Common Question Asked About Purge Valves

Common Question Asked About Purge Valves

In most olden cars, the effective using of the fuel vapor from a car’s fuel was not implemented as there was no system designed for this task. However, the fuel vapor is allowed to escape directly into the atmosphere through a vent connected to the fuel tank. Today, modern cars are equipped with an Evaporation Emission control (EVAP) system, which regulates the use of the car’s fuel vapor and maintains the air-fuel ratio of the car. With the EVAP system, the fuel vapor is trapped in the charcoal canister where it can be purged into the engine and burnt as regular fuel. 

An important component of the EVAP system of a car is the purge valve. The purge valve or Canister Purge Valve is responsible for regulating the flow of fuel vapor in the engine. Purge valves made in click here modern cars are solenoids that are operated electrically. This electrically-operated solenoids are digitally controlled by the engine computer. The engine computer regulates how fuel vapor is allowed to flow according to the warmth of the engine.

When the engine gets warm, the computer engine slowly opens the purge valve to allow some fuel vapor to be moved from the charcoal canister into the engine to be burnt like regular fuel.

Modern cars have a lot of sensors that are responsible for monitoring the flow of fuel vapor in the engine. When the amount of fuel vapor flowing is different from the expected amount, the engine computer sends a warning signal by illuminating the “check engine” light.

Frequently Asked Questions About Purge Valves

What are the common purge valve problems?

The purge valve is a very important component of a car’s EVAP system. When the purge valve gets faulty or damaged, it could give rise to several engine and performance problems. The purge valves helps to regulate and maintain the right air-fuel ratio in the engine. When this ration is disturbed, it causes a vacuum leak. Several engine or performance problems can result from a vacuum leaks. The most common of these problems are low mileage, rough idle, EVAP pollution, radiator overheating, difficulty in starting the engine and sometimes engine failure. 

                   

How to know when a purge valve is faulty

In modern cars, the purge valve is digitally controlled by the engine computer. The engine computer regulates the purge valve according to the warmth of the car. When the engine computer detects any malfunction in the purge valve, it send a warning signal by illuminating the “check engine” light. This warning should be taken seriously, as it could lead to some serious engine problems. 

How to check for Purge Valve problems

The best way to detect if your purge valve has developed any problems is to have an effective maintenance routine. As a part of this routine, different tests can be carried out to check the working condition of a purge valve, depending on the brand and model of the car.

One of these test is to use a battery voltage on the purge valve to know how much volt it generates. If the battery voltage test results in a click noise, it means the purge valve is working.

Another way of testing the purge valve is to use a vacuum pump. This will check if the purge valve closes properly or not. If the pump drops immediately, it means the purge valve is working.

After these tests, if it is found that the purge valve is not working, it should be replaced. Purge valves can be easily acquired and are quite inexpensive. 

Conclusion

The purge valve is a very important component of the EVAP system and when it gets faulty, it could lead to several other serious problems. Maintaining a routine check of the engine is a good practice that should be adopted to help detect faulty or damaged components before they cause more problems. When the purge valve gets faulty, it should be replaced at once, to prevent other problems.