P2450 Ford Code - Evaporative Emission System Switching Valve Performance/Stuck Open

[HenryMac]

2019 Ford Ranger

The Check Engine Light came on and I ran FORscan to identify the issue. Came back as a P2450 - Evaporative Emission System Switching Valve Performance/Stuck Open.

Truck runs fine...

Any Ford Tech's here?

So, what happens if I just ignore this? Could be a coincidence, but I'm getting 2 mpg better, since the CEL came on.

No emissions checking where we live.

 

[franklin2]

I have never worked on your particular truck, but they all have this complex system to keep the gas fumes from escaping out into the air, much like those new aggravating gas cans you have to buy now. As the fuel warms and expands, they try to contain it in a charcoal canister, and then when the engine is running, and warmed up, they will open this valve you got the error on, and let the engine suck out the old gas fumes in the canister and get it ready for the next time you park the vehicle. They have made this system more complex by monitoring the system pressure also. It will test the pressure at different times with a pressure sensor, and if it doesn't pass, it will assume there is a leak and turn the light on also.

I am assuming that is what is going on with yours, it's opening the valve and then looking at the pressure and it doesn't like what it see's and is throwing that code. I am not sure where the components live on your truck, but I know a lot of the later trucks have this system under the truck not far from the fuel tank, and of course under the truck is not a good place for anything electrical to reside.

 

[HenryMac]

I have never worked on your particular truck, but they all have this complex system to keep the gas fumes from escaping out into the air, much like those new aggravating gas cans you have to buy now. As the fuel warms and expands, they try to contain it in a charcoal canister, and then when the engine is running, and warmed up, they will open this valve you got the error on, and let the engine suck out the old gas fumes in the canister and get it ready for the next time you park the vehicle. They have made this system more complex by monitoring the system pressure also. It will test the pressure at different times with a pressure sensor, and if it doesn't pass, it will assume there is a leak and turn the light on also.

I am assuming that is what is going on with yours, it's opening the valve and then looking at the pressure and it doesn't like what it see's and is throwing that code. I am not sure where the components live on your truck, but I know a lot of the later trucks have this system under the truck not far from the fuel tank, and of course under the truck is not a good place for anything electrical to reside.

On the 5th gen Rangers, the valve is between the tank and the floor of the bed. The gas tank has to be removed, or the bed has to be removed to access the valve.

The more you read online about the nightmare scenarios folks have gone through with dealerships when they have this valve replaced... the less it makes sense to fix something that doesn't hurt the performance of the truck.

 

[franklin2]

On the 5th gen Rangers, the valve is between the tank and the floor of the bed. The gas tank has to be removed, or the bed has to be removed to access the valve.

The more you read online about the nightmare scenarios folks have gone through with dealerships when they have this valve replaced... the less it makes sense to fix something that doesn't hurt the performance of the truck.

You are correct, it will not hurt the performance of the truck. But I see you live in Colorado and from what I have heard, you might have emissions testing there, and if the light is on they will not pass the truck. Some of those places even hook a scanner to it, so if you clear the code and go in right away, they will see it hasn't gone through a complete drive cycle and will wait till it does and see if it will pass.

 

[HenryMac]

You are correct, it will not hurt the performance of the truck. But I see you live in Colorado and from what I have heard, you might have emissions testing there, and if the light is on they will not pass the truck. Some of those places even hook a scanner to it, so if you clear the code and go in right away, they will see it hasn't gone through a complete drive cycle and will wait till it does and see if it will pass.

No emissions testing where we live.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Biggest problem with living with a cel is if you get a "main reactor failure imminent" code you don't know about it.

 

[HenryMac]

Biggest problem with living with a cel is if you get a "main reactor failure imminent" code you don't know about it.

Supposedly... the CEL flashes if it's a major issue?

Perhaps ignorance is bliss.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Supposedly... the CEL flashes if it's a major issue?

Perhaps ignorance is bliss.

It flashes if an engine damaging event is occurring,

Dead miss etc.

Occasional or random missfire, rich/lean, no blinkey.

Personally I would fix the evap system and have a functioning check engine light.

 

[Dwgray]

Simply enjoyed the tutelage this thread provided. Thank you.

 

[HenryMac]

You know how when you have a doctor's appointment and get up the morning of the appointment and question your judgement and wish you could just wave a magic wand and not need to go?

Our 2019 Ranger did that very thing this morning, waive the magic wand that is. We were scheduled to take it to the dealer to get the evaporation valve replaced, which involves removing the gas tank. Seems like a little access door in the floor of the bed would be better, but what do I know?

So we're about a half mile from home and my wife points to the dash. The check engine light is no longer on.

We go back home, and I fire up the laptop and run FORScan, and ran the diagnostics and it shows that the evap. code was triggered. I clear out the code and then start the truck up and run diagnostics again. No evap code.

I called the dealer, told them to cancel the evap repair, but we would be there to get the new Michelin LTX A/T2 tires re-balanced that they didn't balance correctly on 10-06-2022.

When we arrive, they treat us like royalty, they take the truck back and we're back on the road in about an hour and a half. Before we left the Service Advisor said he asked the tech "Why didn't you re-balance those when you flipped them from black wall to white wall on 10-06-2022?" He said the tech just shrugged his shoulders. I looked at Shaun and said, "I guess that's why you make the big bucks; you have some common sense".

So, I get home and check the torque on the lug nuts. The owner's manual specifies 100 ft-lbs., that seems high? I did some research on this when I bought the truck (Sept 2019) and 85-95 ft-lbs is what most tire shops use. So, I've been torquing them to 90 ft-lbs. when I rotate the tires.

I set the torque wrench to 90 ft-lbs... and only (4) out of (24) lug nuts were tight. The others weren't "loose", but they weren't 90 ft-lbs.

I checked them on 10-06-2022 when we first had the Michelins installed, and every lug was tighter than 90 ft-lbs.

I called dealership and left a message with the Service Advisor, he didn't answer, I told him what I found and told him 4 out of 24 were pretty horrible odds.

I also noticed a scratch on my bash plate (aka skid plate) under the front of the truck. Probably from the tech hitting it with a floor jack.

Whatever... moving on.

The tires were indeed out of balance and are good now.

 

[19Walt93]

I always insisted wheels be either hand torqued or installed with torque sticks, but I also didn't run a flat rate shop so my techs didn't have to cut corners to earn a days pay. If the spec is 100, the wheels will probably stay on at 90 but why not tighten them properly?
The check engine light isn't just a warning light, it's telling you the PCM has seen a sensor signal that was out of range, is ignoring it and plugging in a good value for that sensor from it's memory so you can keep going. In the early EEC 2/3 days that was called limp home mode. I'd get it fixed. The next time the light comes on, don't scan it yourself, bring it to the dealer for diag. The system has a memory so the fault can usually be located within about 20 restarts, once you erase the DTC, you've prevented further diag. DTC's are not a diagnosis, they are symptoms of the problem that direct the tech to the start of a diag path.

 

[Blmpkn]

Have you had your truck undercoated by chance?

 

[HenryMac]

I always insisted wheels be either hand torqued or installed with torque sticks, but I also didn't run a flat rate shop so my techs didn't have to cut corners to earn a days pay. If the spec is 100, the wheels will probably stay on at 90 but why not tighten them properly?

Will they stay on at less than 90 ft-lbs... like the dealership installed them?

If they can't torque lug nuts correctly, or balance tires, or properly inflate tires.... Would you trust this dealership to remove the gas tank and replace the evap valve on your truck?

I've had this chart hanging in my shop for decades.. and that's what I've used to set the torque wrench to.

 

[HenryMac]

Have you had your truck undercoated by chance?

No.

 

[sgtsandman]

Torque spec for both the 2011 and 2019 is 100 lbs,ft

Someone probably just installed the lug nuts with an air gun and called it good. I’ve proved to a tire shop more than once that air guns do not apply even or even proper torque. Time is money, so they don’t care.

Heck, a lot of the time, I have to use a 22” breaker bar to break the lugs loose and give them a proper torque. I also have breaker bars in the trucks so my girlfriend can change a tire and I’m not available to help her out. There is no way she would be able to get the bad tire off with the provided wrench or a cross iron.