Day 273: Auto Inspection

It was windy and warm throught the day in Chaumont, NY. A pleasant 50 degrees.



Today's photo is a multiple exposure of city lights on North Salina St. in Syracuse, NY.
Today I finally got my 199 Dodge Caravan inspected. You see, here in New York state we must have annual vehicle inspection for mechanical and emissions. My vehicle's inspection expired this past July and I finally got it done today, the last day of November. A big part of that was procrastination on my part. However, it was mostly due to the check engine light being on. When that light is on the car will not pass the emissions part of the inspection.

Well, I am a busy guy and just kept blowing it off. Finally I went to AutoZone and they hooked up their diagnostic device to the van and it revealed it had a large EVAP leak. OK. So I get into my Hayne's automotive manual and read all about that system. Then I get on YouTube and find videos of auto repair shops showing how to troubleshoot the system. This proved to be most informative. So after a couple of hours of that I go outside and check out my van's EVAP system.




These two videos were really helpful in understanding the system and trouble shooting it. My van is a couple of years old and slightly different how the components are laid out under the hood. But, after this I had no trouble gfiving the system a visual check. When I got under my van and located the EVAP canister I immediately discovered a loose fitting hose. It pulled off easily. The rubber ends appeared deteriorated. It happens that I have a 96 Caravan that I recently took off the road and am about to sell for scrap. So, I reached beneath it and found the identical hose. It too was worn looking, but not as bad as the one off the '99. I swaped them. The other thing I did was remove & inspect the purge solenoid. This was easier to remove than a light bulb. I inspected those hoses and thought things looked pretty good. Next I decided to go to the local Dodge dealer to see about buying a replacement hose. As I was driving there the check engine light went off within the first 3 miles. Wow!! Terrific. I'm feeling good. The vehicle should pass inspection now.