeared on the 2003 Ford GT sports car with rave reviews. Now every body can feel like the refueling chief on a race car pit crew.
How do you fill a fuel tank without a gas cap?
The race car inspired system has two small spring-loaded tabs that Read more
Check engine light is on
(Quick story) I remember one time my sister had her car repaired when she was out of town.
She was driving and her check engine light came on. She called me in a panic. I told her to take it to a chain store and hope for the best but to ask for the old parts back.
The shop said the vehicle needed an o2 sensor and my sister confirmed the light was out and received the old part.
When she got back in town I asked to see her old part, it was not an o2 sensor but an egr valve off of a large diesel engine. Definitely not from her little economy car gas engine.
When I looked under her car the old original o2 sensor was still in the exhaust stream.
To make a long story short the shop just cleared the check engine light and let her go after confirming with her she was heading back to her home state.
Two things to learn from this. One if you have out of state tags tell the shop you just moved to the state your in and have not changed your tags yet.
The shop knows that if you are a transient customer that they will never see you again and can give you the royal screw over with no problems.
The second lesson is if you ask for the old parts back know what the part looks like.
Have the shop show you the old part on the car before they remove it so you can confirm it is the part quoted in the repair estimate.
Learning some basic automotive skills will make you feel more confident about going in for auto service. The service writer or service manager will instantly recognize this confidence.
A consumer that understands the vehicle and how the auto service business works is usually passed over when it comes time to apply the rip offs and scams.
For more information on check engine light diy diagnosis. For more info on protecting yourself from auto repair rip-offs.
