charcoal canister

yes that's the charcoal canister.

so what exactly is this charcoal canister for?

thanks Casper.

the charcoal canister is a pollution control device. it basically traps the fumes that come out of the gas tank and pumps them into the engine when you are at cruise. this is why you shouldnt top off your gas tank when filling up. it will push fuel into the canister instead of vapors and screw it up

slidebird91 said:

...this is why you shouldnt top off your gas tank when filling up. it will push fuel into the canister instead of vapors and screw it up

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I have to respectfully call BS on this one. I have heard this before. Every car that I have ever owned (except one) had a charcoal canister and I always top my tank off when getting gas. Never had that problem and I have been driving for over 20 years.
The same goes for the thing about not running your tank too low on gas. Supposedly, if you run too low on gas with an in-tank fuel pump the pump will overheat and you will have to replace it. Heck, I have a friend that took a EFI 5.0 out of a Town Car and put it in a '65 Ford pickup. He used the in-tank fuel pump from the Town Car and mounted it on the frame. (Outside of the tank.) He has been using it that way for over three years.

I have never heard the fuel pump thing. as for the canister thing, im pretty sure it depends on the car, like with ours it may not be such a problem, because it is so far away from the tank, but with a car that has it closer to the tank, it may cause problems. its all in how it is mounted.

I never believed either (burning up the pump/flooding the canister) either. I run mine low all the time, then I go and fill it all the way up...it's never hurt any car I've driven.