Charcoal canister * gas tank vacuum--how much of an impact?

[Piloter]

Imagine my surprise to read in the Haynes book that these should be changed out every 60K miles....well, at 215K I know it's never been done. The entire time I've had the car the fuel tank has hissed to equalize pressure when you open the cap but there's never been much difficulty putting in gas (it'll click off the first time, then take another half-gallon or so, this is NOT the point where it starts flooding up the filler tube) and never any strong smell of gas under the hood.

Without inspecting it I'm pretty sure it's a writeoff but for something that's completely shot is it affecting mileage 1 or 2 MPG (put off) or something likely more dramatic?

[Bitter]

nah, you're fine. the tank hisses on almost every car like that.

[Flashmn]

What charcoal canister I threw mine away.

[Piloter]

Right, project "ignore it until it throws a CEL" commencing.

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Are you sure it says to change it every 60,000km? My Haynes manual just says to inspect it every 60,000km. I wouldn't worry about it until you start smelling strong smells of fuel in the cabin. It's main purpose is for emissions control and it has very little impact on your mpg. If anything inside it ever got blocked then you can clear it out by using low pressure compressed air. Not worth replacing until it's absolutely necessary.

[Rip The E Brake]

The entire fuel system is pressurized so when you open the cap, it is reliving the pressure built behind the pump.

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by Rip The E Brake

The entire fuel system is pressurized so when you open the cap, it is reliving the pressure built behind the pump.

not exactly, the feed line is, the return line and tank are not. tank pressure is caused by fuel evaporation.