Check the purge valve and vacuum lines to/from it.
Check the 5/8 and smaller hose from the purge valve to the charcoal
cannister under drivers seat (they have a tendency to fall onto the
exhaust).
Check the charcoal cannister and lines.
Check other vacuum hoses connected to the intake and TB as well.
Probably just a deteriorated vacuum line.
TonyC
-----Original Message-----
From: Terrible Tom <SilverEightynine@aol.com>
To: dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net
<dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net>
Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 8:43 PM
Subject: DML: Check Engine Light & Code P0442
>
>Friday 8/27/04, I was down in Chicago with the Ram, on my way back home
>to Point. I saw my check engine light was on and instantly I was in a
>bad mood. I made it over to an AutoOne and they pulled a code P0442 -
>"Evaporative Emission Control System, Small Leak Detected"
>
>I had them clear it, and was thankful it was not an O2 sensor or
>something worse. I tightened the gas cap - thinking that it might have
>been that - the gas cap wasnt real tight so I shrugged it off to that.
>Got home with no problems. Back at work Saturday, couple guys wanted to
>hear the Ram's exhaust. One owns an 1989 Dakota 4x4. I went out and
>started her up - and reved the engine - it sputtered and stumbled for a
>moment. I shut it off and could smell fuel real strong outside the
>truck. Sucker must have been running real rich. I think it was just
>too much throttle for an engine that was still cold.
>
>Drove home from work afterwards, check engine light came back on.
>
>/me pissed
>
>Went back to work - popped the hood and climbed up on top of the engine
>and stares directly into my valve cover via the hole in it, right where
>I DID NOT have an oil filler cap screwed in. Duh. I changed my oil on
>8/2/04. It appears I never put the cap back on. I bought a new one and
>figured that must have some how buggered up the computer into a fit and
>threw a check engine code. (same one P0442) I cleared the code and went
>home.
>
>Yesterday the damned thing came back on again. P0442 - something is
>fubar. Any suggestions? I know the obvious... I'm going to go over all
>the emissions and vaccum lines and check them out. Bad gas cap? Bad PCV
>valve? The PCV valve isnt that old... I changed it back at 30K-some
>miles when I did cap, rotor, plugs, wires. Hose to the crank case
>breather is attatched at the valve cover and at the air box. Hose is on
>the power brake booster. PCV valve is in the drivers side valve cover.
> What else am I missing? Its seriously pissing me off. I feel like
>this truck is starting to fall alart on me. The fog lights stopped
>working again, the window on the drivers side rattles again, I still
>need to do the front end steering and chassis parts... (sigh)
>
>--
>Terrible Tom -- AIM & Yahoo Name: SilverEightynine
>http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Oct 01 2004 - 11:38:58 EDT