Smell of gas in and around vehicle P0441 Trouble code (1 Viewer)

[Tex68w]

I have one that works for android but I don't have one for my iphone and there's no way to get one here today before I leave.

 

[MCtree]

I have one that works for android but I don't have one for my iphone and there's no way to get one here today before I leave.

If you care to drive to West U, I could loan you mine. It works with an iPhone.

 

[Tex68w]

If you care to drive to West U, I could loan you mine. It works with an iPhone.

Much appreciated but I simply don't have the time. Very generous offer, thank you kindly.

 

[TeCKis300]

I think it would be fair to say not all dongles are created equal. I leave mine in all the time and don't notice any parasitic draw. My primary use is for dashboard display of engine parameters and temperature when I'm towing. Also have an AHC dashboard. And for the rare occasion when I'm visiting really high elevations and temperature that there may be an odd emissions CEL to watch out for.

More info on dongles and some really neat dashboards members have created here

DIY Smartphone Scan Gauge - OBD Fusion

Having spent some time messing with an OBD-II smartphone monitor app on several long road trips, I think this topic deserves its own thread. Specifically using OBD Fusion to monitor the plethora of info available on the OBD-II data port of the vehicle. I can't take credit for this, but would...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Markuson]

Hey Mark, forgive the stupid question, but why do you leave the obd cable plugged in? Why not just plug a regular non-switched cable in (and power it up) when you need it?

Do you have a link or picture of the switched cable? I still do not fully grasp the power drain issue and why people would need to leave dongles or cables plugged in.

Thanks!

Most readers turn on when plugged in and stay on. So they consume power whether you’re using them or not as long as they’re plugged in. The switch extension allows me only power it when I want to use it.

 

[Leelanau]

For those who get frequent evap codes…it can be a daily occurrance, and its a pain to crawl under the dash. But…leaving power-hungry readers plugged in leads to non-use electrical power drain. I route the extension and reader wire out of the way…so its a non-factor while driving to leave it plugged in…but switched off.

Why? Because most obd2 readers do not have power switches & rely on power available by the obd2 plug itself. Problem is… That power is delivered 24/7 IF something is plugged in that can utilize it. This means leaving a code reader plugged in for convenience has the potential to seriously impact your battery if left sitting.

Think of the power aspect of the under-dash obd2 plug as a power outlet in your house. -When nothing is connected, no power is delivered through it…but when you plug in a device capable of using its available power, it delivers whether you need it or not.

Evap codes can be a daily occurrence once you start getting them…especially in areas that boil fuel (Utah, Colorado at altitude and heat). … and an obd2 code reset is THE remedy that is used to clear dash light warnings (which also can trigger the inability to, for example, shift into 4-Lo). So it behooves drivers to have an easy way to clear codes without delay. BUT… leaving the reader attached directly means ot os consuming power, even when the truck is off. -This is also true for most bluetooth-based obd2 dongles, that must communicate with a phone, etc.

Its convenient to NOT have to crawl under the dash just to clear these annoying, frequent codes…but leaving the reader plugged in 24/7 means battery drain.

So instead….I solve the power drain issue of leaving a reader attached, I add an extension cable into the under-dash plug…that I keep my plug my reader cable into. This extension cable has an on/off switch that, when off, means the power circuit available via the plug wires is disconnected, resulting in zero of draw…while I still have everything plugged in 24/7.

So…
-When I need to quickly clear a code…I flip the in-line extension cable switch to ON…which powers the code reader.
-I then check/clear evap codes…
-Then I simply flip the extension cable’s switch off again, which cuts power to the reader.
-I can perform this even while driving if I fail to notice the dash indicator upon entry.

In this way, I never have to crawl under the dash, and a real annoyance is reduced to a 10-15 second remedy.

Make sense now?

Yes! Thanks for the detailed explanation. That makes a lot of sense! I have yet to take my 200 to any high altitude trails, but I can see I will need to be ready for this before I do.

 

[Markuson]

Yes! Thanks for the detailed explanation. That makes a lot of sense! I have yet to take my 200 to any high altitude trails, but I can see I will need to be ready for this before I do.

Ya, I think a cheap code reader & reset-capable should be *standard kit* in any and all trucks, off road or even just road-tripping. Never fun if a harmless code shuts systems down. A cheap $20 unit is fine so long as it can clear codes.

 

[kcjaz]

I have an USB dongle that I leave plugged into my Android Tesla style HU. When the ignition is off it’s off. No power drain. It’s handy having OBDFusion on the HU display. clearing codes is easy.

 

[Tex68w]

So on our way to Durango today I filled up in Cuba, NM. 94F and 7,000 ft at speeds of 70mph and boom the trouble code hits, engine light, warning screen screaming at me. Pull over, smell of fuel vapors present and I say $hit! I lost cruise control which is absolutely retarded for such an issue and the code hasn’t cleared itself nor will the center screen stop flashing the “see dealer” warning.

I do not have a code reader or tech stream so if anyone is local to the alpine loop/San Juan’s or planning to be in the area this week and you’re willing to meet up please let me know. As an alternative will disconnecting the battery clear it? I don’t really want to pay the dealer in Durango to clear it out for $150+ only to have it happen again this week while we remain at altitude. Pretty ridiculous that these trucks suffer from this lol.

 

[TeCKis300]

As an alternative will disconnecting the battery clear it?

Yes. The factory toolkit should have the proper wrench to do it. Had to disconnect the battery once when on a multi-day off-trip in Death Valley and was stuck in 4LO because of an emissions CEL.

Just this last trip, the OBD-II reader helped me confirm a failing alternator.

Never leaving home again without a proper OBD-II reader.

 

[Tex68w]

Yes. The factory toolkit should have the proper wrench to do it. Had to disconnect the battery once when on a multi-day off-trip in Death Valley and was stuck in 4LO because of an emissions CEL.

Just this last trip, the OBD-II reader helped me confirm a failing alternator.

Never leaving home again without a proper OBD-II reader.

I’ve got plenty of tools, just didn’t know if that would reset it? If so, how long do I need to leave it disconnected?

 

[TeCKis300]

I’ve got plenty of tools, just didn’t know if that would reset it? If so, how long do I need to leave it disconnected?

A minute should do but maybe 3 min to be sure.

 

[Tex68w]

A minute should do but maybe 3 min to be sure.

Thanks! Just did it, all is well, at least until it happens again lol. Stupid alarm on the ComeUp winch is ridiculous, digging through my recovery gear for a few minutes to find the wireless remote to connect and kill the alarm. I’ll post up if it does it again when I fill up again later this week.

 

[Markuson]

So on our way to Durango today I filled up in Cuba, NM. 94F and 7,000 ft at speeds of 70mph and boom the trouble code hits, engine light, warning screen screaming at me. Pull over, smell of fuel vapors present and I say $hit! I lost cruise control which is absolutely retarded for such an issue and the code hasn’t cleared itself nor will the center screen stop flashing the “see dealer” warning.

I do not have a code reader or tech stream so if anyone is local to the alpine loop/San Juan’s or planning to be in the area this week and you’re willing to meet up please let me know. As an alternative will disconnecting the battery clear it? I don’t really want to pay the dealer in Durango to clear it out for $150+ only to have it happen again this week while we remain at altitude. Pretty ridiculous that these trucks suffer from this lol.

Any cheap obd2 that allows reset will do…from any auto parts store or Harbor freight.

 

[kcjaz]

You can also stop at any Autozone or similar and borrow a reader and clear codes in there parking lot.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Pretty ridiculous that these trucks suffer from this lol.

To be quite frank, every time this happens to me I start to wonder if I should sell the LC. But then when everything is fine it's such an awesome vehicle that I change my mind. Such a love / hate relationship, and because of just the one little thing.

The thing that baffles me the most is that this seems like an engineering problem that no other manufacturer tends to have, and Toyota has made no apparent effort to fix it over multiple LC generations. Apparently it's not worth overengineering this one item on an otherwise super-overengineered vehicle???

 

[bloc]

To be quite frank, every time this happens to me I start to wonder if I should sell the LC. But then when everything is fine it's such an awesome vehicle that I change my mind. Such a love / hate relationship, and because of just the one little thing.

The thing that baffles me the most is that this seems like an engineering problem that no other manufacturer tends to have, and Toyota has made no apparent effort to fix it over multiple LC generations. Apparently it's not worth overengineering this one item on an otherwise super-overengineered vehicle???

Do no other vehicles deal with this in similar conditions? I believe part of it is our fuel tanks being tucked up inside the frame rails to help off-road ability, which would reduce our heat shedding from the tank. Plus many other manufacturers moved to returnless fuel systems long ago specifically to help with evaporative emissions.

Also, does Toyota even know this is a problem? If the vast majority of their development is on diesel vehicles? Nope. High temps but low elevations? Different fuel with better RVPs?

And.. when it does happen it really isn’t catastrophic. As much as it has happened, no fires, no major failures, some fouled CCs… it’s certainly unpleasant but how much does it happen to stock vehicles driving down the road in average conditions.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Do no other vehicles deal with this in similar conditions? I believe part of it is our fuel tanks being tucked up inside the frame rails to help off-road ability, which would reduce our heat shedding from the tank. Plus many other manufacturers moved to returnless fuel systems long ago specifically to help with evaporative emissions.

Yes, I think you're exactly right on both points about the tucked tank and returnless fuel system. I am very optimistic that we can fix this problem (or at least make it less frequent and less severe) by cooling the return fuel before it dumps back in the tank.