Check Motor lamp is Lit

[Blownpiston]

Just got a 2003 durango with v/8. Have a po0441 engine code.says evaporative emissions controll system purge flow fault. replaced gas cap, still same code came back. can anyone give me some possibles to check on this vehicle untill i can get a service manual? I am new to durango's. I usually hang out at the geo site, but looks like ill be with you guys awhile. thanks men. This is a 4x4.

[Blownpiston]

A great thank you to each and everyone that responded to my request for help. Yeah right!!

[RahX]

evap leaks are best dealt with by someone who has the equipment to check em out. theyre not one of the easiest things to diagnose without the right tools. all you can do yourself is look at all the evap lines for damage, beyond that is where the testing equipment comes in.

[Blownpiston]

I was still getting a check engine lamp, so i reattached my scanner and got a code po 0441 again. No other codes pending. I erased the code again,and went looking for possible causes. I did not have my gas cap on properly, nor did i like the aftermarket make of cap, i got a dealer replacement cap which seems to go on much easier.I have run vehicle through several operation cycles and the lamp is still out, and scanner shows no pending or stored codes. Lesson here is check simlpe things TWICE and be sure. Thank you RA NX for your response.

[patarusky]

Just so you know:The fuel system on all vehicles today must be pressurized for the stupid computer to be happy. If you have any kind of leak anywhere, it will turn on the dreaded light. Then, you're supposed to take it to the Dealer so he can charge you $75 to tell you your gas cap is bad. Then sell you the cap (unless they have to order it!). Every Dealer in this country positively hates Autozone & Checker because they will scan you for free. A Chilton or Haynes manual will be the best $20 you ever spent. After a while, you will notice that stupid light coming on for the most ridiculous reasons you can think of ( in addition to the real reason it's there) and that manual will pay for itself. You should consider getting a scanner for yourself because the Zone is not always open. Do I sound cynical?? It's because I own a rental car company & get this computer crap every single day in my fleet. Wait till the check engine light comes on because you filled up at the gas station while the motor was running (everybody does it when it's cold & you know it) and you let the pressure release when you took off the gas cap. Then you will be glad you have a scanner. By the way, I rent Durangos. I would have posted sooner but I had no time this week. Best of luck. Patarusky

[Blownpiston]

patarusky, YES you are absolutely correct, on all accounts My acutron scanner has more than paid for itself. I just need to pick up a service manual. Not all problems need to be expensive, or highly technical to find. My simple problem was overlooked by a cheap replacement part, that did not seal correctly, and my mistake of not making sure i actually got the new quality cap sealed tightly! Doh, homer.i usually use the kiss principle, and build from there. but the durango is new to me, i am still collecting all needed repair items for it. and i got excited about my durango. My scanner has saved me so much time and trouble, and money i reccomend one to everyone.Again your post is right on! Thanks for your time, and reply.

[jeep lover]

Don't blow another piston! We get around to responding after a while. My '98 had a situation a couple of weeks ago, where it missed out for a couple of seconds, killed the engine and restarted, and the problem stopped, but then the check engine light came on. I don't know why I did it, but I disconnected the battery, and re-connected. The check engine light is out, and no more miss. Anyone else with this same gremlin?

[Blownpiston]

Originally Posted by jeep lover

Don't blow another piston! We get around to responding after a while. My '98 had a situation a couple of weeks ago, where it missed out for a couple of seconds, killed the engine and restarted, and the problem stopped, but then the check engine light came on. I don't know why I did it, but I disconnected the battery, and re-connected. The check engine light is out, and no more miss. Anyone else with this same gremlin?

Jeep lover, i dont think you had an unknown gremlin to chase! By disconnecting your battery, and thus erasing any stored, or pending fault codes, before you used a code reader to pull and interpret them, you lost the chance for your computer to clue you in on what was happening. Unless of course it is a reccurring fault, in which case it will come back and you can then pull the codes when your check engine lamp lights again. If not, well by erasing codes before reading them you may never know what condition set them. Scanners, or plain code readers are not expensive, and can give your gremlin a name. hope this helps a little.

[jeep lover]

Thanks Blownpiston...You are right, and I feel more comfortable if and when it comes back on the second time. Then I know it is something that needs to be looked after. I hate spending $75 for someone to tell me it must have been a mistake.

I bought an '84 Mercury Marquis wagon woody with TBI and a computer. Starting at 40,000 miles, it went into the shop 9 times, and had to be towed in 6 of those, only to find out the idle adjuster sending unit was bad, and so bad it would not tell the computer it was bad. To get there I had the factory service tech from Detroit visit Austin, drive my car for a week, and tell me nothing was wrong with it. I picked it up from the dealer, and went two blocks before it died again. They walked over from the dealer, put the diagnostic tool on it, and it finally gave a reading with the correct diagnosis. The end result, during a total of 25,000 miles, Ford replaced the computer twice, and some of the other sending units twice, trying to find that sucker. It was the idle adjustment sending unit all the time, but they could not find it. From 65,000 miles, to 205,000 miles, I never had another computer related problem. I gave the car to my sister and her husband, and after another 25,000 miles, they gave it to his brother and his wife. Last I heard it was still going. Whew!