Canister Purge Valve

[JamieClay]

2001 GLS - 2L SOHC

I suspect I have a bad Purge Valve. I removed the old one to bench test. It's not sealed without power and when I power it up, it doesn't seal. I can hear a subtle click when I apply the power but it is not holding a vacuum.

Other notes:

- The EV icon on the OBD2 scanner I have always flashes and I've driven the car around a lot.

- I also have the problem of the engine being hard to start after filling up the fuel tank. I think I read it could be related.

Any help on testing the valve would be appreciated, trying not to buy a part I don't need.

Thanks

Jamie

[geniushanbiao]

Tell you an easy way. Fill up the fuel tank like you did, take off the valve, use 2 plugs block the 2 hoses and then start the engine. If it's not hard to start then the valve is probably bad. Also after start you can see if the light is still flashing but don't drive it for too long since it's going to damage the canister. If you don't wanna risk, just replace the valve. It doesn't cost too much.

Originally Posted by JamieClay

2001 GLS - 2L SOHC

I suspect I have a bad Purge Valve. I removed the old one to bench test. It's not sealed without power and when I power it up, it doesn't seal. I can hear a subtle click when I apply the power but it is not holding a vacuum.

Other notes:

- The EV icon on the OBD2 scanner I have always flashes and I've driven the car around a lot.

- I also have the problem of the engine being hard to start after filling up the fuel tank. I think I read it could be related.

Any help on testing the valve would be appreciated, trying not to buy a part I don't need.

Thanks

Jamie

[JamieClay]

Thanks - since this post I resolved that the valve was bad, for certain. It should be closed when unpowered and mine always allowed vacuum.

Maybe others have discovered, there is significantly cheaper alternative to replacing the purge valve.

$24.02 - from Amazon.

Worked like a champ and (yay) my car passed smog with flying colors!

[geniushanbiao]

Glad to hear that you got the part cheap. But keep in mind that not all parts you can cheaply get them since some cheap parts are crappy. I suggest you take a look at Volkswagen OEM Parts Accessories | Buy Genuine VW Parts Wholesale first since this site is actually dealer's parts site and if you order from this site you get 10% off. The parts are directly sent from dealers. Also ecstuning is a great site for quality parts. For some parts like alternator, starter, battery you can get them from advanceautoparts.com and apply some coupon codes get 20%-40% off.

Originally Posted by JamieClay

Thanks - since this post I resolved that the valve was bad, for certain. It should be closed when unpowered and mine always allowed vacuum.

Maybe others have discovered, there is significantly cheaper alternative to replacing the purge valve.

$24.02 - from Amazon.

Worked like a champ and (yay) my car passed smog with flying colors!

[JamieClay]

Thanks for the tip, I realize that OEM stuff in theory should be more reliable but I've not always found that to be the case. (been fixing cars for more than 40 years)

I am shocked at how complex and expensive it is to repair cars these days.

I got this car (for $120) because the previous owner couldn't afford the costs of fixing it (estimates were close to $2500) and I've been able to "restore" it because I can do the work myself.

There is no way anyone could write a book like "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" for this new breed of machine.

[geniushanbiao]

Actually the expensiveness is only for German cars. Since most of the parts of German cars are made in Europe or in Mexico they are always expensive. For American and Japanese cars parts are always cheap and more reliable than German cars.

I, and some good people on this forum, can probably write an article about common issues on VWs but not a book.

Originally Posted by JamieClay

Thanks for the tip, I realize that OEM stuff in theory should be more reliable but I've not always found that to be the case. (been fixing cars for more than 40 years)

I am shocked at how complex and expensive it is to repair cars these days.

I got this car (for $120) because the previous owner couldn't afford the costs of fixing it (estimates were close to $2500) and I've been able to "restore" it because I can do the work myself.

There is no way anyone could write a book like "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" for this new breed of machine.

[JamieClay]

Originally Posted by geniushanbiao

I, and some good people on this forum, can probably write an article about common issues on VWs but not a book.

Actually with a lot of good illustrations done in the original's style, it would make a book.

The reality is, fixing cars these days requires scan tools and a good mind for trouble shooting (or good google skills).

The thing that bums me the most on my 2001 is how brittle much of the plastic (that's used everywhere) is. It's hard to do a repair and not break something else.

My skills with epoxies and fabrication have enabled me to repair a lot of the plastic that is breaking but it's pretty sad state of affairs and I hate to think what another 10 years will do to the plastic components.

I was mildly shocked to find out the water pump's impeller was plastic on my bug.

And I'm seeing this on the Japanese cars as well (plastic radiator?), though not as much.

[geniushanbiao]

Originally Posted by JamieClay

The reality is, fixing cars these days requires scan tools and a good mind for trouble shooting (or good google skills).

The thing that bums me the most on my 2001 is how brittle much of the plastic (that's used everywhere) is. It's hard to do a repair and not break something else.

My skills with epoxies and fabrication have enabled me to repair a lot of the plastic that is breaking but it's pretty sad state of affairs and I hate to think what another 10 years will do to the plastic components.

I was mildly shocked to find out the water pump's impeller was plastic on my bug.

And I'm seeing this on the Japanese cars as well (plastic radiator?), though not as much.

First about the scan tool, yes modern cars are more and more designed to be "unservicable by customers" in order the dealers can earn more on repairing...but we people are smart and doing cracks right?

About plastic, I have to say something. There are millions of types of plastics and we can't say good or bad. Every part made by plastic rather than metal has advantages and disadvantages. For example a plastic bumper will absorb more energy during a collision and save you money on repairing your frame compared with a metal bumper although you might feel that metal bumpers are more solid. The fact is that in old days people think that the safest cars are the toughest ones but later the reality changed this mind. The reality is the more energy absorbed by car, the less damage happens to passengers. So after 1980s cars are made more and more soft in order to protect people. Also plastic parts can reduce weight and save you a lot of gas. We have to notice that if your New Beetle is getting 28mpg on highway then probably 5mpg is contributed by the plastic parts in your car. More important, you mentioned plastic radiators. The fact is, plastic radiators have longer life time than metal ones since they never rust. The only problem is that the manufacturer has to choose the proper plastic.

I have to say plastic has a lot of disadvantages like during winter time the plastic parts gets crappy and easy to break. For example my New Beetle's glove box lock broken and I spent a lot of time fixing it. Also plastic parts are more likely non repairable and have to be replaced when bad. According to my experience, plastic on German cars are more likely to go bad just after warranty and you have to pay a lot to replace them while Japanese cars have really long long life plastics on them. I don't have to mention why but I think you should understand that it has something to do with business rather than technology.