Hi all,

I have a 1997 Sebring Lxi Coupe with only 117,000 original engine miles on it. Transmission was rebuilt (again, :sigh about 1,000 miles ago. Couple months later, it started cutting power randomly. Replaced battery (it was time anyway), but that didn't help. My mechanic (ASE Master Mechanic) replaced fuel pump and filter and it fixed the stalling problem. However, a month+ but only about 150 miles after fuel pump is replaced, I get a P0455 -- Evaporative Emission System Leak Detected, Gross Leak error. I *thought* I smelled gas upon startup, but it dissipated quickly, which makes sense with this code.

I tightened the gas cap to 5 clicks, but I understand it will take a few drive cycles (50-100 miles) for the CEL to go away if a loose gas cap is the problem?

Is it possible that this has anything to do with my fuel pump being replaced about 150 miles ago -- perhaps something didn't get tightened just so?

Please know that I know virtually nothing about cars, but I do trust my mechanic (rare thing, I know), as he really knows his stuff, and he has Dxed stuff over the phone and given me fix suggestions that worked that had nothing to do with bringing my car to him. I don't want to insinuate that the code had anything to do with him replacing my fuel pump if that's unlikely because I don't want him to think I think he does sloppy work.

Halp please? What order would you go in of investigating this error?

Thank you!

 

It COULD be related to the fuel pump replacement. If a hose wasn't put back on right, it could happen. I think, on the coupe, you can get to the fuel pump by removing the back seat and an access panel, you don't need to drop the fuel tank, so it could be checked fairly easily.
The gas cap, if left off, could produce that code, but it should go away by itself after a trip or two, if not sooner.
Incidentally, five clicks or one click, it's all the same on the gas cap.

I would start by taking it back to the mechanic. If he's as good as you say he is, he won't mind checking his work.
It could be totally unrelated, like a hose under the hood, but the only real way to find out is to get it checked out by someone who knows what he is doing. It may require attachment of a smoke machine to find the leak.

 

Thank you very much for your reply. Alas, my car is not one of the ones that you can access the fuel pump from the back seat -- I'd researched that before the fuel pump was replaced, hoping that would cut down on labor time.

I took a 6 mile city trip -- hopefully the CEL will go away after a second spin on the interstate, but unless the cap is cracked or something (I need to take a good look at it), I'm not optimistic that it will be a simple fix. (I'm always kind of obsessive about tightening my gas cap.)

I put in a text to my mechanic and am awaiting his reply. I know my mechanic won't charge me for looking at it (he never does), but I was worried about "questioning" him if there was no way the code could be related to his fix. (It seems possible that it could be correlated to me, but like I said, I know almost nothing about cars.)

Thanks again for the reply.