[jkirkerx]

I don't know much about the EVAP system.

But I know that the purpose of PZEV was to create a pollution free car, or at least partial zero emission. One of the criteria for this was to design a whole new fuel system, that didn't leak gasoline vapor, like what they did to the gas pumps. So the PZEV fuel system is suppose to make you car not emit gasoline fumes, so your garage doesn't smell like gasoline all the time. They did this by changing the materials used to form the fuel lines. Added a charcoal canister to absorb gasoline fumes, and I think this charcoal canister also takes any liquefied gasoline and returns it to the fuel tank as well, when a certain criteria is met. This is where it gets complicated to me in understanding the EVAP purge system, or the reverse operation of the charcoal canister.

I don't think your original problem is related to the charcoal cannister personally, and sounds more like the ITC valve if your model has one. A little valve that lets additional air pass into the throttle body on startup. Something related to the air intake system on the engine. I would suspect that you just happen to have an EVAP error code, but attacked the codes registered in the wrong order off your diagnostic reader.

 

[jkirkerx]

As everyone knows, don't try to get extra gasoline in the tanks after the fuel gauge looks full. At least I don't. Technicians on the Internet are saying fuel gets into the charcoal canister and they end up replacing them. I read all of the comments on here and one was related to a fuel return hose to the gas tank. So far so good I haven't needed to replace mine. 😀

Probably how I damaged mine. I was stuffing extra gas in the tank on the way home from Vegas cause it was so cheap.

 

[jkirkerx]

WOW. I have to be extra careful. I'm on a budget. I wore everything out and ended up on Social Security before 50 years old.

My Focus is my backup beater car. I kept it because it works so well since I rebuilt most of it during COVID lockdown. Then I bought a 2018 Porsche Macan GTS with a bigger gas tank, and fill up at Sams Club in Vegas off the 215.
But I get your joke ...

 

[jkirkerx]

I'm not sure what you mean by an ITC valve. Do you mean an Idle Control Valve? The mk3 Focus does not have an idle control valve as they have a fly by wire throttle. The computer just adjusts the throttle as needed to keep it running.

Anywho, I tested the purge valve as shown in the video Merv posted and it failed to hold a vacuum. Just installed the new one and now we will see at the next fuel up if that fixed the issue.

I've never heard that about topping off before. Not for gasoline engines at least. I know on diesel engines equipped with an SCR and DPF that you cannot over fill the DEF tank as you can damage the sending unit and the tank heater (if equipped with an electric heater) and that is an expensive mistake to make.

The main reason I started at the charcoal canister is that I didn't look up Ford's EVAP system on the mk3 Focus. I was using my knowledge of older EVAP systems on much older cars and that was my biggest mistake in this adventure.

Oh that's pretty cool, didn't know that Ford had upgraded to throttle by wire. I have that on my other car is it's kind of weird. I did mean Idle Control Valve.