What's a charcoal canister look like?

[Bimmerfanatik]

One of the nagging issues I remembered while being insanely bored at work tonight is that I have an incorrect charcoal canister. In fact...it has the dreaded three point star on it... ;)

My questions: what's yours look like? Where is it mounted? Do you even have one? What the hell does it do? Do I need one?

[tonytony]

I believe it's for when people over fill their tank it soaks up excess fuel so your car doesnt smell like gas, someone correct me if i'm wrong.

[hamann318is]

If you look very hard, mines behind the brake fuild reservouir.

[reelizmpro]

It has to do with storing fuel vapor and burning them off in the engines intake. It's emissions related equipment, I believe. After 85, its a long black cylinder.

[ColdAccord]

lol can't really see it in this pic. blast.

[nando]

I believe it's for when people over fill their tank it soaks up excess fuel so your car doesnt smell like gas, someone correct me if i'm wrong.

WRONG! ;)

part of it's function is to keep your car from leaking gasoline vapors from the tank into the air. the tank is actually vented but it has to be vented through the motor (to burn off the vapors) and not into the open air. no reason to remove it, you won't gain any power but you'll be polluting a lot more (and your car might smell bad).

it's not too hard to get to really, you just need to remove the intake boot/airbox and move your power steering resivior out of the way.

[kowalski]

it wont polut more if you connect the 2 hoses to eachother and take out the canister its if you leave the line off you will have a problem. i havn't had mine for a year now, and iv gone through air care and my results were as low as ever, and gas millage is stil lthe same.

[tonytony]

I believe it's for when people over fill their tank it soaks up excess fuel so your car doesnt smell like gas, someone correct me if i'm wrong.

WRONG! ;)

part of it's function is to keep your car from leaking gasoline vapors from the tank into the air. the tank is actually vented but it has to be vented through the motor (to burn off the vapors) and not into the open air. no reason to remove it, you won't gain any power but you'll be polluting a lot more (and your car might smell bad).

it's not too hard to get to really, you just need to remove the intake boot/airbox and move your power steering resivior out of the way.

yah that's what I meant :D