This week we had a caddy in for a lean condition. I was scrolling through the data on the scanner and found that the mass air flow was only registering 3 grams per second. I distinctly remember in one of your videos that GMs.should be closer to 5.5. my coworker said it was fine. It bugged me. Sure enough, I looked it up in Mitchell and found that it should be 4-8 at idle. Tried cleaning it, the money light came back on,. co-worker was giggling. I checked the data again and still couldn't get but low 3's out of the mass air. Changed it, and like magic, the airflow grams went up, fuel trims corrected themselves and once drive cycle completed, I inspected it and shipped it. Thanks for the videos. I grew up spinning wrenches. After 11 years in the military, and 12 years in a mill, I got back into it and am constantly trying to educate myself. Thanks for your very informative videos. You help tremendously by not showing just the answer, but the diagnostic road to get there

Too bad everyone doesn’t diagnose like this. Too many people find a single issue and stop at that. What an excellent tech! Coming from a tech, these are the kind of people that should work on vehicles! Great job Eric!

Eric O.... I think I've watched every video you have ever made. I must say, you are basically the KZfaq diagnostic god. Yeah there's others, but none that compare. Thanks for what you do. Your legacy will live in the minds of hundreds of thousands of people you have truly helped educate in this line of work. Ur an awesome guy Eric....

This video was a tremendous help, been battling P0446 on my '05 GMC, and this really helped me understand the complete the system! THANK YOU!

I am a technician as well, is it bad that I like watching somebody else fix stuff instead of me? Lol... Great vid as always

I can't be the only one going You didn't plug it in... You still haven't plugged it in.. Eric, plug it in!

I think it is awesome that you do not mind diagnosing the problem and letting the customer fix it themselves. I've seen shops act like you are taking food off their children's plate when you decide you want to do your own work. There have been times when I was too poor to pay attention. Not having a car to get to work would make things worse. Without a lot of diagnostic tools or the ability to fund a parts cannon, sometimes having a shop get you in the right direction was neccesarily the difference between paying rent and an endless cycle of cash advances and a hole that is very hard to stop digging.

Several double blind studies conducted between 2009-2016 indicate that plugging in diagnostic equipment, as well as properly connecting leads to power sources dramatically increased the chances of successful diagnosis as well as function of diagnostic equipment. A few fringe studies involving divination and psychic events produced results that require further investigation, but as of this time, ASE standards continue to mandate connectivity.

Great , I've replaced the one under the hood twice still had check engine light pop on reset truck many times and replace the one on the gas tank also still had same problem... But after seeing this part about the canister I decided to follow your steps and blowing into canister,, . Found the same problem you just showed almost identical gas run down my hand and into my sleeve . Never would have identified this problem with out you video ty .. ordered new canister should be in few days . 2003 Chevy Silverado 4x4 no telling how long it's been that way but I've had this truck 3yrs now and was only able to understand the problem ty again!

Watched the 2003 Chevy PO446 repair video. This mech is a professional that use diagnostic troubleshooting to confirm the truck malfunction. Informative demonstration to repair its problem. Bravo!!!

Lots of shops don't want to just diagnose. Shows what a good shop you are to work with the client in what they need. This is another reason you could up your diag only charge. Anyone with common sense would gladly pay to get accurate and honest diagnosis.

I was saying "uh, I think you forgot something" when you left it unplugged!!! Glad you didn't edit it out.

Very important not to allow too much vacuum into the tank. I replaced a rusted out tank in a 1993 Chevy 6.5 Diesel, along with the fuel cap. I drove about 350 miles and stopped to refuel. When I tried to remove the cap (which is supposed to vent under vacuum), I ended up having to pry it off. The brand new tank that used to hold 32 gallons now only hold about 20.

I love the fact you are just as enthusiastic about only doing a diagnosis as you are about actually getting the job. Here in the UK garages hate, and even refuse diagnostic only work. Only option a lot of the time is to hire a auto electrician who is mobile and charges three times what a garage would do per hour, or dealership who are extortionists as well. Your way are so refreshing. I check every day for your videos, after all these years, I still love get excited to see a new video posted.

I wish BOSCH would make a scan tool I could connect to my WIFE to scan her and find out what is wrong with her? She is running pretty rough lately. Lots of backfires and squeaky noises. Life would so much easier.....Thanks for video Mr. O.

True professional put that window down 3/4! man I lost your message about doing a meet up you said you go to Staten Island would love to do that sometime in the future thanks for the shout-out man a lot of people said they came from your Channel from your recommendation!👊😁

That truck is pretty clean considering its age, mileage and location.

Lawnmower guy!! You know he sees you with the camera and fires up his mower.

Love this stuff as I repair all my own GM vehicles. The older ones had more problems. Just did a no crank on my 05. Found it was a ground problem. Thanks so much for the vids.

I love watching ur videos because u always go the extra mile and look at the whole system step by step... scan tool first every time. 👍

In my 4 year automotive career I have learned way more about diag from your videos than the "training" I had at work.

Good job mister O. We had the classic leaf blower, we were only missing the air compressor.

OOOOH nice new lift. Feels good like a riding on a new set of tires. Have a great autumn day in new england, I am envious.

When I saw the thumbnail, I thought that was blood dribbling down your hand. Glad to see the Chivvy didn't bite ya!

Man, I wish there was a new SMA video each day. How I luv me some good ol car fixin.

Going through SMA withdrawal but did get to see his brother (Doug) yesterday when he yanked my 10 wheeler out of the ditch. And now today a new vid, win!

Lawnmower guy getting in all he can before the snow flies.

My dad's '06 has the same issue. Replaced purge solenoid, canister vent solenoid, and tank pressure sensor. Even my Grandfathers '98 has a similar evap issue, which I hear is common on most years. The rust around the pump retainer ring is present like you said. I will attempt the canister test to see whether I need to replace it or drop the tank to fix the retainer clip/gasket. Thank you for the lead.

Every time I watch, I learn something new! Thanks for the insights.

Diagnosis and Testing,.You are such a rare Bird , in Today's Part slapping repair shops. As always, a Great Job.

You didn't plug it in and you blew the Chevy. Eric, You are the best diagnostician in the industry, hands down. You also have found a way to leave my sides splitting with laughter. Thank you!

I like it when you interact with your younger apprentice. Good rapport is important to attract good help. Being mean, contentious or short with them just discourages future techs, and we NEED new techs.

I’ve watched a lot of your videos. Love that your a great family guy and your videos show you are an expert in the field. Tx for helping me learn on stuff. 👍

Scotty Kilmer says to never go the next dollar while filling your gas tank once the pump handle clicks off. Don't put in a cent more. Overfilling will flood your charcoal cannister and mess up your purge valve. Good advice, I think.

I'm yelling "You didn't plug it in!" And laughing when you found it calling yourself a ding dong. STILL! Great Diag! Focused on and found the problem right away! The older GM and Ford systems like that one were fairly easy once you figured out how they worked. I forgot about the canister line to tank shut off valve in the tank. Good Show Mr. O! Thankyou. Oh ya, the stay here, don't move, Great Comedy Relief!

0:53 "Always risqué" in a Chevrolet"; priceless. I'm a newer sub and missed this one.Thanks!

eric o such a good guy always takin care of customers

You have helped me so much to understand the systems on these vehicles keep up the great work

Holy cow Dr O. I think you sent the cold weather down to TX. Woke up this morning and it's about 45-50°f. I needs to get my long Johns, coat, beanie, another layer of long sleeves, 2 or 3 pairs of socks, extra thick Dickies, and gloves. Also need to dust off the old heater of get a Kerosene jet heater. Great video by the way.

03 and the rockers are still in tact....Not bad. Also nice new lift!

Lawnmower guy, air Compressor and phone ringing.......it wouldn’t be South Main Auto on KZfaq without any one of these three going on 👍

Finally! Going through serious withdrawal over here.

You are the best. Keep it up. Your family has to be proud of you for the knowledge, and the time it takes to make theses videos.

Nice and easy, quick and sleazy test. I have to agree that the stuck purge sol most likely sucked raw fuel into the canister. Either that or the guy is prone to overfilling the tank... Nice vid!

Painting sidewalks? Even the sidewalks rust in Avoca?

Hope the deer hunt went well. Glad you are back

oddly I don't even have this problem and I was still watching.

If you have fuel in the canister then the fuel lines have been reversed. U made me howl about u trying to get the switch in the valve to work unplugged. Great vid

Hey buddy your info always helps me out. Being an auto body tech I noticed the way you smacked on the purge valve. You ever thought of workin dents?? I thought I was the only one who forgot to plug things in. You were on a roll buddy! I just gotta give you a little crap!! Thanks for your helpful video's they really help me out on the mechanic side of things. From the Big Sky Country of Montana!! R.F.

"Wang Dong" Ahh the good ole Donger !

Very helpful esp the canister flow tests. My 2006 GMC Sierra calls the P0446 Evaporative Emission System Vent Control Circuit. I didn't know a code could have different definitions. Must have been changed in later models.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!! I was honestly going into SMA withdraws!!

Eric, it's good to see, we all can watch you forget to plug the purge sol back in, lol, great to see your normal, every once in a while!!!! Your real guy, oh, yes I setting here watching, with me new South Main Auto shirt on. Thanks for a great vides, again.

Remember, "If he can do it, So can you" That goes for mistakes also guy's & gal's. Goes to show you that he is human. Just like the rest of us and makes simple mistakes to. Great job on explaining the process and the real difference between OEM & Aftermarket crap. People only see the price tag when buying parts these day's.

Lawnmower guy has to put a couple thousand hours on his machine every year.

Great video sir. Love the commentary you sound like the sort I could sit and have a drink with. thanks for guiding us through.

Love you videos I try to watch everyone you make even if it's on something simple thank you for the content you could be one of the best mechanic I have seen

You need to teach at a college or university BRO.Your an awesome teacher with patience, god bless Eric

It's official I have no life. I live vicariously through Eric O.

Great diagnosis with the scanner the vacuum test was old school 👍 lol thanks for sharing

'09 Ford F250 130,000 carefree miles Intermittently working fuel pump. Money light. EVAP code! Took the big 5.4L to my favorite shop. Raised the truck and replaced pump with AutoZone import. (Let me say here that each time the fuel pump was replaced or worked on, the mechanic had to loosen the filler tube clamp AND remove the drive shaft to be able to remove the fuel tank). Lowered the truck and it would not start. Bad pump! Pissed off shop owner went to Ford shop, close to quitting time on Friday, to get an OEM fuel pump. Raised the truck again and installed new pump. Lowered truck and it started up. I payed the shop and was glad to get truck back after a week of paying for a rental car. Next day the money light came on! AutoZone computer gave me an "EVAP" code. I then went to gas station to fill up. When tank got full, the pump handle would auto shut off like normal, but then I got fuel spilling out under the truck tank for a few seconds! I assumed the filler tube clamp was loose. Couldn't reach in to check it myself. Got back in the truck and the dashboard fuel indicator showed only 3/4 full. Took back to my favorite shop, and a mechanic with smaller arms reached in and could feel that the filler tube clamp was loose. He tightened it and we all thought that would fix the leaking gas problem. Told the shop owner I could live with the 3/4 full indicator problem. After a week using the truck for work, I needed to get some gas. Went to Stripes Store to fill up and after the tank got full, GAS SPILLED OUT UNDER THE TRUCK AGAIN! Took back to my favorite shop and they raised the truck to remove the tank. FUEL PUMP LOCK RING WAS LOOSE! The pump was never put in the correct position and that was why I was getting only 3/4 full when tank was filled up and had the fuel leaking problem! It was also the EVAP code problem. GOT BACK IN THE TRUCK. DROVE FROM JOB TO JOB IN THE CITY AND EVERYTHING SEEMED OKAY. BUT DRIVING HOME LATER THAT DAY, WHEN I REACHED SPEEDS OF 50 MPH OR MORE, THE WHOLE TRUCK WOULD VIBRATE A LITTLE! NOT A BIG OR VIOLENT SHAKE, BUT I COULD FEEL SOMETHING WAS WRONG. Long story short, took the truck to MY NEW FAVORITE SHOP. It seems that the first mechanic had damaged the rear yoke and u-joint ON THE DRIVE SHAFT so badly that I had only 3 snap rings instead of 4! Also, bolts on the rear yoke were not fully seated. Threads had to be re-tapped! He never said a word about it! I could tell you the name of the first shop, but K&N in Odessa, Tx., wouldn't like it.

I'm working on this exact issue. P0446 and sucking when I open the gas cap. Watching your videos and I'm wishing I had a scan tool like yours

I have a 04 silverado 1500. I'm a truck driver so I decided I don't have time to be messing around with an almost 20year old truck. I replaced gas cap, canister and solenoid all at once. So far no return codes.

Finally a SMA video. I was going through withdraws.

Great video. Multiple issues are hard to diagnose. Thanks for showing how to follow a multiple issue job.

Eric o honest as the day is long great mechanic, great vids

New viewer..love your videos, spent my whole staycation relaxing and learning from your past videos.

Eric you are a vehicle brain surgeon, sorta, kinda. I is amazed by Josh and you.

Love watching your videos. Your sense of humor make working on cars interesting and fun......lol

Good to see you again. Thanks for getting me hooked on Neutral Drop!

I won't go anywhere...I'm watching a South Main Auto video. The bathroom can wait.

We have these issues on CRVs when customers try to squeeze more fuel into their tank after the pump clicks off, the fuel gets in and eats the sponge filter that keeps the charcoal in and little tiny bits of charcoal get sucked into the purge and blocks it open. We have to replace the canister, the purge valve and blow out the line in-between. Hope it was worth it to hit 50$ exactly on the pump!

Glad to see a new video on a Friday

Last I saw you had a crew on hand R&R'ing a motor. Didn't think you'd have to hold their hands for a week on it

Glad to see I am not the only one that forgets to plug things in. LOL

Nothing like a good brain fart, once in a blue moon Eric. We all have em.

Sometimes you open up a can of worms. Thanks for another great video Eric!

I been trying to find out what that purge solenoid for a long while now till this video. Thanks a bunch!!! Now i can go get me a new one. My brother ended cutting the tube off of it also so now im looking for that too. Can you send me in the right direction on getting one?

I caught that “meow” at the beginning! lol

Funny timing, i have an 2006 gmc sierra (basically same truck) and had this issue a year ago. I had my entire fuel tank replaced, fuel lines cleaned and replaced the purge valve and gas cap myself. Problem went away but dont know what worked lol.

I get the feeling my mechanic doesn't try this hard :( Great video

Starting a fund to move the lawn mower guy.

Great vid, very informative. Easy to follow. Wish you were in my area so you could work on my truck.

Dude is so real he fixes vehicles with confidence of a hundred thousand trillion!

Yes the 446 code on a Chevy is maddening. My old 02 Impala used to keep throwing that code and I replaced all the EVAP parts except the canister which was an expensive part at the time. Traded the Impala in eventually....

I have a 2003 Chevy Silverado 1500 with only 68,000 miles with a code p0446. Checked the gas cap, used a code reader and reset/erased code and engine light went off. Drove down the street and came back on. So…any ideas? Thanks

Thanks for info. Love the president, you mention. Miss him.

Can we get some more normal day at the office? Love those videos!

Love watching the Bill Nye of mechanics. Thanks for the upload Eric. 👍

I own a 2010 GMC Sierra, having a code show up for EVAP vapor canister. The dummy light only comes on when it has been raining or it is wet out. It's off right now. Because it is dry out, Do you have any advice?

Awesome video. Tells me exactly what I need to look at for the code I pulled. Thank you!

I was jonesing for some SMA. Almost had to watch Trunk Dude.

I overfilled my Silverado 15000 fuel tank and ended up with the Canaster issue you just featured.... after I replace both solenoids because they were inexpensive to swap. Full load parts cannon fired -since I did replace the fuel pump also

Thank you for the thorough explanation!

Another wonderful video watching Dr (not a brain surgeon) O at work!

Did you feel us saying “you forgot to plug the purge valve back in” ?

well now I'm triggered that I wasn't welcomed back to the channel. It just ain't a SMA video without a hearty "WELCOME BACK to the South Main Auto channel!" lolol I kid I kid. :-P

Wang Dong, "You can whack it all day buddy, but you won't get the old fashioned reach around, especially when the back door is open." ~linked stream of consciousness of Eric O.

We've seen you, Mrs. O and Hannah work on cars, but not the dogs. That would be hilarious seeing them fix a vehicle.

Looks like you have a new lift very smart. No more wobbly blocks of wood.Lol