Carbon Canister
A carbon canister is designed to decrease the pollution that is typically produced by vehicles. Carbon canisters work to decrease air pollution from cars and trucks while increasing the fuel efficiency of these vehicles. When the engine of a vehicle is turned off, the engine still produces hydrocarbons from the vapors rising in the vehicle’s fuel tank. A carbon canister helps to trap those fuel vapors and stop them from escaping the fuel tank and causing air pollution. Instead of escaping the tank, the vapors are fed back into the vehicle’s engine which helps the car or truck to experience a much higher level of fuel efficiency than vehicles that allow vapors to escape.
A carbon canister is rectangular in shape and sits next to the fuel tank and throttle in many cars and trucks. The canister box has input and output ports that are located side-by-side. Inside the canister are three different chambers and the inside contains carbon pellets and charcoal. The carbon canister is connected to the vent of the gas tank by the input port and to the intake manifold by the output port. When the vehicle’s engine is turned off, there is typically an imbalance of pressure left in the fuel tank. This is caused by fuel going out of the tank and allowing no air into the tank to make up for the empty space. The lower pressure in the fuel tank will promote a much greater evaporation rate which allows some of the fuel in the tank to become a gas as opposed to a liquid. The internal pressure in the fuel tank will finally equalize and allow the gas vapors to exit the tank through the vent port on the carbon canister. The gas vapors are then trapped by the carbon canister which prevents the vapors from being released into the atmosphere. When the engine is started again, the suction that is created will open the purge valve and allow the gas vapors to be re-released back into the vehicle’s engine where those vapors will be burned as fuel. The carbon canister will then remain idle until the engine is once again turned off when the process begins again.
Vehicles that have carbon canisters help contribute to a better environment by reducing the emission of hydrocarbons. This significantly cuts down on the amount of air pollution in the atmosphere. The fuel vapors that are stored in carbon canisters when the engine on a vehicle is not running are effectively burnt when the engine is once again operational. Carbon canisters help to absorb the fuel vapors that are released into the air and help the vehicle to enjoy much greater fuel efficiency by helping to eliminate loss of fuel. Activated carbon canisters are used around the world in hybrid vehicles to help control air pollution and fuel leakage.
Replacing a carbon canister typically costs anywhere from $250 to a bit over $500 depending on your specific vehicle’s make and model and the cost for labor. Most automotive repair shops can easily replace the carbon canister depending on the region in which you live. There are many retailers online that now offer carbon canisters for sale for a low shipping cost. If you are planning to have the carbon canister on your vehicle replaced, it is essential that you choose a repair shop that has some experience in dealing with these products to ensure that the canister is correctly installed. Incorrect installation can cause the vehicle to not run properly and can significantly affect your actual fuel efficiency. If you are inexperienced in repairing your own vehicle it is recommended that you take your car or truck to an automotive repair shop for carbon canister replacement or installation.