What is going on with my 2012 Honda Accord? EVERYONE is stumped?!
Posted by triipiingonSaturn@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 23 comments
Check Fuel Cap message and CEL is haunting me!
I have a 2012 Honda Accord. This has been about a month long torture. I’ll start from the very beginning.
First, the Check Fuel Cap message displayed. I adjusted the fuel cap, the message stayed on for a bit but then it shut off. shortly after it shut off, the CEL (Check Engine Light) came on. I took it into the mechanic.
The mechanic replaced the brake master cylinder, the fuel canister solenoid (?), and repaired some evap leaks. the car was smoke tested and everything came back fine.
then, not even a day later, the same thing happened again. Check fuel cap message came on, and then the CEL. I call the mechanic, they take it back and repair some microscopic back end leaks and clear the codes.
then AGAIN. about a day later, Check Fuel Cap and CEL on AGAIN. At this point i’m extremely frustrated. The mechanic sets me up at a Honda dealership this time for further diagnostic and repair. Honda determines the Fuel canister solenoid part was defective. They replaced it, ran Operations on the car, I got it back it’s driving beautifully. it’s about 3 days later now… and guess what… my car is telling me to check the fuel cap once again. If everything goes the way it has been going, the CEL will be back on soon. i texted the mechanic, they have NO idea and told me to take it back to Honda. i’m scheduled with Honda for Thursday next week.
I am losing my mind and apparently this has EVERYONE stumped. the mechanic told me “something crazy is going on with your car.” I asked “what else could this possibly be???” their response “No idea.”
so please car guys of Reddit, help me out. what could this possibly be????
Gunk_Olgidar@reddit
Anyone smoke test it yet?
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
yes it’s been smoke tested. came back perfectly fine with no leaks.
Gunk_Olgidar@reddit
If it's still throwing a code, and the sensor & sensor circuit & ECU are normal, then it still has a leak.
How do the fuel pump bung and filler neck to vent tube connection look? Anyone bother to spot check those with some soapy-wooder?
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
so the CEL isn’t back on as of right now. the Check Fuel Cap message went away after i readjusted it and wiped some dust off it. but, this harkened before. so i am weary and somewhat expecting the CEL to come back on.
my car knowledge is less than surface level. i just pay the people that say they’ll fix it. i don’t know if they double checked their work, but i suspect they did not because i find it mind boggling how the mechanic had my car multiple times, then the dealership had my car, and this problem is still ongoing and everyone seems clueless.
i will mention everything you mentioned to the dealership when i take it back again. thank you!
Competitive_Load_933@reddit
Hey. I am facing the same issue from a month too. So wanna know if your car is fixed?
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
my issue turned out to be an aftermarket fuel cap that was by the mechanic used to replace the original fuel cap. they replaced sooo much stuff in my car trying to fix it over the span of a couple months, and failed to realize that was the issue.
I ordered the OEM Honda fuel cap and replaced it myself. I contacted the warranty company the mechanic uses, and I was reimbursed for the fuel cap cost. I pretty much had my whole exhaust system replaced over this lol. Your issue may be a faulty fuel cap, if your current one is OEM, try replacing it BUT ensure it is replaced with another OEM Honda cap. I used HondaPartsNow.com to order mine, it was super easy and fast.
Competitive_Load_933@reddit
Hey thanks for the reply! i have changed the gas cap from honda and removed the code but the check fuel cap has already popped up since 1 week and am waiting for CEL now like yours. So as you said your issue was with the fuel cap and now its completely fine? Like fuel cap message too doesnt appear?
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
correct, after i replaced the fuel cap, the “check fuel cap” messages went away and the CEL never came on since i ordered a new cap and replaced it fairly quickly after that check fuel cap message came back. i’m confident that if i had continued to drive it like that, CEL would have returned. after i replaced the fuel cap, i used my OBDll scanner on it and no codes, active nor saved, came up on it.
have you had a smoke test done to check for minor exhaust leaks? it’s possible you’re dealing with an actual leak. it could also be a defective fuel cap. it could be an entirely different issue within your exhaust system. if replacing the fuel cap with an OEM Honda cap didn’t work, and your CEL returns after the “check fuel cap” message displayed, it’s time to start investigating other areas of the exhaust system for issues.
Competitive_Load_933@reddit
Alright! Thanks will wait if cel appears then i think i will start with evap leak test and other.
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
best of luck!!
Nearby-Pen7541@reddit
Hey there, I have the same car / year along with the same issues with the fuel cap /check engine light. Has your car been driving normally? I am hesitant to drive since I have a relatively long commute to work. TIA
moocow4125@reddit
If you put gas in does the vehicle know? Does your fuel gage change?
I have a theory...
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
yes, the fuel gauge changes to match how much gas i put in.
moocow4125@reddit
There goes my theory. :x
Big_Bill23@reddit
I'd try another gas cap. Just because the one you have is new, doesn't mean it's good.
Check all the fuses. Given the current state of electronics, a blown fuse can cause effects that can stump everyone.
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
the fuel cap the mechanic shop put on definitely looks and feels cheap. i’m going to have Honda put one on when i take it back.
my car knowledge is pretty surface level, more likely even less than that. i don’t want to go blindly poking around in the fuses.. but i will mention it to Honda to have them check. i just thought this was stuff they would have covered before giving it back to me knowing my car was in the shop for this issue 3 times prior.
captainslowww@reddit
It would be helpful to know what error codes you get from an OBD scan. I assume you or your mechanic did at least one, but you didn’t mention it so I thought I should point that out.
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
i don’t remember all of the initial codes exactly, but after the very first repair, the codes were showing something to the tune of “very small leak” coming from the fuel canister (?). i just looked at receipt again, and the first repair they did involving that, was replace the evaporative canister vent valve.
SyntheticOne@reddit
Are you a person who stands at the fuel pump and keeps clicking on the handle after it turns off automatically to squeeze out every last drop of gasoline into the tank filler pipe?
If so, I have a guess.
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
no, i don’t do that. once it clicks off, i take it out because i’m afraid of overfilling
SyntheticOne@reddit
Okay, just checking. Overfilling can clog the vacuum relief tube and bring on chaos.
Automatic_Mulberry@reddit
Dumb-ass question... but have you replaced the fuel cap?
I had a similar CEL that I thought was the charcoal canister, but it was a failed O-ring on the fuel cap.
triipiingonSaturn@reddit (OP)
yes, the fuel cap is brand new. it was replaced the very first time it went to the mechanic.