emissions failed

[urbancynic]

hey guys, how much (if anything) does the charcoal canister filter come into play when talking about o2 levels. could 1 of my problems be an old filter?

It captures fuel vapors and prevents them from escaping to the atmosphere and then stores the fumes and recycles them to the fuel tank or engine intake for combustion as needed.

That said, it shouldn't really effect O2. If it is bad you will smell fuel.

If it has a leak in the hose coming off of it going to the intake (think thats where it goes offhand. If not, it should be somewhere close) that could raise the o2 as it would be a vacuum leak.

If you feel you must replace the charcoal filter, you can simply open it up and replace the charcoal with fresh charcoal used in a fish tank. You'll need to clean it first because you don't want to suck the dust into your motor.

I've heard there is also a purge valve connected to the charcoal canister that can cause issues, but I have never found it.