PDC

Yesterday while cruising down the road at about 30 mph, my "Check Engine" light came on. (BTW, this is my '01 CLK 55) No sudden event or change in driveability. I contacted my service rep at the dealership and he told me to bring it right down. My technician said that the disgnostic showed a fault code for the Charcoal Canister. He reset the code so the "Check Engine" light would go out to see if it would come right nack on. He said that is one way to see if the fault code is legit, or maybe a computer hiccup. Well, it did not come back on and I drove it quite a bit after picking it up yesterday. The tech said that the Charcoal Canister is about $550 to replace (my car just came off warranty) and that it does not affect performance or driveability whatsoever. He said definitely replace it if the code reappears, but don't worry about waiting a few weeks to do so. As I understand it, the Charcoal Canister is simply a filtering device for the fuel overflow valve and the purge valve. It sends a "fault" code if it gets wet with gasoline, like from over-filling or "topping-off" the tank. (which I do not do). If that is the case, is there any chance that the fuel in the charcoal canister will simply evaporate off, leaving the unit functional? Can it be removed, cleaned and dried out, and put back in without buying a new one for $550? Any input on this annoyance greatly appreciated.

PDC

Tishers

Isn't that part of the emissions system and covered by a longer warranty than the standard 50,000 miles?

PDC

It could be. My service manager is pretty good about searching for factory "campaign" codes (recall notices) before sending any invoice through on my cars, so if I ask, I am sure he will let me know. Thanks! P.S. been driving fairly enthusiastically over the weekend ... still no return of the "check engine" light.