Happy EVAP to you

The time around your birthday is a special one: Friends taking you out to your favorite restaurant, family calling you to give you a hard time about making it another year older.

Another event that typically happens around your birthday is a reminder from Uncle Sam to get your vehicle emissions test if your car is over a certain age. Somehow in the midst of birthday songs and shredded gift wrap – those of us who have older vehicles must ensure that our vehicles meet the environmental guidelines regarding the vapors emitted from our car in order to re-register our vehicles with the county.

These vapors are a mix of oil and fuel and can be very harmful to the environment should they be emitted in high amounts. Now-a-days, vehicles are mandated to have Evaporative Emissions Control Systems or EVAPs that capture these vapors and transfer them into the engine to be burned.

Issues with the EVAP system are typically one of the top 5 reasons for a Check Engine Light to be on but is easily identifiable by a qualified service technician. With the proper equipment the technician can test the valves, hoses and filters that make up the EVAP in order to locate a blockage or tear.

It’s important to remember that there are hundreds of conditions that can trigger a Check Engine Light – but there is only one that represents them all. If the light is on because of an unfixed EVAP issue and another problem arises – you won’t be alerted to a potentially more damaging condition because the light is already on.

That’s why it is critical to have your vehicle inspected by a certified NAPA AutoCare technician as soon as you see it pop in your dash. An EVAP trouble code can trigger from something as simple as a loose gas cap or rusty fuel filler pipe. They’ll get you taken care of and give you the peace of mind that you deserve – especially around a birthday emissions test!

Posted September 1st, 2015