# Car Kills **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chrysler\ **Created:** [January 27, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533 "2011-01-27T14:28:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vjamaberg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vjamaberg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vjamaberg)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/1 "2011-01-27T14:28:06Z")
Every time I fill my car up with gas, it kills one time after I pull away from the gas tank. I start it, it sputters a little so I rev it and it runs just fine until the next time I put gas in. This has been going on for probably 9-12 months. HELP! It’s a 2005. ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/2 "2011-01-27T14:37:25Z")
And here I thought you had something like “The Car” or “Christine.” It is most likely that you have a problem with your evaporative emissions system and it is flooding the engine with gasoline vapors or raw gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![tom418](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/da6949/32.png) [@tom418](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tom418)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/3 "2011-01-27T14:37:55Z")
Could you specify Make/Model? Some Mx History? “It’s a 2005” realy doesn’t help much. ---
**Author:** ![vjamaberg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vjamaberg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vjamaberg)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/4 "2011-01-27T14:46:09Z")
Oh, sorry- It asked me to enter in the make and model, so I figured it would appear with the questions. It’s a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/5 "2011-01-27T14:46:23Z")
Are you over filling?? Gas could be getting into the vent tube. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/6 "2011-01-27T14:47:05Z")
“TAGS” Shows That It Is A Chrysler Town & Country ! I think the problem with the minivan is that it dies after fueling. CSA ---
**Author:** ![vjamaberg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vjamaberg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vjamaberg)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/7 "2011-01-27T15:03:11Z")
Ish. That sounds expensive. Is it time to trade??? I’ll let my husband know right away if so! If I just “ignore” the problem, what do you think I should expect in the future if it starts getting worse. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/8 "2011-01-27T16:42:35Z")
Like you, CSA, I am really hoping that the car merely dies after fueling. When a car gets to the stage of “killing”, it is time to contact the Sheriff’s Office! In any event, I think that–as tardis stated–the problem lies in the evaporative emissions system. It is very possible that someone has contaminated the carbon canister from repeated overfilling of the gas tank. Once that happens, the evap system can no longer deal with gas vapors properly and hard starting is the result. When the pump at the gas station clicks off for the first time, you need to stop pumping gas into the tank. Forcing more fuel at that point is what contaminates that expensive carbon canister. ---
**Author:** ![vjamaberg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vjamaberg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vjamaberg)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/9 "2011-01-27T16:48:46Z")
While we have had problems with this particular vehicle and violent/abusive behavior, I can honestly say there has been no murder. And I don’t believe I am overfilling the tank, because I don’t normally “top off” the tank after it stops. If it is this, is it an expensive fix? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/10 "2011-01-27T16:52:05Z")
I can’t speak for Chrysler products, but replacing the carbon canister on a Toyota usually runs about $300-$400. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/11 "2011-01-27T17:25:07Z")
That sounds expensive. Is it time to tr Relax, it may not be expensive. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/12 "2011-01-27T17:37:43Z")
I think Tardis is right. Part of your emissions system is a “charcoal canister”, which captures gas fumes that escape from the gas tank. When you fill with gas, the fumes escaping from the tank as the gas displaces the fuel-saturated air go into that canister and get captured by the charcoal bed. Connected to this ia a solenoid-operated “purge valve”. When you start your car, the purge valve is opened by the solenoid to allow the vapors captured by the charcoal canister to be drawn in to the intake and burned. The purge valve is then allowed to close again. It sounds like you have some sort of problem with this system. It sounds like either the purge valve system is opening the intake to the world or somehow allowing too much gas fume or even liquid gas to be drawn into the system. You have an OBDII system. Have the ECU checked for stored codes and post them here. A fault of this type should have tripped a code. ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/13 "2011-01-27T17:39:48Z")
The worst case should be less than $500. The best case could be less then $50. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-kills/60533/14 "2011-01-27T19:04:07Z")
The next time you reach a destination stop the car, restart it in 5 minutes and drive a short distance. This could be a hot start issue not related to getting gas.