Need smog help! Vapor canister replacement?

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OK so i failed smog, and apparently I need a new fuel pump seal and i need to replace my vapor canister? the technician said it's located above the fuel tank, inbetween where the fuel nozzle goes in at the pump and the actual gas tank. I'm not even sure if that's what it's called or what so can anybody help me locate one and tell me how to replace it??

Edit: So i know there is such a thing as the evap canister, which is located in the driver side of the engine bay. and it deals with air pollution, so could this be it? the bottom was popped off while i was working on it (before the smog) so i just popped it back on.

[g6civcx]

Can you get an exact quote from the technician about what needs to be fixed?

From your description, it could be anything from the fuel pick up, the one way check valve, or the evaporative charcoal canister.

Is this an SR by any chance?

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Its a KAE. I was just confused by his explanation that there is a vapor cansiter between my tank and the actual insert point of the nozzle from the gas pump. I think my evap canister may need replacement, but that is no where near the rear of the car. Besides my fuel pump seal leaking, I couldn't find any other canister in the rear of the car pertaining to fuel. Maybe he was lying to me so I would have him fix the car? He quoted me 650 dollars to replace the fuel pump seal and this mysterious "vapor canister" in the rear of the car.

[projectRDM]

There's a one way check valve on top of the fuel tank, but it's never been called a vapor canister from what I've ever heard. The charcoal canister is sometimes called a vapor canister, but it's not required for emissions, IE you can pass without it, if everything else in the system is up to code.

[fast-datsun]

canister is part of Caliornia SMOG testing as well as the Evap system....

[g6civcx]

The charcoal canister is sometimes called a vapor canister, but it's not required for emissions, IE you can pass without it

Not in my state. If your charcoal canister is not there, you fail the visual.

It's also a violation of federal EPA requirements.

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yeah i'm pretty sure it's the evap canister up front then. He did not mention anything about a valve not working, and if it wasn't wouldnt i be able to tell from sputtering acceleration?

[s14beast]

The S14 canister are located in the rear but s13 are up front

[projectRDM]

The S14 canister are located in the rear but s13 are up front

Not quite. OBD-I cars, including all 1995 models, are up front. 1996+ cars use an EVAP canister, a completely different type of system, which is found in the rear.

Some States do indeed require it for visual, I forgot that, but on States without the requirement you can pass fine without it, as all you're doing is dumping unburned fuel vapor back into the engine, without it the engine effectively runs cleaner as the vapor is displaced into the atmosphere before being burned. Some people would argue that's polluting, but if the exhaust is cleaner without the fuel vapors being burned, it negates the need to burn them in the first place and be less clean.

[g6civcx]

Some States do indeed require it for visual, I forgot that, but on States without the requirement you can pass fine without it

With all due respect, the federal charcoal canister requirement comes straight from the EPA:

The evaporative system purge test is used to determine whether fuel vapor stored in the evaporative canister and present in the fuel tank is being properly drawn into the engine for combustion.

The purge test is performed as part of the IM240, which if you fail, you technically violate federal law.

Each state has its own version of emissions testing, although most states defer to EPA standards.


If you fail the purge test, you may or may not violate state law, depending on the state. You definitely fail the IM240, and you may or may not violate federal law at the EPA's discretion.

[projectRDM]

I didn't ask for a pissing match.

In GA, there is no visual. There is also no run test that verifies charcoal canister operation. A tailpipe sniffer doesn't know the difference if the canister is gone or not. Therefore removing it does not affect emissions.

Illegal, as per your input, yes, it is. Will it pass? All day long.

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lol thanks for your input guys, both g6civcx and projectrdm