2000 SL2 emissions evaporator.

Hi everyone. thanks for taking the time to read my post. i recently traded a 1992 mazda b2600i for a 2000 SL2 . i love the car.

Heres m problem. yesterday morning my check engine light came on, so i borrowed the scanning tool from the mechanic at work and what it told me was something along the lines on emmisions evaporater leak (slow leak) i looked for the evap canister but couldnt find it. so far the car runs the same but i would like to get the part to make the light go out. from what i hear these cars last a long time if you take good care of them. a friend of mine has a SC2 with 318,000 miles on it. if anyone could be of any assistance please help me. thanks

Check your gas cap. Clear the code and see if it comes back. If it does, try replacing the gas cap. If that doesn't work, you have a slight leak somewhere. It will be very difficult to find without specialized tools.

i cleared the code yesterday after work. but it came on again this morning on m way to work. i'll replace the gas cap. however i just got gas and i made sure it clicked a few times. ill clear it again tommorow when i get a chance and see if it comes back. thanks for the reply!

+1 on the gas cap. Another common spot is the hose that goes to the evap solenoid on the back on the engine from the throttle body. SOmetimes it gets brittle and breaks. junk yard for a new one or some home made remedy works well.

Canister is in the fender...on the passenger side iirc.

The code was likely P0442 Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (small leak). Yes a gas cap is a possibility, but a bad gas cap usually triggers this code: P0440 Evaporative Emission Control System Malfunction.

For a P0442, I would check your air filter (I've seen numerous dirty air filters cause this code), check all vacuum lines for rotting & leaks, make sure air intake hose clamps are tight. A bad purge valve sometimes causes this code as well.

There is also a TSB for 2000 S-Series Saturns that directly addresses the P0442 code. It recommends replacing the engine coolant temperature sensor (which is a very common part failure on S-Series Saturns anyways) and the thermostat. I would post it, but the site keeps failing to upload it. It's only a 50.2KB .pdf file.

stopped at the auto parts store today and got a tune up and a gas cap. ill check the air filter whens it cools down enuff for me to put the tune up on. the gasket in the cap looks smashed down and a little dry rotted if you ask me but im kinda picky about stuff like that. thanks for the info! if the filter is dirt im gonna go get a new one today sometime. i have to drive past the suto parts store again anways so maybe ill just get one anyways. i cant clear the code til tommorow afternoon tho which kinda sucks. i'll keep you posted

so i put the tune up on and literally dumped out my air box. it was filled with those little helicopter things that spin around in circles as they fall to the ground. there was alot of them in there. im gonna clear the code tommorow at work and see if that takes care of the engine light. it definitly runs alot smoother too. ill repost something if the light comes back on. thanks alot for your help guys i really appriciate it!!!!!

I have had a couple of those with that code and no leaks found. I did the TSB (coolant temp semsor & pigtail and t-stat) on both of them and the code never returned!

so i put the tune up on, and the gas cap, and cleaned out my air filter box, made it half way to work and the engine light went out. not sure exactly what it was. im just glad it went out. thanks guys i really appriciate all your help.