P0440

Service engine soon light came on about a week ago got it scanned at Autozone, and got a code P0440-(EVAP Emission Control System) many things ive heard about this one vacuum leak sum other nonsense, or even possibly the gas cap is not on all the way. i would take it to the dealership but then there goes my christmas money they alrdy blew me off with the LIM anyway i was wondering if any1 knew how to check if its a vacuum leak or even wat other problems i could checkto see what could be causing the light to come on. thanx

HAHAH!
This can be very complicate or it could be something as simple as a gascap or loose hose on the fuel tank.

Best to start cheap and easy.
Replace the gascap might help, the SE had this pop up and I replaced the cap(w/locking) and it went away.
The GT had this when I bought it, the stealership couldnt find it either.
I replaced the cap(w/locking) and it didnt fix it.
Then I started tightining the hose clamps under the car by the gas tank.
Found to that were loose. Over time the rubber hoses shrink and the clamps loosen.
Sometimes it takes some other more sophisticated instuments to find the leak.

Even overfilling the tank can throw the code ;)

heres a link where GMMerlin gives the run down.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=622473 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=622473)

Good write up!

Hiya, I have a 96 se, and i'll get the same code once in awhile too. Can you tell me the average life yrs/miles, of a factory evap canister?

also, I'm looking for the location of the fuel relay, it's a 3.1, and it's gotta be one of the relays in the top left under the hood. Theres 4 of em, which one is it?

A buddy of mine bought a '98 Buick with this code thrown. The car would stall intermittantly. I looked at all the usuall suspects, evap canister plumbing/valve, gas cap, al vacuume hoses ect. He ended taking it to an independent garage and they figured out it was the fuel pump.:screwy:

I would say the life is long, but thiers factors that can effect this. I would say 150-200miles it just depends, if you always overfill the tank, it doesnt last as long.

So what exactly is the code you get?
These small leaks can be trouble to find without the proper equipment, like the link above about the 440 code explains.

Thiers two relays that are the same, one if the fuel pump the other is the AC relay. These locations very as they can/could have been moved around previously.

I know one of the others is for the radiator fan relay,
but I forget what the others for ...