2001 Chevy Cavalier P0440 EVAP Code CHECK ENGINE...HELP!

We have a 2001 Chevy Cavalier with 2.2liter that we just bought used. It was sold because the neighbor girl said Autozone said it needed a $300 EVAP part. Here is where we are...Autozone checked it 4 times so far. We get the P0440 Code. I bought a GAS CAP and CLEARED the codes...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT came back. I bought a NEW EVAP MODULE and cleared it all....Check Engine came back. I bought the Charcol Canister and cleared it....it came back. I went to Autozone again and they let me CLEAR the check engine code...less than 50 miles later it came back! We went through our 2 thirty day tags and can NOT get another tag and the car is sitting here and my girlfriend is crying everyday since she spent the last of her money and can NOT get plates due to the "BU**SHI# Ohio "E-Check" ! We do NOT have enough money to go to the Chevy Dealer so if ANYBODY has any ANSWER to what this can be....PLEASE let us know because my girlfriend is so upset over this and I have tried everything and have no real idea how to TEST tho see what the problem could be other than replacing parts! I have NOT yet replaced the EVAP CANISTER PURGER SOLENOID VALVE but it is well hid on the back of the motor but IF that is the problem,I would try to get to that bugger! One more clue...there is NO "WHOOSH" sound when we open the Brand NEW Gas CAP so that tells me there is NO VACUUM or pressure at all able to be held in the gas tank....Hmmmm. PLEASE HELP!!!!

Im sorry for the problems you;ve been having, but it;s not really the end of the world. The code means that the EVAP system can't hold pressure. THere's a leak somewhere and it'll likely have to be smoke tested.
There's no way to tell where the problemlies without thoroughly checking the EVAP system.
So, save your dollars and skip beer and pizza night for a couple weeks and then get it fixed. Oil that bicycle chain.

It's likely the purge solenoid at the back by the cannister/tank, changed them on both of the cavailers in my family. It likely costs less then 50 bucks and takes no time to change it. The problem you're having is you're wasting money trying to fix it yourself and buying parts it doesn't need because of pride instead of taking it to a shop right from the onset. Think about if the person selling it says that autozone tells her it needs a 300 dollar part to repair why would you trust autozone to diag any further! Not that reading codes and looking through a book that they have is even close to diagging a vehicles emissions system. Remember they're in the business of selling you parts not fixing your car! Imagine how po'd you'll be if all you needed was a 25 cent piece of vaccum line or a broken wire repairred! It's not a BS emissions policy in Ohio or anywhere for that matter because without laws people wouldn't fix or properly maintain the vehicles they drive and if we all have to breathe the same air and I have to keep my vehicle from being a polluter then you can as well!

HI ¡¡

My recomendation is, not to start changing parts of the evap system unless you are 100% sure they are failing.. I understand you changing and paying a lot of EVAP parts, but these is not the solution and you will be wasting more money (imaging changing all the parts only because they supose to be working wrong, (IT will be super expensive ¡¡)
Anyway,,, I will recommend you starting to check all the EVAP lines between canister, fuel tank and engine, make sure these canister pipes that are under the car body (the pipes that comunicate engine and evap) are not dammaged, losen or broken; try to disconnect the output pipe line of the evap cannister and the hose pipe that enters to the engine and blow some air into the pipe (it can be with compressed air) is the air comming out from the pipe when you blow air ?? can you hear some air leak between the pipes???
Also check your fuel tank and all its hoses for losen or broken, be sure to check all the fuel tank and pipes in a very precisely form ¡¡¡

Thanks for the info but here in Ohio a Semi blowing out JET BLACK SMOKE flies past you and while waiting to get this car tested the guy next to her laughed and said he does not have a cat converter because the bottom blew off and it lost ALL THE PELLETS so he welded back on with NO pellets. He also sait it takes about 2 quarts of oil a day. This guys PILE of JUNK PASSED with flying colors and out 2001 Cavalier that runs like a 2008 will NOT even get a test because the check engine light is on! HOW FAIR IS THIS e CHECK PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE HERE?

The difference is the 2001 is likely a tailpipe test and in theory could pass occasionally without a working converter where as alot of newer only test with a scan tool, no light, all monitors, ready, gets a pass. I don't make the rules and no system is perfect but unfortunately it's the reality.

Well I went against my better judgment for the "just one more part thing" and did put on a NEW EVAP Purge Soenoid that is mounted on the back side of the 2.2 engine. I already had replaced the EVAP Solenoid that is BY THE GAS TANK next to the charcol canister. I removed the green EVAP SERVICE PORT CAP by the back of the engine and removed the valve core and blew about 1 to 2 psi of air into the port and the only place air comes out of is the bottom of the Solenoid Control Valve by the gas tank.Air will come out of that lower baffel or vent. It just SEEMS like maybe there is NO current going to ANY of these 2 solenoids and I have checked all the standard FUSES. I do want to THANK EVERYBODY SO FAR for al the help but still no luck.

and don't blame the semi trucks. Although most of their tailpipe emissions are visible(black smoke) they are actually less polluting than autos, whose tailpipe emissions are mostly invisibile. `

HI ¡

Your 2 solenoids are working properly "don´t change them" .
The reason you are not having air in the charcoal and after the vent valve is because the control solenoid valve is closed and that is correct. You only must have air after the control solenoid valve around the fuel tank as you already confirmed; these is the correct way it functions.
The problem must be in another part ¡¡
Check the vacuum cut valve that are assemblied in some part of the EVAP system (maybe the vacuum valve is in the top of the fuel tank or near it) Have you alraedy checked these hoses that are attached to the fuel tank? do they have some vacuum cut valves ? what and how many valves are there ? does it has some kind of vacuum or check valves ??

Thanks for posting the fix. I'm sitting here in my garage scratching my head, blowing on vacuum lines / valves, etc. and then your post shows up. I slide the 'ol creeper back underneath and there it is - broken white wire to the canister vent! Thanks for your post!

so the 26 dollar gas cap that worked was a rip off compared the zone pos
that didn't! Yeah imagine the money wasted because of that inferieor quality part! Plus the broken wire! Nice to know that the people you say soaked you fixed your car! Like I said stupid pride! The point of this site isn't to whine about costs and slander repair facilities it's to give guidance to those that wish to understand and attempt to repair there own cars! if you're not competent enough to diag wiring problems then you're just hanging parts and regardless of what alot think that's not all techs do all day! Had you bit the bullet and knew you were in over your head from the beginning with this car you'd have saved yourself money and frustration.

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com

GM PART # 22687059
CATEGORY: Body Wiring
PACK QTY: 1
CORE CHARGE: $0.00
GM LIST: $73.28
OUR PRICE: $43.44


even with their expensive shipping, probably $60 total.

TTBoy - I do have one question - couldn't you buy a code reader/resetter, and clear the code right after you pull into gas station or wherever for the test, and then go get your emissions ? (and pass?).

If it was taking 6 days sometimes... that sounds like enough of a time to get it to pass? no?

I think I found the answer to my own question.

My new question is - can you pass with a pending code that hasn't matured? Or will the readiness indicator be off preventing the emissions test?



http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:Tx ... =firefox-a



If a situation develops in any of these monitored systems that could cause a real or potential emissions problem, OBD II will watch it, set a code and eventually illuminate the MIL. Most OBD II codes take time to mature and will not turn on the MIL lamp immediately. OBD II may wait until it detects the same problem on two separate drive cycles before it converts a pending code into a mature code and turns on the MIL lamp. The bottom line here is if the light is on, the vehicle will NOT pass an OBD II plug-in test. The problem must be fixed and the MIL light must stay out before the vehicle will pass.


READINESS ISSUES

When OBD II runs a self-check on a particular component or system, it lets you know by setting a readiness "flag" or indicator which can be displayed on your code reader or scan tool. If OBD II has run all the available monitors and all the monitors have passed -- and no faults have been found -- the vehicle should pass the OBD II plug-in test. But if all the required monitors have not run, the vehicle can't be given an OBD II test. The motorist must drive the vehicle and come back again, or take a tailpipe test if that is an option.

Yes, as we've covered here millions of times....