Check Gas Cap

[Tdbo]

This concerns the '12 Accord in my signature.
Last filled car this past Saturday. Car has has 2 or 3 short trips since.
Today, put about 40 miles on car and was heading home.
Odometer and trip odometer disappeared on dash and are replaced with message "Check Gas Cap."
Pulled over and checked. Cap was on with no issues visible.
With message still on, drove the last 5 miles home.
Loosened and put cap on again and ran through two ignition cycles. Still have message.
What are the chances a new gas cap will clear this up?

 

[Chris142]

It has a small evap leak.

 

[eljefino]

Slim.

 

[ATex7239]

Did for me on both an Insight and Civic in the past

 

[aquariuscsm]

Go to the dealership and buy an oem gas cap.

 

[grjr]

what are the chances? buy a cap and find out, if it doesn't work you'll just be out the cost of a cap.

 

[Tdbo]

Go to the dealership and buy an oem gas cap.

That's the plan.
I have never had any luck with aftermarket ones.

 

[Tdbo]

what are the chances? buy a cap and find out, if it doesn't work you'll just be out the cost of a cap.

And the time and fuel cost of a 45 mile round trip to the nearest dealer.
That is why I requested odds.

 

[Tdbo]

Did for me on both an Insight and Civic in the past

Sounds like it is worth a shot.
Thanks everyone.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Look on RockAuto.com
Maybe you can get OEM (same as Dealer price) and save a trip.

 

[Hall]

Keep driving it for a couple of days before doing anything else.

An OEM cap will likely run $30-40, as I recall. You can get something like a Gates or Stant for ~$10 and the quality seems real good with those brands.

 

[Kira]

Definitely keep driving it.
Here's where your own code reader comes in handy.

After clearing the code see note how long it takes to return. Clear again. Do this twice or thrice to establish a "normal".
Then put your gas cap into the bottom of a plastic shopping bag and reinstall. Trim the plastic for appearances.
Now see how long the CEL takes to return. If the time changes, you KNOW it's the gasket / cap.
I used the plastic bag over greasing the gasket a few suggested.

My cap would've been $30-$40 too but a replacement cap gasket was available.
You can't do this without the timing your own, inexpensive reader provides.

 

[CharlieJ]

Go to the autozone or whichever car part store what checks OBDII codes for free and have them clear the code. See if it comes back before spending money... it probably won’t come back.

 

[Malo83]

Definitely go OEM, went thru 2 cheap aftermarket caps that didn't clear up, ordered the original from Rock Auto and she's been good since.

 

[samven]

Before I replaced it I would take a rag and clean the threads on the filler neck and cap and if it has a rubber gasket I would clean that and wipe a thin coating of vasoline or silicon grease on it. Then take it to an Auto parts place that will read out the code and erase it for you. Some codes will not clear until a set of parameters are met like time at operating temp, fill level of tank, outside temp change. You can imagine a sensor trying to measure a small vacuum leak as the temps outside are rising. If you watch a plastic gas can in the sun you can see it bloating up.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Gas cap manufacturers have to love evap codes. I think check engine lights have sold more gas caps than anything else!

 

[wymi516]

Try flipping the gasket around on the gas cap. I did that on my sisters 2012 Accord months ago for the same alert and it hasn't come back on since.

 

[Eddie]

Remove the cap and CLEAN the surface of the sealing surfaces of cap and intake pipe. My Subaru took about 10 driving cycles for the code to clear.

 

[ATex7239]

And the time and fuel cost of a 45 mile round trip to the nearest dealer.
That is why I requested odds.

I used the ones at Autozone because the nearest dealer was an hour away.

 

[Hall]

I don't know about "better" scan tools, but using Torque Pro, you can't clear EVAP codes on Hondas with it. TP even tells you this. You just have to drive it although in my case, after replacing a purge solenoid, I only had to drive it for about 15 minutes. I did stop twice (I think), shut it off, and drive it again after restarting. I thought a real "drive cycle" for Honda was longer (time and miles) too.