I had the P0446 on my '99 V6 Camry, figured it was most likely the VSV, so I ordered a OEM one from an on-line dealer and replaced that, cleared the code. CEL was off for a bit of around town driving, but after 10 miles or so on the highway, it has come back on. So what now?
Here is what I noticed:
1. The replacement VSV had the 'key' on the electrical connector in a different place, it was 'right' instead of 'left' (depending on which way you look at it) but everything else looked the same, so I ground off the key and it plugged right in.
2. When I disconnected the two rubber hoses that are close together on the back side, I could distinctly smell gasoline. Does that mean my charcoal canister is saturated? Or is this normal?
3. I looked at all the vacuum lines and they all look fine, I do not believe I have a cracked or deteriorating hose. The fuel cap is tight.
If the connector dosent fit, then its the wrong part. It took a while for the light to come back on because the ECM needs to see certain conditions before it runs the Evap system test. The fuel smell is normal when you have the hoses disconnected. The light could be on because you have the wrong valve installed, or it could be something different in the evap system. You need to have it diagnosed properly before throwing parts at it.