Purge valve: how it works, symptoms, problems, testing
Purge valve: how it works, symptoms, problems, testing The purge valve is part of the vehicle Evaporative Emission Control (EVAP) system. The EVAP system prevents fuel vapors in the fuel tank from escaping into the atmosphere. The EVAP system traps fuel vapors from the fuel tank and temporarily stores them in the charcoal canister, see the diagram. EVAP system diagram In modern cars, the purge valve is an electrically-operated solenoid, that is controlled by the engine computer. When the engine is off, the purge valve is closed. When the engine is running and fully warmed up, the engine computer pulses the purge valve open allowing some amount of fuel vapors to be purged from the charcoal canister and burned in the engine. When the purge valve operates, it might produce a rhythmic clicking noise under the hood. The purge flow is monitored by a number of sensors. If the purge flow is less or more than is expected under certain conditions, the computer illuminates the "Check Engine&