A Car Repair Christmas!

No thanks Santa,  I"ll play with the
Subaru.

 So what better way to spend Christmas than to work on your Subaru?   Football?  Basketball? I don't like sports...  Eating?   I already ate way too much this holiday season.   Ice fishing?   I no longer live in the arctic  Nor do I own a fishing pole....   Nope!   Working on the Subaru sounds like a pretty great way to spend the afternoon.

I just fixed it a month ago!

I never thought of myself as a Car Enthusiast.   However,  I do like working on Subie...  when the results are that he is fixed and not that I broke him further.   Cheryl does not share my enthusiasm however.   She is pretty much  constantly worried that I will destroy our one and only car.   She is not always alone.   ( First do no harm! Eth!)

Charcoal canister, One Old.  One new!

So...  why is it called the Charcoal
canister?

And so it goes that the Infamous "Check Engine" light came back on over the last couple of months.   In the middle of stockings,  I have not had any time to spare.   And the weather has been less than pleasant for Outdoor Car repairing.  ( I have no garage of any form of shelter.)  But the stars aligned  with both the time and the weather today.  I had the parts.   I had the time.  And Cheryl did not want to use the car.  Besides,  where would we go?  Everything is closed on Christmas.

Might as well replace the Valve
while I'm at it.

And replace the Hose clamps.

The problem, I discovered,  was the Charcoal canister.  My Vent Control Solenoid has been constantly flipping the check engine light even after I replace it.   Come to find out,  It was not my wiring,  but someone on the forums suggested that the Charcoal canister might be failing and spitting out chunks of carbon into the vent valve.   Causing it to fail or at least trip the Check engine light. 

All Fixed! 

Shiny new Hose clamps!

Upon removal,   I see that that argument had some serious evidence to back it up.  I could literally pour the charcoal out on the sidewalk!    Thankfully,  Cheryl had purchased a new one a month ago and I was able to install it.   I also installed a new Vent Control Solenoid while I was at it...  Hopefully making the connection secure enough so it will not oxidize in a month or two.

Notice anything Missing? 

Cheryl chillin'

Having done this job before,  it was pretty easy ( now... after all that practice)  and I took Subie around the black to check things out. 

Note anything?   If you said there was a missing "CHECK ENGINE" light,  you are right!   It is finally off..( Again.)   At least for the time being.   Getting it off is easy...  keeping it off is the real test.

With the cat.

On his favorite paper.

Other than that,  the temp was in the low 50's ( another blessing from heaven!)  And I was able to work in a T Shirt and vest most of the afternoon.   Now,  Cheryl and I just finished our nightly "Puzzle Time" and are relaxing with the cat.   Merry Christmas Everyone!