on my 1998 ES300, the canister is located under the hood on the drivers side fender. It is black in color and ~4x4x6 inches in size. For someone that may not know what they are looking for it has about 10 small hoses coming in\out of it. It may be missed at first glance as it is below the brake fluid reservoir.
Is there a way to test the charcoal canister, or would it help to remove it and let it dry out in the sun for a day or two? I removed a hose and could hear the pressure releasing - leading me to believe there are no leaks in any of the hoses, at least not on that part of the system.
I went to the dealer with a coupon for a free engine light diagnostic. They told me the codes (P04240 and P0446) and then told me I would need to leave it for a few hours and $135.00 diagnostic fee (refunded if I have them fix whatever problem they find) if I wanted further details because these codes are too general to properly diagnose without further investigation. I was told that it is probably either the O2 sensor or the canister (maybe only the valve - anyone know how to check that???) My charcoal canister looks like it is in great shape, but the dealership told that is most likely the problem.
Thanks for any ideas & help - it has failed inspection and Texas is fairly aggressive with following up with owners of failed cars (now that they "know my car is not road worthy").
