2002 Prizm faulty fuel vapor canister

I have a 2002 Chevy Prizm with 37,500 miles.

My check engine light was staying on, so I took it in. I'm told my fuel
vapor canister is dead, and it will cost over $400 to replace.

My previous car was a 1992, so I'm not accustomed to these newer cars.
While I've appreciated not having to do an annual engine tune, etc,
this seems like a major part replacement to me at very low mileage...is
this typical of newer cars? Has anyone heard of this part failing so
soon on Prizm/Corolla? The mechanic checked for recalls and service
bulletins but says there aren't any, and I haven't located any myself.
He said in his experience it was "unusual."

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Tommy

> wrote in message
ps.com...
> I have a 2002 Chevy Prizm with 37,500 miles.
>
> My check engine light was staying on, so I took it in. I'm told my
fuel
> vapor canister is dead, and it will cost over $400 to replace.
>
> My previous car was a 1992, so I'm not accustomed to these newer cars.
> While I've appreciated not having to do an annual engine tune, etc,
> this seems like a major part replacement to me at very low
mileage...is
> this typical of newer cars? Has anyone heard of this part failing so
> soon on Prizm/Corolla? The mechanic checked for recalls and service
> bulletins but says there aren't any, and I haven't located any myself.
> He said in his experience it was "unusual."
>
> Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
>
> Tommy
>
Not real common but it does happen. Not sure if Toyota has the canister
set up like some others where topping off the tank can cause problems or
not.



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I found a TSB for "INACCURATE TECH 2 FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR
READINGS".

This could mean that maybe only the computer 'thinks' the vapor canister
is bad!

Here is the TSB number: 3336

From this site:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

" wrote:
>
> I have a 2002 Chevy Prizm with 37,500 miles.
>
> My check engine light was staying on, so I took it in. I'm told my fuel
> vapor canister is dead, and it will cost over $400 to replace.
>
> My previous car was a 1992, so I'm not accustomed to these newer cars.
> While I've appreciated not having to do an annual engine tune, etc,
> this seems like a major part replacement to me at very low mileage...is
> this typical of newer cars? Has anyone heard of this part failing so
> soon on Prizm/Corolla? The mechanic checked for recalls and service
> bulletins but says there aren't any, and I haven't located any myself.
> He said in his experience it was "unusual."
>
> Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
>
> Tommy

Hmmm...that's very interesting, especially in light of this update:

When the service advisor at the dealer called to give me the bad news,
and said there weren't any recalls or service bulletins, I said "Before
you do anything, let me think this over. I always like to doublecheck
things on the web." He offered to call GM and see if they would do
anything for me but said "I doubt they will, but it's worth a call."

WELL...I just heard back and GM is covering the entire thing, parts and
labor!!

I wonder...is this perhaps a secret warranty? Or is GM trying to
compete with the 10 year/100,000 mile warranties? Or, is the canister
not even bad after all which is why they're being so generous about
fixing it? Perhaps they'll just replace a sensor?

At any rate, Thanks for your help!

:-) Tommy

Mike Romain wrote:
> I found a TSB for "INACCURATE TECH 2 FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR
> READINGS".
>
> This could mean that maybe only the computer 'thinks' the vapor canister
> is bad!
>
> Here is the TSB number: 3336
>
> From this site:
> http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
> " wrote:
> >
> > I have a 2002 Chevy Prizm with 37,500 miles.
> >
> > My check engine light was staying on, so I took it in. I'm told my fuel
> > vapor canister is dead, and it will cost over $400 to replace.
> >
> > My previous car was a 1992, so I'm not accustomed to these newer cars.
> > While I've appreciated not having to do an annual engine tune, etc,
> > this seems like a major part replacement to me at very low mileage...is
> > this typical of newer cars? Has anyone heard of this part failing so
> > soon on Prizm/Corolla? The mechanic checked for recalls and service
> > bulletins but says there aren't any, and I haven't located any myself.
> > He said in his experience it was "unusual."
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
> >
> > Tommy

In my shop we have done this on 3 Corolla/Prizm's in the last 3 months.
> wrote in message
ps.com...
>I have a 2002 Chevy Prizm with 37,500 miles.
>
> My check engine light was staying on, so I took it in. I'm told my fuel
> vapor canister is dead, and it will cost over $400 to replace.
>
> My previous car was a 1992, so I'm not accustomed to these newer cars.
> While I've appreciated not having to do an annual engine tune, etc,
> this seems like a major part replacement to me at very low mileage...is
> this typical of newer cars? Has anyone heard of this part failing so
> soon on Prizm/Corolla? The mechanic checked for recalls and service
> bulletins but says there aren't any, and I haven't located any myself.
> He said in his experience it was "unusual."
>
> Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
>
> Tommy
>



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I may be wrong on this but I was under the inpression that the
Dealer/car maker was suppose to fix the emissions system for a set time
limit, like 5 years or 50,000 miles without charge to the customer by
US. federal law.

Rick

Shep wrote:
> In my shop we have done this on 3 Corolla/Prizm's in the last 3 months.
> > wrote in message
> ps.com...
> >I have a 2002 Chevy Prizm with 37,500 miles.
> >
> > My check engine light was staying on, so I took it in. I'm told my fuel
> > vapor canister is dead, and it will cost over $400 to replace.
> >
> > My previous car was a 1992, so I'm not accustomed to these newer cars.
> > While I've appreciated not having to do an annual engine tune, etc,
> > this seems like a major part replacement to me at very low mileage...is
> > this typical of newer cars? Has anyone heard of this part failing so
> > soon on Prizm/Corolla? The mechanic checked for recalls and service
> > bulletins but says there aren't any, and I haven't located any myself.
> > He said in his experience it was "unusual."
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
> >
> > Tommy
> >
>
>
>
> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
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> ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

"thetoolman" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I may be wrong on this but I was under the inpression that the
> Dealer/car maker was suppose to fix the emissions system for a set time
> limit, like 5 years or 50,000 miles without charge to the customer by
> US. federal law.
>
> Rick

My thinking as well, Rick; and I think this WOULD be an emissions
related item. s

In article
.com>,
"thetoolman" > wrote:

> I may be wrong on this but I was under the inpression that the
> Dealer/car maker was suppose to fix the emissions system for a set time
> limit, like 5 years or 50,000 miles without charge to the customer by
> US. federal law.
>
> Rick

An OBD2 vehicle carries 2/24 federal emissions warranty on minor
components, 8/80 or 10/100 on major components.

"aarcuda69062" > wrote in message
...
> In article
> .com>,
> "thetoolman" > wrote:
>
>> I may be wrong on this but I was under the inpression that the
>> Dealer/car maker was suppose to fix the emissions system for a set time
>> limit, like 5 years or 50,000 miles without charge to the customer by
>> US. federal law.
>>
>> Rick
>
> An OBD2 vehicle carries 2/24 federal emissions warranty on minor
> components, 8/80 or 10/100 on major components.

Hey Neil
Any idea who or what determines what is major and what is minor?
Bob

"thetoolman" > wrote in
oups.com:

> I may be wrong on this but I was under the inpression that the
> Dealer/car maker was suppose to fix the emissions system for a set
> time limit, like 5 years or 50,000 miles without charge to the
> customer by US. federal law.
>



Google is clearly not your friend.
http://www.epa.gov/oms/consumer/warr94fs.txt

All easily accessible via a search engine, such as Google.


--
TeGGeR®