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Possible fix for charcoal canister

120K views 60 replies 29 participants last post by  HONESTGLEN 
#1 ·
My wife's 2007 V6 RAV4 has about 123K miles. The other day the check engine, VSC and one other light suddenly came on.

Took it to the dealer and was told it would take $1,400 to replace the charcoal canister, gas cap and vacuum switching valve.

I thought I'd take a shot at fixing it myself and started with the cheapest fix attempt first - replacing the charcoal pellets.

Without too much effort and a carpenters knife, the back of the canister comes off:





$18 of charcoal from the petstore:


Measure the height of the old charcoal before dumping out. Once the new charcoal is in, put these spring loaded pieces in place:


I did this Sunday morning and my wife needs the car for Monday morning. Since I didn't have time for epoxy to fully cure, I "welded" it back together.




Not pretty but it should hold:


Ready to be bolted back in place:



It took 2 days of driving before the lights came back on after being reset at the dealer. If the lights stay off by Wednesday I think I'll call this a good fix. If not, I'll try replacing the vacuum switching valve as it is the 2nd least expensive item on the repair list.

I can't believe, well I guess I can, that they are charging $392 to swap this part. I think I was on the garage floor for about a total of 30 minutes.
 
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#2 ·
I don't know how the engine control module can monitor the condition of the charcoal itself, so I'm betting the problem is the VSV anyway. The charcoal shouldn't go bad (become completely saturated) as long as the VSV and other components in the evaporative emissions system are working correctly and pulling off the absorbed vapors as designed.

Did the old charcoal smell strongly of gasoline?
 
#3 ·
To answer your question - No. When I popped the back off, I was expecting a strong gasoline smell. But it wasn't strong at all.

I'm still hoping that after 123K miles, the pellets have absorbed something and airflow is being limited through the system and that is what is tripping the computer codes.

If I had those codes at a 1/3 or 1/2 the miles like I've read about, then I wouldn't have suspected the charcoal itself.

If the car comes home tomorrow with the lights on, then $60 for the valve and the $20 for the charcoal still isn't a bad risk at trying to fix this.

The one thing that concerns me is that there is an electronic solenoid bolted to the canister. I can't seem to find that part by itself. So if that turns out to be the culprit, it is looking like the only way to get that is with buying a new canister.
 
#5 ·
Congratulations! I love being able to repair something that has been deemed "unrepairable" by design. And being able to save that much money at the same time is amazing!
 
#7 ·
I will have to look at this repair myself.

Does the VSV (solenoid section) come off? or is it a part of that "box"?
 
#8 ·
Does the VSV (solenoid section) come off? or is it a part of that "box"?
When I looked at the parts diagram, the VSV appears to be a separate component. There is an electronic valve/solenoid attached to the canister with three bolts. I don't know what exactly that is and it doesn't appear to be purchased (new at least) by itself. I removed it when I took the back of the canister apart because I wasn't sure what I was getting into.

It doesn't need to come off to do the repair, but it does make the canister a little easier to stand on end.
 
#12 ·
:eek: Did not know that the RAV4s are that sensitive.

Never had any issues with my other car that had a canister. Probably due to the canister was in the left rear wheel well behind a cover - where the RAV4s should have been in the first place.

Will have to remember to do this from now on...
:shrug:
 
#13 ·
FWIW, I've probably done 1/2 the fill-ups on the RAV4. In 123K miles, I'm guessing that works out to being quite a few fill-ups. I usually go well past the 1st click, always trying to get to the next whole dollar without going over. Many times I've slowly pulled the nozzle out so I can get more gas in without tripping the auto shut-off on the nozzle. So either I've gotten lucky or the system isn't that sensitive.

But to be on the safe side, I'll stop at the 1st click going forward.
 
#15 ·
I usually go well past the 1st click, always trying to get to the next whole dollar without going over. Many times I've slowly pulled the nozzle out so I can get more gas in without tripping the auto shut-off on the nozzle. So either I've gotten lucky or the system isn't that sensitive.
Not sure I understand. You had failed canister, didn't you?
 
#14 ·
Reality is there is a check valve in contemporary toyotas that prevent raw fuel getting into the canister. There was a problem in design of the EVAP system many years ago that allowed for the contamination to occur. We've been stuffing the tank for long trips on several toyota and never had a problem. Search the web and you'll find a lot of info on topic. Also, there are canister control valves readily available as well. I didn't do a detailed p/n reference and conformation for the RAV but the required parts associated with the canister are likely available. Keep in mind. Dealers don't really fix much. Instead the replace parts at the next highest assembly where they optimize profits. So, they replace the entire assembly and associated parts because it's an easy way to get the vehicle in/out of the service bay while making maximum $$$$$$ especially using flat rate labor charges.
 
#18 ·
I Performed a check on my vapor canister and found that there was water in the VSV - by removing the small rubber tube and performing the pressure test. Water was coming out each end of the openings when the tube was removed --- Water somehow got into the VSV???
 
#20 ·
#21 ·
still getting errors that indicate i will need to replace my charcoal canister.

Will the matrix canister work? - it looks very similar with the same number of male connections on the VSV port. I am just worried about the other connections.

DIY 2005-2008 Corolla, Matrix, Pontiac Vibe Charcoal Canister Replacement WITH PICS!! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums
The Scion part seemed to work OK for this user named Michael, and it was almost half the price of the RAV4 part:

Rav4 2006 Vapor canister
 
#23 ·
Scion Part Worked For Me

This was my first ever car repair and it seems like it was a success. This forum inspired me to tackle it. I'm 500 miles in on the Scion part and no codes yet. Here are my pieces of advice for anyone who is thinking about tackling it. (Keep in mind that I'm not a mechanic.)

1. The repair really isn't all that difficult.
2. The Scion part has the same dimensions and connections, and seems like a pretty simple and relatively inert part. I felt confident using it. Even though I felt like it was a big gamble to special order it.
3. The mounting bracket for the scion part is different so you will need to use the original bracket. This should be easy but due to some rusty bolts I had to get out the hacksaw.
4. The Scion part has a ridiculously long hose that will need to be cut down, but that's a minor issue.
5. One of the hoses has a funky locking system on it. (the lock collar was green on mine) The trick is to push the tabs on the sides in the same direction simultaneously, then the tube will come off. I learned this after the fact.
5a. The aforementioned tube is a $25 special order, or if you're in a bind you can zip tie it on. (my mechanic affirmed that decision as it's a "low pressure system"
6. Get under the car first! I noticed a part of the sub assembly (that was attached to the charcoal filter) and it was cracked. I replaced it, reset the codes, and they returned after 80 miles. It wasn't the ONLY problem, but it needed to be fixed and could have kept me from having to replace the evap canister.

That's my advice. All in all a pretty fun, simple repair. Feels good to save a ton of money and do it myself! Thanks for the advice forum!!
 
#27 ·
Just followed this process, saved $$$. Thanks

I just followed this on my 2007 Rav4 limited. It worked great. This is a great post. Only cost me $27 for two 1/2 gallon cartons of charcoal. It took about 20 minute to remove the canister. Then 30 minutes to cut the lid off with a utility knife. 30 minutes to weld it back. I was done in a total of 4 hours. I had to just keep cutting around again and again until it cut all the way through. To put it back on, I just used my flat soldering tip to weld it back together. I have since driven about 60 miles and hit 75 MPH, not idiot lights. THANKS>
 
#31 ·
I replaced the charcoal in the canister on my 07 Rav4 V6 and it did not change my repetitive coding. Guess the VSV valve is next. I bought a ScanGauge II that plugs into the OBD port and I am resetting the codes about every couple of weeks.

Anyone have info on part numbers, location of the VSV? (I did test the gas cap seal by placing a sheet of saran wrap plastic between the cap and the gas filler, but that didn't change anything, either.) I pulled up a diagram online, but it appears there is more than one component labelled VSV, plus the location is not well explained on those schematics.

My coding began at about 80k miles, shortly after I ran over some road debris. I did find that the debris had damaged one of the thin plastic pipes that connects to the gas filler tube--obviously part of the gas vapor re-circulation system. But I repaired that damage and still get the codes regularly that point to the charcoal canister.
 
#32 ·
Victory! (Charcoal Cannister Codes)

I tried everything listed here SHORT of replacing the charcoal canister and nothing worked until I bit the bullet and bought a new OEM canister off of ebay. Previously replaced a connecting hose (that was cracked by debris), replaced the charcoal, and replaced the VSV.

After six months of code resets and dickering around, finally paid $505 plus $14 shipping from OEparts on ebay. Installed four months ago and not a single code since. I just couldn't convince myself that old reliable Toyota would put out a charcoal canister that would fail in 79K miles. It happened. In hindsight, probably should have taken it in and twisted arms for factory assistance.
 
#33 ·
Part number for Charcoal canister, 07 V6

This is the OEM canister I bought on ebay:
TOYOTA OEM 777400R010 Vapor Canister 77740-0R010

Actually that was the auction item listing title. Fit perfectly. Easy install.

I assumed that once I had pried off the "lid" on the original canister and resealed it (with new activated charcoal inside), that the factory would refuse to help.
 
#34 ·
Years of working on vehicle electronic, I can only say that there is no way to detect if the charcoal in the canister has degraded or not. All the system actually detect is whether there is a leak in the fuel containment system. There is a little motor in the whole setup that will generate a vacuum and then closes the valve for a certain amount of time to time how long the system will hold that vacuum. If either the motor or valve goes bad, then it will throw a code.


Condensation happen in the gas tank all the time. This condensation had happen in the VSV valve as well as around the motor bearing causing them to malfunction over time. Members who had crack open the case to replace the media inside and properly reseal the canister may have some luck in fixing it. During the fix, the whole assembly may have go thru enough vibration that may help to lossen the motor ( if it is seized ) and the valve ( if it is sticking ).


Most time, the problem is not the media in the canister but more of a leak of some kind in the system. The weld ( done sonically at the factory ) will fail after a while. It could be a marginal weld or it got hit by something hard. The whole module on top of the canister is subject to cracking too due to marginal welding. The dealership always just replace the whole ass'y rather than waste time looking for leaks in hairline cracks along the welding line.
 
#36 ·
+1


I replaced the one in my older Acura CL-S and it was only about 150.00 right from a dealership in the US. Brand spanking new Honda part!!
 
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