What is the point of the fuel canister?

[d0n_3d]

As long as I have owned my car and since I am a young learner still...why is there a fuel vaporizer canister in our car? is it meant for pollution control? i mean there is a fuel line going to it so it must be important...what happens if you remove it? what purpose does it serve?

also i was curious as to why our cars won't run without an egr system...i know that is pollution control but i noticed on alot of other 80's vehicles such as the camaro and monte carlo there is all kinds of hoses for pollution control and smog pumps and whatnot...is it that our cars only have minimal pollution control compared to the rest of the 80's vehicles???

 

[turbo buicks]

i would think its b/c instead of letting gas vapors vent into the atmosphere, they could some how be neutralized or something by the charcoal in the canister. the vacuum line would serve to pull the gaseous air through the charcoal and the charcoal would purify it and it would be like pure air gong into the engine. at least thats how i always thought it worked. i just took mine off yesterday and noticed no ill effects. no code(s) set by unplugging electrical connector on top of canister also. i just used a screw, a hose clamp, and the stock check valve on the vacuum line. i need to get a little breather to put on the metal fuel vapor line tho. as for a car not running w/o EGR. i have never heard of one not running w/o EGR but i have heard of part throttle knock associated w/EGR removal but this can all be programmed out in the chip settings i have been told. RED doesnt run run an EGR or PCV so i would talk to him if you are thinking of removing it. i know unpluggin it will set a code but this can also be dealt w/in the chips settings. HTH

 

[salvageV6]

It's called EECS. Evaporative Emissions Control System.

From da manual.

"Gasoline vapors from the fuel tank flow into the tube labeled tank figure C3-3 (the vent line). These vapors are absorbed into the carbon. The cannister is purged (by ECM control) whe the engine is running above idle speed. Air is drawn into the cannister through the filter at the bottom. The air mixes with the vapor and the mixture is drawn into the intake manifold."

 

[turbo buicks]

so what are the positives/negatives to removing the canster?

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by turbo buicks
so what are the positives/negatives to removing the canster?

No vent for the fuel tank, so it could very likely pressurize its self. That might not be pleasant.

Why not just relocate it down on the frame rail. I mounted it to one of the holes used for the old air filter cantaster mount. It's down out of the way and still functional.

 

[turbo buicks]

is the line coming to the canister from the tank always open or is there a check valve hidden somewhere in it. if there is no check valve or restriction wouldnt the tank just vent itself b/c of the difference in atmospheric pressures between the tank and the ambient air? could a small breather serve to filter the fuel vapors if placed on the solid fuel vapor line?

 

[gofstbuick]

Originally posted by turbo buicks
is the line coming to the canister from the tank always open or is there a check valve hidden somewhere in it. if there is no check valve or restriction wouldnt the tank just vent itself b/c of the difference in atmospheric pressures between the tank and the ambient air? could a small breather serve to filter the fuel vapors if placed on the solid fuel vapor line?

The line coming from the tank is open to the cannister. As TurboDave says, when the purge solenoid is activated, it purges the stored fuel vapors. There is a liquid / vapor separator (I forget) either in the tank or outside of the tank (i think inside) that only allows fuel vapors to pass through to the cannister. Though enough fuel vapors could turn to a liquid. So my question is if you install a small breather in place of the cannister, what would happen if enough fuel vapors saturated the breather under your hood, or fuel vapors passed through the breather (under the hood) and was somehow ignited (spark leak comes to mind). The vapor cannister can process the fuel vapors of 75 gallons of fuel, and keep it contained in a container and purged during specific closed loop conditions.

Many will say they removed their cannister, but i for one would not like to hear you whine about a car-b-que, (esp after you received advice from a board member to remove it). And it may never happen, but all it takes is one.