MY06 Aero random pipe discovery- what are they? EVAP?

[phoenix]

Servicing the car yesterday, I noticed two pipes that appeared to have broken off down by the side of the air filter. I didn't see them when I did it last September, which was only a few months after I got the car.

They come up into the engine bay and seem to route into the PCV vent hoses so my thought was they might be related to the Evap system. From the WIS diagram it looks like they could be connect to the "service port". But why would they be down behind the air filter housing? I can't find any reference to the port in EPC, although WIS lists a procedure for changing it (but not as far as I can see, what its purpose is). I'm guessing that a fix may be to just join the pipes together?

Any thoughts?

[sgould]

I had a look at the WIS and the EPC.  What a confusing set of info!!

But it does look as if that's the "service port", so plain jointing the pipes should be OK.

[carrera]

I am not quite sure what you are referring to, but as I have easy access this is what my breaker looks like - it's 02 so quite possible the design changed, I don't know.

[sgould]

This bit?  Not sure...

[phoenix]

Don't think so, Will, that looks like a straight join and I don't think the particular version of EVAP was introduced until MY05 cars in the UK. All a bit confusing...

[sgould]

I had a look in WIS for the later cars.  It's still not clear though because the diagram is wrong and appears unchanged form the earlier cars.  If you look at the section headed "Tank integrity diagnosis".  It's the bottom choice in the EVAP Emissions section of the Engine Section.  There's a diagram of the vent system and there's a small item between the canister and the purge valve that's unnumbered.  But it looks to be in the right place.

[phoenix]

Well, I just learned the hard way that joining them together was not the right solution!

Today I did a few jobs... dropped the front bumper off to check for damage where some twohat reversed into me with his towbar then walked off (I had to shout after him and he did have reverse sensors!). Anyway thinks me, ideal time to take out the temporary screws I'd stuffed in each pipe and join them together with the glue heatshrink sleeve I'd ordered. Job done, I also took the throttle body off to give it a thorough clean to see if that would help with the P1231 code I've just started getting. Also noticed the vac lines where somewhat perished and replaced those. So, good jobs done all round I thought.

Started it and then after about 30 secs it started really badly hunting and eventually stalled. Tried a few mores time and got misfire CELs. Smelt a lot of petrol.

So I spend another hour and a half looking for air leaks, checking hoses, different DI etc. etc.

Finally I think I'll try separating the two hose I've just joined- bingo! A whole load of petrol spilled out. One of the hoses goes to the vacuum side of the inlet... it was sucking petrol through from the EVAP circuit. So whatever the missing port was meant to do, it isn't a joint! Close both ends off with screws and heatshrink and all good again.

[carrera]

Hmm, confused here after trying to get my head around things.

I too have now taken a look at WIS and EPC, who knew that filling a petrol tank was so complicated. "System functions when refuelling" is a good read.

Switching the filter on and off on the ELCD page in EPC also shows how many different versions and changes there are, of course the diagram remains the same while the component list changes

I was unable to identify the pipes from the photos, and it seems the front end bit of the EVAP system is common 2002-2010, but the earlier US cars and 2006 on UK cars have the addition of the Evaporative Emission Cannister on top of the fuel tank.

I am wondering if the presence of fuel in those pipes is indicative of a fault further back in the system, of is it perhaps the pipes have been blocked off that fuel vapour has accumulated and condensed in the pipe / cannister. You might need to allow the accumulation to evaporate off before reconnection ?

Can you describe better where these two pipes go, and maybe take another photo from a greater distance so it is easier to identify / compare against another car the configuration. (I have a 9-5 on the ramp at the moment which I can look at later) That metal spring clip is indicative of a clip used to hold rubber hose onto a plastic (or metal) connector / joiner.

 

[carrera]

I have just had a look on my green Aero, many panels removed at the moment.

Having looked on EPC, WIS and the car I cannot see anything which should be down near the air filter.

What I did see was the purge valve for the EVAP system which has the right hoses / fittings on - purple in this diagram

Is yours present and connected correctly ?