Toyota RAV4 EVAP problem

I have a 2010 Toyota RAV4. In February 2014 at 34,600 miles when the car was 46 months old I had the EVAP (charcoal) canister and filter replaced for $1,300. Error codes were P043, P0401 and P0402. Recently I had the following check engine error codes appear (P043E & F, P2401, P2402 & P2419) and was told by my mechanic that the car basically had the same problem. I am now at about 50,000 miles. I don’t believe this type of problem is very common; also I think that the EVAP should continue functioning for a lot longer than ~4 years and now ~1.5 years. How likely is it that I got a “bad” original EVAP charcoal canister & filter and then the replacement was also “bad”? Might there be something else that is defective that is causing the EVAP canister to go bad? I don’t generally top off the gas tank when filling up.

The problem is possibly a defect in the fuel tank that is allowing liquid fuel into the charcoal canister. Below is a link to Toyota service bulletin T-SB-0046-10 to assist in diagnosing those fault codes. You may need to replace the fuel tank and canister.

http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2010/T-SB-0046-10.pdf

I wonder if OP has a California spec vehicle, and lives in one of those states mentioned . . .

If they meet those criteria, it appears that the repair would cost OP nothing

:smiley:

However, if OP does not have a California spec vehicle and doesn’t live in one of those states mentioned, it may be an expensive repair

:grimace:

Would not filling up the tank mitigate the problem?

Is it possible that a clue to the source of the problem lies in the following sentence?

“I don’t generally top off the gas tank when filling up.”

Topping off only on very rare occasions will probably not produce this type of problem, but the OP may have reached critical mass–so to speak–with one of those top-offs.

While this is hardly a scientific study, the only people whom I know who have had this problem were the ones who topped-off their gas tanks at least some of the time. Those who never top-off their tanks have never had this type of problem.

Doesn’t federal law - or didn’t it in the past - require that components of emissions control systems be warranted by the carmaker for 90,000 miles?

There is anther bulletin, T-SB-0161-11 that deals with the same fault codes but is to correct a problem with water entering the evap system. Careful diagnoses is necessary to determine which condition the vehicle has.

Emission control components are required to be warrantied for 24 months/24,000 miles. Manufactures exceed this requirement with their basic warranty, 3 years/36,000 miles in most cases. The catalytic converter and powertrain control module must be covered for 8 years/ 80,000 miles.

State by state warranty requirements vary especially for PZEV and hybrids so it is best to check the warranty booklet that came with the vehicle.

Evap codes are usally “Fun” to chase…so much so that a Smoke Machine is often used to find leaks…

Predominantly the issue is a cracked rubber hose or 90 degree elbow that has rotted out allowing a leak to occur. Start at the tank with the gas cap and then move on to the lines leading to the canister… Most times I repair all Evap codes with a simple piece of rubber line…High Quality line but…line nontheless…

Replacing the canister would have been last on my suspect list

Blackbird