Purge Solenoid Valve work to help vehicle evaporative emission control system to contain fuel vapours coming from fuel tank. Some time it need a through cleaning that is not complicated but involve several steps to complete. Proper cleaning is very important as a bad valve can effect engine performance and reduce millage.
Purge solenoid valve is an important part of an Evaporative Emission Control system EVAP of any vehicle. This system with the help of purge solenoid valve prevent the fuel vapours from escaping into environment from the vehicle fuel tank.
EVAP system work to capture fuel vapour from fuel tank and store them in charcoal canister. When vehicle engine is running under specific conditions then EVAP system purge these vapours from charcoal canister into engine.
Purge solenoid valve is an electrically operated valves that stops or allow the flow of fluid through it when ever it receive electrical signals from vehicle computer. These purge solenoid valves do get cloged and can effect engine performance.
So, How to clean purge solenoid valve? process is not much complicated but need multiple steps to complete. We have developed a complete guide on cleaning of vehicle purge solenoid valve with a comprehensive information on signs of a bad purge solenoid valve.
Signs of a Faulty Purge Solenoid Valve
As purge solenoid valve is extremely important for proper working of a vehicle, so a proper monitoring and maintenance setup should be followed for its high efficiency. So before proceeding on how to clean purge solenoid valve, we need to know what are the symptoms of a bad purge solenoid valve. Typically, when a car’s solenoid valve malfunctions, the following symptoms may occur.
Poor Engine Performance
As purge solenoid valve is responisble for controling the fuel fumes and supply them to engine when needed. So a bad valve will surely compromise the engine performance. Your vehicle engine will feel weak and will not generate high power and torque.
Check Engine Light
If your car’s purged solenoid valve is damaged or defective, the first thing you notice is a check engine light. Your car’s computer system will turn on the light as soon as it detects a purge solenoid valve problem.
Trouble Starting
Another common symptom of bad purge valves is that your car will be difficult to start. The reason behind this is the vacuum leak that is created by a fualty canister purge solenoid. This vacuum leak will cause more air to enter engine and thus disturbing the air fuel ratio in engine and making it diffcult to start.
Low fuel millage
When your car’s solenoid valve malfunctions, the fuel fumes from the canister will must be released into atmospher instead from being burnt in engine. If this continuou for a long period it will result into low fuel millage as a lot of fuel get released in atmospher rather than buring in engine.
Harsh Idle
when there is a problem with your vehicle purge solenoid value, then you will surely feel harsh idling. This is specially when there is a vacuum leak at canister. This make more air to flow inside the engine disturbing air fuel ratio that is specially noticiable at low speed and idling.
How to Clean Purge Solenoid Valves?
There are two strategies to rinse a car’s solenoid valve. One is without opening the valve, and the other is opening the valve for deep cleaning. Below we describe the both setups step by step.
Clean the Purge Solenoid Valve Without Opening It
1: Spray Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor Liquid or Carb
You will notice that the purge solenoid valve has a total of two tubes. First, spray a decent quantity of MAF liquid or carb cleaner on both ducts.
2: Shake tubes and let carb work
Use your fingers and wrap both edges of the tube. Now shake it well. Cover both ends and give the cleaner some time to clean the turf. Need to do this process on both tubes. Waiting time and shaking depends on the quantity of cleaning you need to do. Dirtire the tubes are more cleaning you need to do.
3: Drain the Carb fluid
Now remove your hand from the valve tubes, expose them and drain the fluid. The liquid is supposed to be dark due to charcoal, dirt, and debris. If in first run tubes are not clean enough, repeat the above two steps several times as mandatory to ideally clean.
If your valve tube is cleaned in first attempt, there is probably not too much dirt or debris stuck in the purge solenoid valve. Another good thing is that you can clean the valve tubes as many times as you want, it will not harm them.
4: Now, Spray the Contact Cleaner
Once the tubes are clean as required, you need to spray the contact cleaner on the vehicle switch and the valve connector.
5: Allow Every Part to Dry
Finally, let all the parts dry fully.
Open the Purge Solenoid Valve and Do Deep Cleaning
Manufacturers do not allow their car’s solenoid valve to open. However, if you have a lot of dirt, you can force open the case using a tiny flathead screwdriver or something as sharp as a little knife.
1: Need to Remove the Glue
Most car models have Bosch-type purge solenoid valves. The two halves of these are glued together with glue. To detach the two parts you need to try to peel off all the glue with a flat head screwdriver. When most of the glue has been removed, try to untangle the two parts with a little force.
2: Carefully Remove Valve
When the bpth halfs of valve are separated, you will see a cap-like round part inside one of them. The upper half contains other parts, such as the electrical connector of the valve, the solenoid, and so on. All you have to do now is omit the valve from the inside of the case.
3: Inspection and Replacement (if needed)
Check valve body parts, such as rubber parts or O-ring condition to see if they are OK. If there is a problem with them, then sadly you cannot buy them separately in the current market. Next, take a little bit of silicone lubricant and lubricate the parts. You will have the most problems with the upper O-ring and the rubber.
4: Spray MAF Cleaner or Carb
Spray the inside of the solenoid with MAF cleaner or carb. If you want a little more cleanliness, rub the tubes with a clean dry rag after spraying.
5: Assembly back the valve
When the valves are as clean as you need them to be, everything needs to be reassembled. You can use Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) silicone or epoxy adhesive to combine. Apply these and put the cases together. Be careful, once you assemble the purged solenoid valve it would be difficult to open the next time. Apply pressure to make sure the two parts of the valve are joined.
Step 5: Allow Time for Everything to Dry
Finally, let all the ingredients dry.
Is It Safe to Drive With a Bad Purge Valve?
If you have a bad purge valve, this might be safe to drive but its not recommended as it can seriously damage your engine and gives a poor fuel average. In addition, a purge valve can also cause the engine to run rough and cause other problems.
Frequently Asked Question
1. Can a Purge Valve Be Repaired?
A purge valve can be fixed up, but it is typically not a simple task. The valve is typically made of metal and plastic, and it can be difficult to remove the damaged parts without causing further damage. In some cases, the entire valve may need to be replaced. Additionally, it is important to make sure that the new valve is compatible with the system’s plumbing and other components.
2. Can a Purge Valve Get Clogged?
Yes, a purge valve can get blocked, but there are a few things that you can do to prevent this from happening. First, always make sure that the purge valve is installed correctly and that it is not blocked by debris. When the purge valve gets clogged, it is best to remove the obstruction and clear the valve using a plunger. Finally, make sure to regularly check the purge valve for wear and tear and replace it as needed.
Conclusion
Purge valves are important components of every car engine, and their proper functioning is essential for keeping your engine running smoothly. However, like any other mechanical equipment, they can start to malfunction over time, and this can lead to some serious problems.
In this blog, we have discussed the safe way to clean purge solenoid valves, and also have explained the symptoms that might indicate that one of these valves is not working properly. We hope that this will help you address the issue before it becomes too serious.
