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Check Engine Light from clogged gas tank vent line?

Darky

NAXJA Forum User
Location
29 Palms, CA
Is there such a thing? All I know is apparently somewhere along the way, my gas tank stopped "breathing" and I now have a Check Engine Light. Stopped to fill up and the gas pump woudl shut off after a gallon. Pump a gallon, off, move the pump handle and feel the rush of air hit my hand, pump another gallon, repeat. After 4 gallons, I figured it out and just held the handle down to break the seal and allow the air to flow out. Got to 14 gallons and let up, accepted the 14.8 gallons as full and left. Is there such a thing as a gas tank vent? If so, if it clogged would I see similar symptoms to what I'm seeing now? How do I fix it? Am I retarded:D? Any other ideas?

Don't really need to have to troubleshoot and repair the Jeep right now as the Focus is already sucking all my money (which is all borrowed right now anyways) trying to find its problem. Besides that its a Ford.:explosion
Thread detailing my anger towards the Focus
 
Check your rubber hoses at the gas fill . It sounds like the small one which is the vent hose maybe collasped and /or kinked.
 
Yup, your tank and associated hardware need to breathe/burp when filling with gas. As hanax mentions, check everything associated with the filler tube and venting system and if nothing is found, also be suspect of your evaporative recovery system.

I haven't seen it on an XJ but sometimes people basically overfill their tanks by repeated clickings on the fuel pump trying to get the maximum amount of fuel into their tanks (not a good idea) and that can result in raw fuel being forced into the charcoal canister. That has been known to cause venting problems and set codes. You can check your canister pretty quickly for presence of raw fuel. If the vacuum line running to it is wet, then there is probably fuel inside the canister.

Scanning your computer to see what code is stored is always helpful. I'd do that first and that information could lead you down the right troubleshooting path. Use the OBD2 technology that your 96 provides to you. Good luck!
 
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