Five Important Things To Remember About Purge Valves As A Car Owner

Five Important Things To Remember About Purge Valves As A Car Owner

Modern cars, especially those made after 1985, all come with their own Evaporation Emission control (EVAP) system. The EVAP system is designed to prevent fuel vapor resulting from the burning of fuel in the engine from reaching the atmosphere. With the EVAP system, the fuel vapor is trapped or contained in the charcoal canister.

A very important component of the EVAP system that is designed to regulate the flow of fuel vapor in the engine, is the Purge Valve. The purge valve maintains the air-fuel ratio in the engine by gradually releasing some vapor from the charcoal canister into the engine to be burnt as regular fuel.

A Purge Valve is an electrically operated solenoid in the engine. This solenoid is digitally controlled by the engine computer in modern cars. Based on the warmth of the car, the engine computer determine when and what amount of fuel vapor to be allowed into the engine. The purge valve opens and closes accordingly, to allow the flow of the fuel vapor.

As a car owner, there are certain simple, yet important things you should know about purge valves. Here are five basic things to know about purge valves:

What purge valves do

Today, every car has its own purge valve and as a car owner, you should be aware of what it does exactly. This will help you to properly use and maintain this component and the whole engine as well. The purge valve regulates the flow of the fuel vapor trapped in the charcoal https://www.kp-lok.com/product/purge-valves/ canister into the engine. It gradually opens to allow some fuel vapor to flow into the engine to be burnt as regular fuel. The purge valve is a very crucial component of a car and a faulty or damaged purge valve can lead to several engine problems.

The Types Of Purge Valves

Just like there are various brands and models of cars, there are also different types of purge valves in the market. As a car owner, you should get to know the various types of purge valves available for your car. This will help you to choose a purge valve that is compatible with your model and brand of car in case you need to replace a damaged purge valve.

Common Purge Valve Problems

The Purge Valve is a component that may develop problems at any time. Knowing these problems, as a car owner, is quite important. Some of the common purge valve problems include poor gas mileage, rough idle, vacuum leaks and performance issues such as difficulty in starting the engine.

How to Detect A Faulty Purge Valve

The purge valve is digitally controlled by the engine computer. The engine computer has several sensors that it uses to monitor the flow of fuel vapor in the engine. When there is a change in the amount of vapor expected to flow in the engine, the engine computer sends a warning by turning on the “check engine” light. When this light is on, it means that the air-fuel ratio of the car has been disturbed. Most times, a faulty or damaged purge valve is the cause of this.

Purge Valve Tests

As a part of a regular maintenance routine to keep the engine running smoothly, there are some tests that can be done to determine if a purge valve is in good condition. Using a battery voltage on the purge valve is one of these tests. It is done to know how much volt the purge valve generates. If the battery voltage test results in a click noise, it means the purge valve is working well.

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

If you discover that your purge valve is not working after carrying out these tests, you should get them replaced at once to prevent further problems. Purge valves are cheap and can be easily acquired.

Conclusion

As a car owner, knowing everything you can about the purge valve in your car’s engine is absolutely important. The purge valve is very important and is responsible for the smooth running of your car. Knowing how it works, how to maintain it and when it needs to be replaced will certainly help you enjoy your car better.