Vibe 2004My check engine light came on ,took it to mechanic the discovered it was a fuel evap leak. Thinking it was an easy cheap fix I said they could run a diagnostic. I was told I had ap123 code and that I need to pay almost 800 to get it fixed.
How serious is this and does that seem high
How many times are you going to post this??
The vapor canister isn’t all that critical to the function of the car. It will cause in increase in air pollution from your car. It will also cause your car to fail any inspections your state may have to renew your registration.
Take it to another mechanic for a second estimate.
I am sorry I have never used this site before. I was having difficulty
writting my post. I did not mean to or even realized I had multiple post
Please forgive my mistake
Please repeat the code, it should be Pxxxx, where xxxx is a four-digit number.
If you’re not sure, many car parts stores will ‘read’ your codes for free.
Sorry I was mistaken it is a p0442 code
Mechanic says part cost about $500
From what I can find, P0442 means "Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (small leak) ". It could be the canister, it could be many other things. A ‘smoke test’ would be one way to find out. I’d take it to another independent shop. You can use the ‘mechanics files’ link at the top of this page, or Yelp, I’ve used both successfully to find a mechanic.
Edit - one possibility is a loose or worn gas cap. I’d remove, clean, and retighten it, and drive it for several days to see if the light goes out. If that doesn’t work, I might go buy one (the Vibe’s the same as a Toyota Matrix, so the Toyota dealer would have one if a parts store didn’t.
Here’s a discussion on a Vibe forum:
http://forums.genvibe.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=37336
They did a smoke test and found canister leak. The price just seems high to
me. I was told part is about $500. I don’t know anything about cars but I
feel I am being taken advantage of.
I don’t know if I believe the seriousness they expressed.
It’s not ‘serious’ in that I don’t think it would damage your engine. You have time to get another couple of estimates. That’s the only way to know for sure what a ‘fair’ price is in your area.