Foreign Service

As Dan continues his series on Toyota evaporative emissions

systems, he explains a set of preliminary tests that can
determine the overall health of a nonintrusive system.

The vapor
pressure VSV
is readily
accessible on
many Toyota
products, such
as the superpopular Camry
shown here. If
you cant operate this VSV via
your scan tool,
you certainly
can energize it
with a backprobe and
jumper wire.

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March 2006

effective diagnostic tool whether you monitor

evap vapor pressure with a scanner or follow
the sensors signal with a digital voltmeter. I
happen to be using a Vetronix Mastertech fitted with OE-style software for Toyotas. However, comparable scan tools equipped with
Asian-vehicle diagnostics also should be able
to read evap vapor pressure as well as display
it in millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg).
I prefer a scan tool or gauge that shows
pressure in mm/Hg because it provides the
best sensitivity within this systems relatively
narrow span. Remember that the vapor pressure sensor operates over a range of only
about 25 to +10mm/Hg. (To the uninitiated,
thats about 12 to +14 psi!)
Third, the vapor pressure vacuum switching valve (VSV), which is normally off electrically, divides the nonintrusive evap system
into two partsthe canister side and the fuel
tank side. As I explained in previous columns,
this VSV normally allows the vapor pressure
sensor to sense canister-side pressure. Whenever the ECM decides to check the fuel tank
side of the system, it just energizes the vapor
pressure VSV.
continued on page 18

Photo & screen captures: Dan Marinucci

Dan
Marinucci

his is the third installment of a

multipart series on Toyota
evaporative emissions systems.
For now, Im concentrating on
the early or nonintrusive evap
setup that was used from 1997
through the early 2000s. Last month, I described the importance and utility of the vapor pressure sensor. This time, well apply
that info to system diagnosis.
I think youll see that this approach is very
helpful regardless of the trouble code at hand
and what the evap monitor status is. Whats
more, many of the tips are useful on vehicles
other than Toyotas.
But first, I need to recap the important
premises on which Im building a case here.
The main thing is that you can do a live functional check of a nonintrusive system fairly
quickly, especially when the charcoal canister
is mounted under the hood. As I explained in
previous columns, some tests take longer
when a Toyota canister assembly is hidden
under the rear of the vehicle.
Second, the systems vapor pressure sensor
rarely fails. Therefore, it can be a cheap and

Foreign Service
plenty about the systems condition.
With the appropriate scan tool,
I explained last month that atmosyou can turn the vapor pressure VSV
pheric pressure is 762mm/Hg at sea
on and off at will. An alternative is to
level when measured in absolute
identify the ground side of the VSV
pressure. Readings below that indiand backprobe its ground terminal.
Then ground the backprobe with
a jumper wire (ignition switch on) Fig. 1
whenever you want the ECM to
sense fuel tank vapor pressure.
Likewise, you can operate the
purge VSV with a backprobe and
jumper wire where necessary.
Understandably, many technicians are still getting acquainted
with these alien-sounding evap
system pressures. So rather than
just cite raw numbers from the Fig. 2
old reporters notebook, Im including various screen captures I
collected for you here in the dead
of winter. The philosophy here is
that you must test good to know
good; this makes it considerably
easier to spot the bad readings.
The vapor pressure sensor normally senses the canister side of
this system, so well begin there.
Once again, monitor vapor pres- Fig. 3
sure with a scan tool. Or tee the
appropriate pressure gauge into
the system between the vapor
pressure sensor and the vapor
pressure VSV. When in doubt, refer back to my illustration shown
on page 18 of the January 2006
issue.
Many times the vehicles we
have to diagnose are dropped off Fig. 4
the night before or sit outside the
shop for hours. This downtime,
combined with meaningful key
on/engine off tests, can yield invaluable diagnostic information.
For example, the screen capture
in Fig. 1 above comes from a Toyota Tacoma that sat outdoors all
night in winter weather. These
readings were taken key on/engine off at an ambient tempera- Fig. 5
ture of about 40F. This truck
happened to have a bad intake air
temperature (IAT) sensor, hence
the crazy 40.0F display.
Although the failed IAT had
nothing to do with evap system
integrity, the fact that the truck
sat outside all night and the engine hadnt been run yet tells us

cate negative pressure, or vacuum.

This Tacomas canister dropped way
down to 749mm/Hg overnight, so
the system dipped down into a
healthy vacuum. To give you an easy
reference point, note that canister
pressure drops to around 744 to
746mm/Hg when the engine is
purging it. So, the 749mm/Hg in
Fig. 1 suggests that the canister
side of the system is good and
tight. Otherwise, the pressure
would not have dipped so low
overnight.
Coincidentally, I got the data in
the screen capture in Fig. 2 from
another Tacoma that sat outdoors
overnight in brisk weather. Prior
to the first startup, this canisters
pressure was a wholesome
750mm/Hg. If the canister side of
either system had leaked
overnight, we would have seen atmospheric pressure (762mm/Hg).
Depending on local altitude, ambient temperature and the length
of time the vehicle was shut off,
canister pressure should be noticeably lower than 762mm/Hg.
The screen captures in Figs. 3
and 4 give more evidence that the
canister side of these systems is
tight. In both cases, I warmed up
the engine and canister pressure
increased accordingly. The Tacomas engine helps warm up the
canister simply because the canister is located under the hood.
Both canisters showed robust
pressure gains because the first
one reached 760mm/Hg and the
second one hit 767mm/Hg. Experience shows that canister pressure typically increases slower
than fuel tank pressure.
Note that at this point, the
truck is doing the work for me so
I could be doing something productive in the next bay. Plus, I
could disconnect the wiring connector from the purge VSV to ensure that no unintended purging
occurred during warmup.
So what do you do when the vehicle coming into your bay is already fully warmed up? Forcing
the system to purge by energizing
the purge VSV can be a helpful
continued on page 20

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March 2006

Foreign Service
leak-check, and the screen capture in
Hg) overnight strongly suggests that
Fig. 5 on page 18 shows normal rethe tank side of this system is tight.
sults. Canister pressure usually dips
If the tank side had leaked, we
well into the 740s the moment you
would have seen atmospheric presturn on the purge VSV with the ensure (762mm/Hg). Its worth noting
gine idling. If it doesnt, either the
that other healthy Toyota systems I
purge VSV didnt operate mechanitested in the dead of winter showed
cally or the systems got a sizable
leak. No, this technique may not Fig. 6
make you suspect a smaller leak as
readily as monitoring canister pressure during warmup.
Of course, you can switch back
and forth between the canister
side and fuel tank side by controlling the vapor pressure VSV
with a scanner or jumper wire.
Once again, the most meaningful
tests occur after the evap system Fig. 7
has cooled down for a while. The
screen capture in Fig. 6 shows
fuel tank pressure prior to starting up a Tacoma that was outdoors all night. (Believe me, it
seemed much colder than 33F
that morning!) The fact that the
pressure dipped down into a
healthy, negative value (753mm/

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March 2006

fuel tank pressures of 753 to

756mm/Hg prior to the first startup
in the morning.
Like canister pressure, the fuel
tank pressure in a tight system should
increase noticeably as you warm up
the engine. Heat from recirculated
fuel as well as the exhaust system
increases tank pressure. For example, I let this same Tacoma truck
idle for 35 to 40 minutes out in the
cold winter air, then recorded the
screen capture shown in Fig. 7.
Within that time, fuel tank pressure climbed from the stone-cold
reading of 753mm/Hg up to a positive pressure of 771mm/Hg. Once
more, I let the vehicle do the work
for me, and the 18mm/Hg increase
is strong, additional evidence that
the tank side of the system isnt
leaking. Tests on other normal Toyotas showed similar pressure increases.
Okay, I sense you readers are
just about millimetered out right
now, so lets continue our testing
next month. See you then!