Engine Light on after Getting Gas

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We should be able to help slightly shorten the list of parts to throw at it

 

I reset the Light so far, several trips and not back on. If it happens again I ordered a reader. If it is the gas cap what will the error be?

 

An EVAP code. Doesn't necessarily mean it's the cap though

 

Yeah I saw that after finding the codes online someone on here said to get a reader to save money from guessing on parts, but each code has like 5 parts suggestions on it per code, so not sure how that is any better except
now I bought a meter lol and I still
need to guess which part it is. Oh well
I am sure it will come in handy later.

 

That's where troubleshooting comes in. The scanner is good to have regardless. We can help when/if the time comes.

 

Not a Tacoma, but an example from a different vehicle of mine - My Mazda was throwing occasional CELs, I got a scan tool, got a P0300 code, which is random misfires. Turned out somewhere along the line a spark plug had cracked the ceramic insulator - problem solved for $60, instead of just leaving it to run until I could get it in to a shop while the CEL was active, possibly damaging other parts.

OBD2 codes + symptoms = diagnosis. At the very least it will help shorten the list of parts to throw at the truck.

Short term, this probably won't make a difference for you since the list of parts it could be with this problem is short, but your truck's 20+ years old - this won't be the last problem it has.

 

95.5-00 have a different location for the evap canister and completely different assemblies with different part numbers.

On 2nd + Gens holding down the trip button while putting the key in the on position resets the “Maintenance Needed” (mileage count down to return to the dealer to get an overpriced oil change and a bunch of useless up sells) light.

Depending on the capabilities of the ECU and the scanner model you have, you can look at cleared codes to see what it had been. As stated, you take the code and use a series of tests to verify what caused it to be thrown in the first place. Depending on what it is, the tests go from easy to challenging.

I don’t recommend clearing codes without checking to see what they are. Parts stores will tell you what a check engine light code is for free and tell you what to buy to which you just tell them no thanks and jump online to start looking for how to diagnose whatever it might be that’s the problem. In your case it may be that it was an evap code, but coincidences happen that people don’t expect and it could have been another unrelated code you wouldn’t know about after clearing it. Then the light comes back in a couple months and instead of knowing it was one intermittent problem, you think you’ve had two problems (we’ll say misfire and evap instead of just an intermittent misfire that was actually both times in which the first time just happened to be when your girlfriend used the truck and put gas in it and those two months could have been used to be diagnosing the original misfire code when it was thrown the first time).

Using context to figure out what may have happened is definitely good, but it’s not as reliable as looking at the code thrown itself.

 

Evap codes are weird.....they can trip fairly easy
even when there is nothing wrong....

These usually reset themselves over a little time

But major problems will not go away.....light stays on

but I'd always give it a little time first....if its an anomality it will reset itself


I replaced all my fuel lines and its vent lines....
soon after I got the evap code.....
I'd reset.....and under right conditions (3/4 tank) cel comes back

did that for about 2 months......then just stopped

 

I gave him the fuel tank check valve part number, not the evap cannister. Amd I'm quite certain the fuel tank check valve is the same across all 1st Gen Tacomas

 

I know. The entire evap system has different parts. If that's the part for an 01-04 in the picture then I can guarantee it - just pulled one yesterday.



I know suspension and frame components stayed the same for almost the entirety of 1st gens (minus leaf spring size for 96-97), but things like exhaust, engine bracketetry, braking sys, SRS, evap, and throttle body / control were things that evolved in multiple successions.

 

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1089494610

So tried to get codes from 2 vehicles today 98 Taco amd my 06 vibe and on both the unit connects but does not produce any codes or see vin info etc. Ordered online. Am I doing something wrong? or is this cheap reader not working? Am I missing something after it connects?

 

Not all manufaturers of scan tools or certain years of automobiles will have autoscan capability and even if it does you need to verify that the VIN that the scan tool reports is the vin on the car, A PCM could have been swapped that works but does not enable all feature avalible, what year makes and models have this, they dont tell us. That is why VIN and PCM part number are important.

 

Does anyone here know if a 98 Tacoma has this capability with a V410 reader?

 

I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. There are many options for code readers.

 

When I turn off the ignition it sees that.. When I turn ignition on it connects, but says no codes but the check engine light is on. Like in the video I uploaded

Also does not read the vin or seemingly all the data is blank.

 

You could get yourself setup with toyota techstream. It takes some work to get it all functional. Then you would have what the dealership uses to read and change everything.

 

So just tried another more expensive reader and it also connects and just like
mine, there are no codes to be read. Could it just be the gas cap with the check engine light and no codes present?

I did clear the check engine light using it so it will likely come on again in a few weeks. It seems to be like a getting gas related thing. Gas cap is tight tho and everything else functioning normally.

 

The charcoal canister has glued seams along the bottom that are prone to leak. It can be sealed up with black silicone and tested with soapy water and some air pressure. It takes a few minutes to pull out the canister and check it for leaks. One of mine was super leaky.

 

Got a vid of this procedure? I will try the gas cap first then this..Thx for the info man.