2000 Honda Accord Evap. Control Sytem Leakage?

HELP!!! My CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is on!! My mechanic scanned ECM for codes and found P1457 EVAP.CONTROL SYSTEM LEAKAGE. He checked wiring and valve operation. He checked valve seating and operating, and found defective two-way valve. He removed and replaced, and then cleared the code. Two days later Check Engine Light was back on. Can anyone help me, please???

Relax. Its not an emergency.

First, I’m assuming this has come up but check you gas cap. Make sure that you put it on correctly and that it is on tightly - your owner’s manual will discuss this.

Did you happen to take this back to the mechanic yet? If the valve was truly defective it might have only been part of the problem. In addition to a purge valve you have a purge solenoid - do you know if that was checked and found to working properly?

Also all of the evaporation system lines & connections need to be checked for breaks or cracks and such. These are hard to check but cheap to fix which means that they wouldn’t necessarily get a close look but it is something to ask about.

DTC P1457 is “EVAP Emission Control System Leak Detected (Control Canister System)”. If your mechanic needs help, there are repair manuals, in paper and online to troubleshoot the problem. You may need another mechanic. The dealer’s mechanics may not know what they are doing, either.

Thanks for the reply. I know about the gas cap. That happened to me once before. My mechanic did change (or checked) the “solenoid” valve. I remember that name, so I guess I’ll have to have all the lines and connections checked out. I’ve been procrastinating, as right now,I don’t have a lot of money for the repairs. Something interesting happened a few days ago. I live in the East, and during the latest deep freeze the check engine light actually went out. I was very happy, until two days later, when things began to unfreeze, and the light came back on. It actually came on when my wiper fluid unfroze. Maybe there’s a connection there. Anyway, thank you very much for your insight.

You could be in luck. There is a Honda Service Bulletin 03-001, dated January 28, 2003, about P1457. The problem will be worse in the north eastern States because of greater use of road salt.

Your symptom of the check engine light going out when the weather got very cold seems to point to water which may have gotten into the EVAP Bypass Solenoid Valve, and frozen. When the weather warmed (relatively speaking) it thawed and the light came on, again.

Your mechanic would read the Honda Service Bulletin, and check the solenoid. If the solenoid shorts, it can damage the engine computer (ECM/PCM). Then, the ECM would need to be replaced.

When the bulletin was published (January 2003) it stated that the repair (replacement of the solenoid, and the ECM) may be eligible for “goodwill consideration”. One has to contact the Honda Zone Representative BEFORE doing the repair to find out if you will get the “goodwill consideration” and what it will be.

Have you even had the code re-read? It might be a different code for a different problem this time?