Evaporative Leak Detection Pump
An evaporative leak detection pump is an important component of a modern vehicle’s evaporative emissions control system. It helps to detect fuel vapor leaks in the fuel system of a vehicle to keep harmful pollutants from escaping into the outside air and to prevent a failed emissions test.
While the primary function of your vehicle’s evaporative emissions control system is to reduce the amount of harmful pollutants that your engine produces, it also serves to prevent fuel vapors in the fuel tank from damaging the tank and releasing into the atmosphere. To make sure both functions are performed as they should, your vehicle relies on the evaporative leak detection pump. It pressurizes all fuel vapors within the system so the engine control unit can detect a vapor leak once it appears. If a leak is detected, the engine control unit will turn on the check engine light to alert you of the problem, and will store a specific trouble code in its memory.
A failed evaporative leak detection pump may become a cause of a failed emissions test. Since it can’t pressurize fuel vapors, this will affect the operation of the evaporative emissions control system, resulting in increased emissions. A similar problem can be caused by another failed system component. However, whichever the problem, you’ll notice the same warning light, which is an illuminated check engine light.
Evaporative leak detection pump troubleshooting and replacement
A faulty evaporative leak detection pump can result in harmful smog coming not only from the exhaust system, but also from a leaking evaporative emissions control system part. That’s why the entire system should be inspected for damage and leaks. We do not recommend you to perform a diagnosis yourself. This is a job of a professional mechanic who will inspect the system with a trouble code scanner and other tools to determine the root of the problem.
If your evaporative leak detection pump is faulty, it must be replaced with a new one. In some cases, the mechanic may recommend you to replace other system components if they fail or malfunction. He or she should also check the entire system for trouble codes and leaks when the replacement is done.
Unless you’re a mechanic with a specific sophisticated knowledge and experience, both inspection and repairs should be performed by a professional. Both processes can involve specific equipment to access the pump for its inspection and replacement. Depending on a vehicle, it can be located in a hard-to-reach area and may require disassembling some exhaust parts and other components. You will save a lot of headache and time if you leave the jobs to a professional.