I replaced my steering rack. I removed the charcoal canister to access the upper bolts to the driver's side rack brace. I disconnect the lower canister hose from the 'T'. Of the remaining 2 hoses on the 'T', one goes aft, my guess is the gas tank and the other to a small plastic cylinder on the inside fender wall at the bottom of the strut housing. Somehow the small black plastic cylinder broke off the fender wall. The cylinder appears to be a valve. I see what appears to be a white plastic ball, about 3/8" in diameter, that is backed by a spring. The ball can be pushed in easily. I assume this is a relief to allow outside air to mix with might be drawn from the gas tank up into the canister thence either into the throttle body via the port before the throttle plate or into the EGR pipe if open.
How does this plastic valve attach to the wall? Am I correct in that it's suppose to allow air in or is it suppose to be purging something? I can see that it might not need to be filtered as in the case of the BPT, the BPT having a foam filter to filter outside air (I happen to find mine completely deteriorated allowing unfiltered air in; it probably saw undue vacuum when the orifice in the BTP line to the EGR pipe clogged with carbon). Any air getting by that white ball would be filtered by the charcoal canister.
So, what am I looking at with that valve hanging free?
Bill