[limenuke]

I am diagnosing the three error codes and the most common fixes are replacing the VSV or the charcoal canister.

I heard from a youtube video for a 90s? toyota that when you turn the ignition to position 2, you should hear a click from the VSV when it actuates due to a 12V signal being passed. I disconnected the plug to the VSV (I didn't hear the click when my friend turned the key to position 2) and measured the voltage. I saw only 2.9V, when I expected 12V.

Is this normal? I've ordered a new VSV just to see if it fixes the issue (only 26$) but I wanted to see if I should be expecting a higher voltage at ignition position 2...

 

[Endzone3]

This is never a fun DTC to get because it doesn't really tell you how to fix the problem. I think a lot of guys test their VSV by just attaching a 9 volt battery across the VSV terminals. If they hear a click, they say it is working. I think the most common on to replace is the one that is mounted on the air filter housing. There is another one mounted on the passenger side near the fuel rail. The most common T-shooting is gas cap, VSV valve and then charcoal canister. Or, you have take it to a shop that will do a smoke test to maybe see exactly where the problem is. A lot of shops don't want to mess with this though, so you may have to look around. How many miles are on the car?

 

[limenuke]

Thanks Endzone! I had a hard time testing the VSV as I couldn't get it off the charcoal canister and the plug was facing away from me.

AT this point, I'm going to wait for the new VSV to come in, zip tie it to the entire canister, and plug everything into the new one. See if it solves our problem.

 

[Endzone3]

Thanks Endzone! I had a hard time testing the VSV as I couldn't get it off the charcoal canister and the plug was facing away from me.

AT this point, I'm going to wait for the new VSV to come in, zip tie it to the entire canister, and plug everything into the new one. See if it solves our problem.

My brother did exactly that on a 2003 Avalon. He lives in Cincinnati. The guy at Autozone said it was that VSV valve. H installed the valve, reset the DTC's and hasn't had a CEL yet. I told him that he needs 300 or 400 miles before he's in the clear. I think the guy at Autozone was just guessing as to what the problem really was. Of course maybe the gas cap just wasn't put on tight either.

 

[limenuke]

We swapped the VSV, cleared the codes, but after driving a while still got the CEL. I'm thinking it's not the VSV.

Strangely enough, the new VSV didn't react to 12v signal (no click) when we first got it, but after installing it and taking it back off, it seems to react.

I've been under the car while having a friend turn the car on. I feel and hear no clicks from the VSV either way, so I suspect the plug is not giving enough voltage.

Does anyone know what could cause this? What fuse or relay might be responsible?

 

[Endzone3]

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/1...1162-2000-avalon-evap-problem-code-p0440.html

 

[darrellmak]

I just spent nearly a year on-and-off trying to diagnose this problem on my 2004 Corolla. If the Avalon is similar to the Corolla, this may help:

You are correct that you should hear a click when any of the VSVs (Purge, Canister Close, Fuel Pressure Switching valves) are activated. However, I don't believe any of the valves activate immediately when you turn the ignition switch on, so listening for a click while turning the ignition switch on/off won’t work. Therefore, since the valve isn’t activated yet, it won’t measure 12VDC.

If you don’t have one of those advanced code readers that allow you to turn on/off the valves with a push of a button, you can manually activate the VSVs at the Engine Control Module (ECM). For my Corolla, connecting ECM terminals E6-4 to E3-7 closes the circuit and activates the Fuel Pressure VSV with the ignition switch on. (The other two VSVs can be checked in a similar fashion, only that you connect different ECM terminals together.) You should see 12VDC both at terminals E6-4/E3-7 and at the Fuel Pressure VSV when connected. Otherwise if not activated, the 2.9V reading you mentioned sounds about right.


So based on what you’ve done so far, it doesn’t appear to me yet that you have a Fuel Pressure VSV problem and will have to keep troubleshooting.