Ana, if the first dealer can't fix it properly, try another dealer - assuming there's one within 50 miles of you - it's worth a shot. I found with Volvo - there really can be significant differences between service departments - and don't stick with a bad department - even if you bought the car there -- the service department is usually a whole nother game and they don't care where you bought the car.

Even just buying parts - my personal (non-dealership) mechanic was having hassles with a nearby service department - I suggested he try one 20 miles further away --- smooth sailing...

 

all is great after 20,000km (12,400 miles), except of course the bug magnet and excessive rear brake dust.

 

My question is, would the gas cap cause the car to stall?

 

Should a missing or loose gas cap cause the engine to stall. I think we all know the answer to that.

But might it? With new, complex, software driven engine controls and what not? Maybe!

We'll have our answer when after running with it a few days, you let us know if your problem is fixed.

Another likely possibility is that the on-board diagnostics (code P0442) are confused, bogus or incomplete and there is another problem that is actually causing the stall.

So the dealer fixes the diagnosed problem first. (Can you blame him?) And they you get to see whether anything else goes wrong. Sorry.

 

Well, well, who would have thunk it. Not even a full day with the car and the light came back on. I'll be making an early morning stop at the dealer tomorrow.

I think there is something else wrong. The car didn't stall but it was doing the same thing it did on Saturday before it stalled. While idle, the needles drops below 1000rpm, then it fluters and you can hear a "gurgling" type sound, as if there isn't enough gas or something. I don't really know how to describe it. Regardless, they can't say it's the gas cap anymore. I'm highly annoyed but not surprised :\ More news tomorrow.

 

Hey, there will probably be a recall soon...
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=8703

 

Tastade, thanks for the heads up. But lest anyone else be confused - that article is about an airbag sensor problem.

 

Ana,
as we feared the gas cap was a red-herring. Sure it's part of the fuel system, but the true problem lies elsewhere. Good luck and let us know what happens next.

 

Thanks, I forgot to include the part about the Airbags, probably important since the conversation was about stalling.

 

I'm bringing it in tomorrow. I'll hopefully have some sort of update then. I hope it's good, but I won't hold my breath.

 

Alrighty, we have a diagnosed problem, and lo and behold, 5 others came in yesterday with the same issue.

Anyhow, the problem is with a sticking purge valve. The part is on back order. He said there are about 3 of them in the country. I reminded him that initially brought my car in last Saturday and that I should be moved up to the front of the list, and he agreed and did so. It should come in on Monday. He said this explains why the engine idles rough.

If 5 other owners came in with the same issue, I would expect there to be others.

 

Hmmm... musta been a bad batch off the line.

What are the first symptoms? How many miles on your car? What/Where is the purge valve?

 

I bought the car in March 04, 12,000 miles on it although, it's probably been idling rough since about 5k or so (I can't really remember, but i've had the "something is wrong" feeling for sometime).

To tell you the truth, I'm unsure exactly what it is, but it has something to do with the emissions system. Maybe someone can elaborate better than me.

I'm glad it isn't something too serious.

 

Ana,

Hmm. I was curious so I googled it a bit and found that we're still in the
evaporative emissions controls of the fuel system. Let's hope the diagnosis is
correct this time....

From http://hostingprod.com/@aa1car.com/library/emis2p.htm :

 

Thanks for doing the research Bob That's basically what the guy told me, I just couldn't recall. I really do hope it is the right analysis. If it isn't, I'll be an unhappy girl. I'm going in tomorrow morning, I'll update after. It took the CEL about the same time to come back on since they reset it on Friday.

More news later.
-A