Code P0456

CASMIHOK

MEMBER
2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER
2.4L
4 CYL
AUTOMATIC
134,000 MILES

Hello hope you're all having a good Halloween.
My grandma's car is showing P0456, check engine light has been on for some time. She barely drives it, just 5 minutes to and from doctor and grocery store. Now that I am here I would like to fix it, just want to figure out if I can fix it or if I need a mechanic's help. I know P0456 is a EVAP small leak, but I also smelled gas really badly one day in the summer. I was standing near it and smelled a really strong gas smell. It wasn't recently driven from what I remember, but I know the gas tank was full. I opened the hood and smelled it coming from those weave lines on the left of the engine. I believe those are the fuel lines? I was wondering if there could be a leak in one of those lines causing the code? Especially since I smelled gas, also I read it could be simpler things like the gas cap. Let me know if you need more information. Should I bring straight to mechanic or try gas cap first?

3 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,885 POSTS

It won't be a fuel line but most likely a vacuum hose. I will tell you that a small leak won't be the fuel cap especially since you noticed the smell under the hood. However, I can not totally eliminate the possibility. Additionally, the code is specific to the EVAP purge system. It could just be a leak or a solenoid.

In reality, a small leak is usually really difficult to find. In most cases, a shop will need to use what is called a smoke machine to find the leak. Smoke is injected into the EVAP system at a very low pressure. Once the smoke is injected, it will leak from where the problem is located.

Do me a favor. Take a picture of where you smelled the fuel coming from. If I see what you are looking at, I may be able to better direct you.

I will watch for your reply.

Joe

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Thursday, October 31st, 2019 AT 8:26 PM

MASTERWRENCH

MECHANIC
258 POSTS

You can certainly try replacing the gas cap first. It's relatively cheap and has definitely been one of the top causes of small evap leaks over the years. However, if you smell fuel vapor under the hood, the gas cap most likely isn't the cause. All the evaporative emissions system lines are black plastic. They basically run from the rear of the vehicle where the tank and charcoal canister are located, up to the intake manifold. Since you smell fuel under the hood, I would begin by locating the plastic line attached to the intake and inspect it for cracks or splits. From there, I would continue your inspection, following the line(s) toward the rear of the vehicle.

Let us know what you find!

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Thursday, October 31st, 2019 AT 8:38 PM

CASMIHOK