# Check engine light stays on Diagnostic says it is the charcoal canister 1998 Corolla LD **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 17, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197 "2011-08-17T23:40:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![desperate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@desperate](https://community.cartalk.com/u/desperate)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197/1 "2011-08-17T23:40:35Z")
Diagnostic tests show that my check engine light stays on due to a charcoal canister. Is this an expensive repair? ---
**Author:** ![desperate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@desperate](https://community.cartalk.com/u/desperate)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197/2 "2011-08-17T23:41:06Z")
Car is a 1998 Toyota Corolla LD ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197/3 "2011-08-18T00:38:35Z")
What counts as expensive? Charcoal canisters are not among the cheaper items. You can easily find prices at any one of a hundred online parts stores, keeping in mind that a shop’s price for the part will be a good 20-60% higher. What diagnostic tests? I surely hope that no one told you that a computer code indicated that the canister was bad. Do you frequently “top off” your gas tank - as in pumping more in after the automatic shut off? ---
**Author:** ![desperate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@desperate](https://community.cartalk.com/u/desperate)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197/4 "2011-08-18T00:44:28Z")
I guess anything over $200 is expensive. I don’t think I have ever done that. Put on a new gas cap today. Light went off and did not come back during my 25 mile trip, but came back on again for the way back home. Tried repeatedly to tighten it to see if it would “heal” again. Yes, that where the information came from about the charcoal canister. Has been doing this most of the year that I have owned the car, but car has run perfectly. Need to sell the car as I am moving out of the country. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197/5 "2011-08-18T01:10:30Z")
What error code did they read off the computer? It will look like P0123. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197/6 "2011-08-18T01:48:44Z")
Ok - so all you have is an error code? There are no error codes that will tell you that the canister is bad. If the canister does go bad then it will set error codes though. It is part of your evaporative emissions system and there are lots & lots of error codes that refer to that system. So, as circuitsmith asked - what is the specific error code? ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197/7 "2011-08-19T00:51:10Z")
Do you fill your gas tank past the first click. If so, stop at the first click from now on and it may fix itself. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/check-engine-light-stays-on-diagnostic-says-it-is-the-charcoal-canister-1998-corolla-ld/67197/8 "2011-08-19T01:00:53Z")
If passing an emissions test is not an issue, then dealing with this “problem” is not an issue…It does not effect the drivability or safety of your vehicle…