Removed carbon canister.. got a surprise :(

Hi guys,

This evening I removed my carbon canister to loop up the lines in an effort to tidy my bay up a bit.

However, I noticed the metal hard pipe that connects to the bottom of the carbon canister is blocked solid with.. well, carbon granules/charcoal. The canister seems to have been happily emptying itself into the pipe over the years.

I've cut it back by probably 20cm but even that far back it's still blocked right up with the stuff.

Since I've had the car it will cut out when below 1/4 of a tank, until you take the fuel cap off whereby there's a huge rush of air drawn in and it will start on the key instantly, do you think this may be the cause of this annoying problem? And if so, how can I get around it? haha. I looped the pipes anyway so that the top one wasn't just drawing air and giving me a vac/boost leak, but it's obviously not "right".

Thanks in advance ;)

the level indicator is simply an arm, mine been bent a few times it now read very accurately more by accident than design, so the misreading on your gauge is probably down to that

It doesn't exactly misread though, it will die, I undo the cap and it hisses like a good'un, then you can drive on for another 30-40 miles lol! Think it just builds up so much pressure the pump can't pull it through.. wondered if this could cause the tank to pressurise.

Possibly blocked tank breather, have you checked this?

I would clean that pipe out and see if it improves.

if you've got access (or know someone who has) to an air compressor, you should be able to disconnect the vent tube from the tank end and blow the crap through :thumbs: if it's packed solid, get a fine drill bit and dig it out, then blow it through :)

Disconnect it where the pipe comes into the engine bay up along the drivers side chassis rail, it joins a section of rubber hose.

You can then remove all the metal pipe going across the bulkhead.

Mine has been like this for 10 years with no issues.

^ Ben do you mean just leave the rubber pipe disconnected to anything?

Now I have looped it, it cuts out a lot, and opening the cap is difficult there's that much vaccum in there! It almost sucks you into the tank when you get it open hahaha. I'm driving it with the cap loose at the moment to avoid starving it of fuel and damaging anything.

No :no:

The vent pipe runs all the way from the fuel tank, along the drivers side chassis rail, up towards the bulkhead (below the brake servo), across the bulkhead, down and forwards along the passengers side chassis rail where it joins to the carbon canister.

I'm saying you should disconnect the pipe by the brake servo as there is a rubber joiner there so its easy to do.

No need to worry about looping anything.

With you now. I only looked quickly, I thought that the tank breather was the one on the passenger side chassis rail and the one coming from around the brake servo was some kind of vac feed for the canister!

The one on the passenger side chassis rail that originally came off the bottom of the canister is the one which is blocked solid with charcoal, is this the original vent? Does it just stop under the floorpan?

Thanks so much for the help :)

I've just unlooped it and you're quite right! I can blow down the one from the servo and hear it make noises in the tank, and if I suck I can taste fuel vapours :D haha.

Thanks for the help ;)