I NEED HELP!!!!
The other day I noticed the check engine light on my 97 C5 (A4). So I get on the best forum out there (Corvette Forum :D) and I learn how to get the codes off the car's computer. The code that I'm getting is P1441 H C . The description for P1441 is "Evaporative Emissions (EVAP) System Flow During Non-Purge-B" . I have know ideal what the hell this means. Can someone tell me whats going on and what I'm going to have to fix.
Thanks,
Mike

 

The PCM detects a vacuum in the EVAP system when purge is not commanded.

But first I would try as follows:

Open the tank cup, take it off and close it again, then start the car and look if the SES light is gone. If yes, then it is fixed.

I saw that funny thing on a friends 97 and that was what worked for him.
It was intank Vacuum.

Try that and if it doesn´t work for you I´ll tell ya more about what can throw that code.

Michael

 

First, I'm far from an expert. But looking at my service manual, it looks like there's a valve, controlled by the PCM, which opens, under appropriate conditions, to use engine vacuum to pull evaporative emissions out of the canister. In the vacuum line, there's a switch which tells the PCM that this vacuum has in fact been applied. The diagnostic procedures include many tests that appear to need the dealer's diagnostic system to command the system to do various operations & determine the results. But the procedures include several references to bad electrical connections or grounds, kinked or loose vacuum lines, etc., which you can certainly check yourself. I would check all such lines, and all related electrical connections.

The code you have indicates that there is vacuum flow in the line even though the PCM hasn't told the purge valve to open. Assuming all electrical & vacuum connections are OK, the purge valve could be stuck open, due to contamination, according to the manual. Seems like an easy thing to check, if you can find & remove the valve. Or, the switch that senses the vacuum could be malfunctioning, which also might not be hard to check with a meter & some suction on the switch. The manual also says this switch could fail due to contamination.

I haven't looked to see where these components are located on the car; finding them & removing them might be harder than the actual testing!

Good luck, and I hope you can avoid a trip to the dealers $ervice department.

Steve.

 

Different cars I know, but I had the same code on my 96 LT4 - it was a bad purge valve. The C4 part was bout $20 I believe.

--travis

 

I think I should get my hands on a service manual :D