P0440: Evaporative Emission Control System Malfunction

What Is an Evaporative Emission Control System?

Your vehicle uses this system to collect fuel vapors. Vapors are routed through your vehicle using a series of hoses that lead to a charcoal canister. This canister stores the harmful vapors until your engine is running. Once it’s running, a purge valve opens and an intake vacuum is created to siphon the vapors to your engine.

When it is operating properly, this system helps contain fuel vapors and prevents them from escaping into your garage or environment. A significant leak in this system results in error code P0440. You may not notice this leak, but it’s an important issue to promptly fix.

What Are the Symptoms of a P0440 Error Code

Now that you understand the basics of the evaporative emission control system, what does the code P0440 mean? This general code means that there is an issue in one or more parts of the control system. The fuel vapors could be escaping due to a number of failures, including these parts:

• Gas cap
• Purge valve or solenoid
• Charcoal canister
• Hoses
• Fuel lines

While there could be a significant vapor leak, you won’t notice any difference in the operation of your vehicle. Your check engine light will appear and your OBD-II scanner will read an error code P0440. Leaking fuel vapors can be dangerous, so you should still make it a priority to inspect your evaporative emission control system even if you don’t notice any performance issues.

Identifying the Cause of P0440

Because of the many parts that could cause a fuel vapor leak, you’ll need to inspect each part to find the solution. However, some solutions are very simple to perform. Try the first few solutions, clear the error code, and drive your vehicle for at least a day. If the code returns, you’ll need to perform more complex repairs.

Finding a Solution

The easiest solution is to replace the gas cap. A loose or damaged gas cap can cause fuel vapors to escape and signal this DTC. However, if the gas cap isn’t the solution, your evaporative emission control system will still be malfunctioning.

Other solutions include replacing the sensor, purge valve, charcoal filter, or tubes and hoses. The purge solenoid and charcoal filter are larger parts that are easy to replace and can wear down over time. A damaged or improperly working valve and/or filter could be the solution to your error code P0440.

There may not be true issue with your system. Just like any part, the evaporative emission control system sensor can wear out. A damaged sensor can cause the same DTC, so it’s a good idea to check out the sensor. Test the voltage or replace the sensor before looking for the final possible source of a vapor leak.

The most complex solution is a small cut or hole in your fuel line or evaporative emission control system hosing. A tiny cut could cause a large enough vapor leak to create the problem code, so you need to carefully inspect the entire length of fuel lines and hoses. A more efficient solution is to use a professional smoke machine to detect leaks in the lines.

Once you find the OBD-II scanner error code P0440 problem, you’ll be able to restore your evaporative emission control system and prevent excessive fuel vapor leaks from harming your health or affecting your environment.