Hi all,

I have a 2000 Civic DX with 67K and I have a problem that I'm running into a wall to solve and would like any help anyone may have to add. I might be a bit long here but I thought I would give you all the history so far. I've been told by two places, a service shop and AutoZone that a 1457 is normally a dealer only issue. Well you know I don't want to go there. So I have been doing some testing myself and here is what I have found. A 1457 error states that there a EVAP leak detected in the canister area. By using Haynes and my knowledge I've tried to find the problem and I'm not sure where I'm going yet.

If I pull the gas cap after the car has been sitting then I release a vacuum, Hum, no leaks back there. So this tells me that from the tank to the Purge Control Solenoid ( PCS ) or Canister Shut Off Valve there is no leak or it's not working. As I go through Haynes book, I've tested the Purge Control Solenoid and the Canister Vent Shutoff by pulling off the cable and putting the battery to the units. Both work fine so I started to look at the wiring. So far the PCS checks all the way back to the PCM. I'm currently into the wiring on the Canister Shutoff Valve and don't know what it will tell me since I don't know how it's controlled and Haynes does not say a lot. What I've found on the PCS is this.

On one side of the PCS is a hot line that is on when the key is on, this checks ok. On the other side of the PCS is a line that returns back to the PCM and once the engine is up above 155 it should turn on and give power flow to the coil to open the purge circuit. As you can figure the coil never opens by watching a vacuum gage on the circuit. Does anyone know what the PCS circuit on the PCM should be doing? I never see the coil open, at least by sitting in the driveway and going for a cool engine to a full operating temp engine. If the PCS circuit should go to ground to allow the PCS to open it never seems to. If this is the case then the problem lies here. I'm starting to think it could be the PCM and I now I don't want to go to the dealer.

Does anyone have any good knowledge of the 1457 errors and can you offer any ideas I have not done. Also is there a way to test the PCM? I have found ecudirect.com if I need to go this route but that's a few bucks.

Dave

 

I tried to get as much of the trouble tree thing as i could. There are 6 pages for this problem, so if you need page 2-6 i could try to get it. The picture is small b/c photobucket resizes it so if u need the full size picture i can email it to you.

 

It would be great if you could e-mail them to Dcooley@frontiernet.net. In the mean time I will look at page 1. Thanks.

 

I'm sorry I can't even read page one, the image is just too small. Please e-mail that one.

Thanks,

Dave

 

I just glanced at factory manual, and the reason why the PCS won't open is because the vehicle has to be moving. It states that for PCS to open: the coolant temp. has to be above 154 degrees, the intake air temp. has to be above 32 degrees, and the vehicle speed has to be above 0 MPH. That may explain your PCS problem. But, as for the rest, you never mentioned whether you checked the gas cap. The first thing the service manual lists under possible causes for P1457 is the fuel fill cap. In my experience, this code typically pops up when the gas cap is no longer functioning properly or isn't tightened correctly. Of course, you have to make sure you tighten it at least three clicks. If the fuel cap is bad, the MIL will remain on. If it wasn't tightened properly, it takes 3 closed loop cycles to reset itself (assuming it is re-tightened), meaning you need 3 warm-up and cool-down cycles for the PCM to reset. The cap may not be your problem, but if you haven't checked it yet, you should. It's always best to start with the simple solutions, and work your way towards the more difficult ones.

 

I assume that if you let the car sit for a while after it has been running and then loosen the cap and hear the air rush in I would assume that the cap is not the problem. Is this a correct assumption?

Dave

 

Well, gas caps are more complicated than most think. They are designed to hold pressure, but only up to a certain point. They also must relieve vacuum. It is a good assumption, but there are sensitive internal parts that sometimes leak or fail. If it holds pressure, it may be ok, but it may not. Maybe it clicked on because it was loose, and hasn't had a chance to reset yet. I would make totally certain it isn't the cap before you rule it out. First make sure the cap is completely tight. Then just reset the PCM by pulling out the BACK UP fuse in the fuse box under the hood for at least 10 seconds (make sure you have the radio security code, if it's required). Take it for a test drive, making sure it warms up completely. If it comes back on, I suggest buying another gas cap just for the insurance. Honda actually sells them for around $8, about the same as an aftermarket cap. Repeat the reset procedure, and test it out once more. If still no success, at least you can cross one item off you diagnosis list, and perhaps return the new cap.

 

Humm sounds good, but I am little bit confused. Coz I can't understand where is actual problem in the Valve or in the circuit?

 

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