Stall after fill-up: required to replace charcoal can due to overfilling?

Sooo - out of all the vehicles in this world - how many vehicles get "overfilled" and still function normally?

 

^^ the ones that can still start afterwards with no check engine light.
I would guess way more often than you think it would for a problem that should occur way less than you think it would.

 

Woke up early and changed out the oil this morning. Couldn't get an oil filter in time so I took my chances and left the old one in. It's 3 months old, going to replaced in 3 months.

So my biggest concern at this time is the degradation of the charcoal in the can and wondering if the compromised state of it will put more "gas" into the engine and/or residual broken-down charcoal into the EVAP system.

Another concern is how much was my oil diluted and how much damage did I do having to drive 15 miles on the freeway to pickup oil in order to change it out.

 

Everyone seems to have jumped on the overfilled charcoal canister theory, but I'm not buying it. How much fuel could have gone down that narrow pipe to the charcoal canister from the moment the tank was overfilled until the moment it was cranked? And then how much could get sucked out of the hose into the intake? Just a small fraction of the amount of air that's being sucked though the intake, so I don't think there's any way there could be enough fuel to hydro-lock the engine, but there might be enough to cause it to idle rough if the charcoal canister were full of gas. I think the rough idle and stalling could have been caused by other things like a stuck fuel injector, and there's probably a chance this is going to happen again.

Has anyone removed the vapor hose from the charcoal canister and overfilled the tank to see at what point the tank is overfilled enough to put liquid gas into the canister?

 

I’ve seen many engine builders and some techs actually pull water through the engine to steam off carbon. Which should tell you you’ll be ok, it’s fine to suck some gas in, it would take a lot of gas to actually hurt a Toyota. You don’t have to buy a new charcoal canister it should dry out that’s why charcoal is used to soak up the vent fumes, and if bye chance it’s completely soaked you could pull the can drill a big hole in it and swap in new carbon and plug the canister. FWIW those get thrown away on every motorcycle I build, you could tee into it in a inconspicuous spot and vent it to atmosphere and never have an issue again. Thank the tree huggers for these devices, lol.

 

I once put the hose on a vacuum cleaner in reverse in the fuel fill and disconnected the EVAP hose from the steel line under the hood to see if raw gas or powdered charcoal would be blown out. Got a good flow of air only.

 

probable leaky fuel injectors, not all but enough to cause an intermittent warm start issue like you describe. at least that is the consensus from what I've found trying to figure it out. happens to me as well, not always but now and then.

I wouldn't worry. Don't over-think it. I used to top off all the time for who knows how many years (bought it in 2002). When I found out it was a no-no, stopped and now go to the first click/shutoff when filling. CAT is still fine. Sure you'll be fine.

 

Thanks to all those who replied and the guidance! It was an education, for sure. =)

 

I accidentally mixed up the fuel pressure regulator and charcoal canister vent line when replacing my fuel pump (overtired and in a rush) next thing I know, fuel is dumping out of the canister purge line and running out of the frame. The canister was so full of fuel the ecm leaned it to the point it could hardly run. I can laugh about it now. I have disconnected it and hope one day it will evaporate and I can hook it back up. Naturally I have a c/e light but I’m not worried in the least about washed out cylinders. I don’t need to worry about emissions, just don’t like smelling fuel occasionally. I am also blessed that it’s on the fender and not on the tank. Good luck

 

So you have an EVAP cannister full of raw gas, purge is capped, CEL permalited yet you go BONKERS about O2 or A/F sensors??? Well bless your heart.

 

It’s all about driveability. My disconnected canister doesn’t affect my fuel trim. Thanks though

 

Good thing the fuel door hides the sock gas cap NO SMOKING WITHIN 50 FEET

 

Lolol that's just funny 'well bless your heart' sounds Southern to me. I grew up in Virginia Beach VA well until 10 years old, so until late 80s. Perspective helps us to see how humorous things can be without getting butthurt, I love it.
And Rachelsdaddy seems to be solid enough that he should be okay when he feels like dealing with it.
It's just funny 'cel permalited'

 

Feels good to laugh dont it? Good for you also. "Bless your heart" and "I know one thing" are at opposite ends of the empathy spectrum I am struggling to correctly incorporate in written form here. Way too many WTF posts but hey "its all good till it goes bad"

 

You're fine, you know your stuff and are an asset/resource for the forum. So keep it up. Yeah I laugh a bit, prolly too much according to most but I'm okay with it

 

Seems, then, that it's not so easy to dissolve the charcoal?

 

Been pumping water through it for years. I do change it before the fish go all buggey eyed or develop fin rot or ICK disease. I put the charcoal cartridge in gas once and the plastic mesh went soft n squishy so I did not put it back in the AQUARIUM but the charcoal did not dissolve.

 

If you want a rib tickler go to off topic forum "Girl Truck" laughed so hard I tinkled a lil but I do have a sick sense of humor and bladder control issues. Compliment accepted and much appreciated. Thanks.

 

I had a problem with my 2004 2.7 about a year ago. I'd set the nozzle to fill the tank on the lowest setting as usual and the pump would click off almost immediately. It was taking me forever to fill the tank. After doing some research online I found that sometimes the hose running to the VSV valve can get clogged with dirt and cause this problem which imitates a bad charcoal canister.

I had no idea where the VSV valve was and just traced a vent hose form underneath the truck up to the valve or at least "a" valve under the hood. I pulled it off and blew compresses air through the hose. If you have the right hose you can hear air escaping from the open fuel filler. The cap has to be open to do this. I haven't had a problem since.

I have never topped off my tank. I set the nozzle on the lowest setting and when it clicks, I'm done. I had a mechanic way back in the 90's tell me to "never" top off the fuel tank. It screws up the entire evap system and will ruin the charcoal canister.

In you're case, topping off may have ruined you're charcoal canister and you'll need to get it replaced. If you do it yourself which will be a PA make sure you check all the lines going to and coming out of it because once you ruin the canister charcoal pellets will get into the lines surrounding the canister and after replacing it you will still have problems.

The rule of thumb for any vehicle all the way back to the 80's. Never ever top off the fuel tank and you can thank the EPA for this ridiculous, complex, expensive system that does very little and probably nothing "to save the planet".

 

What exactly is a charcoal canister? Sounds like something that belongs on a Weber BBQ! Lol