SES light came on, lw300

...insurance called today, and preliminary repair estimates are about $13k which far exceed the value of the car (so they've totaled it). Next week they'll make a settlement offer (they have to get another person involved in the process). Other than being a little slow, so far I think they're trying to do the right thing.

Glad my loss served some purpose if for nothing else as to add another layer of caution in the diagnostic process.

Is an EVAP leak like when a gas cap isn't on tightly and or the cap seal has failed?

The P0455 code came back today. Now I am incredibly pissed off! Having been a mechanic for years and being fairly competent, I can't even find the Evap canister. Having read most of the 5000 pages in the shop manual, I found them to be written from the standpoint of the tech who is armed with the factory service scan tool and concerned with little else. There are huge sections which equate diagnostic trouble codes to electronic faults (nice) but few diagrams to show where parts are located.

I found the evap canister purge solenoid on the right front fender well. It is working OK. Can't find where the evap canister vent solenoid nor the canister are located. I have a sinking feeling that it is on top of the fuel tank and the tank has to be dropped to service it. There is a leak somewhere in the evap system. Fuel cap seems OK

One would think that the manual would have some schematic diagram of the fuel system hoses and components. I can not find a useable one anywhere! This is my first service attempt on the car and I must say I am not impressed.

There is a form in the back of the service manual for sending recommendations to Saturn about improvements in the manual. I intend to fill one out shortly. GRRRRR!

Later - Oppie

Try looking under "V" for "Vapor Canister". {:D

It might be in a fender or behind the gas tank. Ehh... I forget where it is on a L series.

Would have been much easier to find if I had the manual on disk that was searchable. The index in the print manuals is nearly non-existent. Think that I found the vent solenoid up near the fuel door. Found that by looking through 200 pages of connector drawings and found one marked evap vent solenoid. The drawing had a note about location being near fuel door. Still no clear indication where the canister is. Just have to trace out the hoses now. Still love driving the car but if this is what they mean by "a new type of car company" I am unimpressed with their service documentation.

Think that I will try removing the purge solenoid and feed the canister line with 5 psi air and look for air leaks with soapy water. The vent solenoid is normally open (venting) unless powered and I can check it's electrical circuits.

Also saw what is needed to change the timing belt. YIKES! Glad I have a welder and a machine shop to make all the special tools needed for alignment before taking off the old belt.

Oppie

Evap canister is mounted on top of the gas tank "to make it tamper resistant" according to the manual. If service is needed on this, you have to pull the intermediate exhaust pipe and drop the fuel tank. No nice service doors from topside :-((

Evap canister vent solenoid is mounted behind the fuel door. I think that the valve had picked up a bit of dirt and was sticking open. There is a foam filter on its inlet but the housing was choked with dust. I have to question the sensibility of putting a vent behind the wheel well. With the vent circuit pinched off, the tank seems to hold pressure. Cleaned the filter and blew out the valve with air. Reset the code and will see again if the code gets set.

There is also a pressure sensor similar to a MAP sensor mounted on the fuel tank. It is used in the evap diagnostics where the vent solenoid is energized to close it and the purge solenoid is energized to open it. A vacuum should be pulled in the tank and then the purge turns off to hold the vacuum. The sensor measures the rate of decay of vacuum in the tank to determine if all is ok or the magnitude of the leak.

I have started annotating all the drawings in the shop manual similar to the way my Ford and Chrysler manuals were done. Much easier to follow that way. This is my first GM vehicle since I owned a '54 Olds 88 back in '65.

Oppie