Entirely possible, self clearing codes can take 50-100 cycles to clear, a cycle is defined as an engine start. I used to know how many cycles it took for the "gas cap CEL" to clear but its escaping me now.

 

Doctuh,

Any shop that does a Texas State Inspection can test your gas cap. It's part of the test.

 

So they do that in The Lone Star State too, interesting.

As a slight off topic ChevyMgr, are Texas emissions tests the same statewide or do they vary by county like we have in NC. I work in an "emissions controlled" county, but 22 miles up the road in my home county, anything goes basically.

 

Emissions tests are by counties. We don't have smog though. Our southerly winds from the Gulf blow it all up to Oklahoma.

 

So that's why Oklahoman's are always kinda grumpy, they get all the heat and smog from down south.

Back to OT before I have to slap my own fingers, I do think the gas cap may still be at the heart of the matter Doctuh, its at least worth checking out.

 

I work and keep my HHR in Louisiana. I originally bought it in partnership with a female friend in Texas and the car was initially based there (hence its location being listed as Tyler). She eventually got her own loaded manual 2LT from a member of this forum. All my cars are insured in Missouri where I have a house, because Louisiana has the highest insurance rates in the USA. Cars are inspected in Missouri only every two years, and mine isn't due until 2013. I'm not sure if they inspect the gas cap at all.

I'm going to be in Dallas next week for a medical conference. Can I stop by your place, ChevyMgr, say hi and have a Texan check my gas cap?

Correction - I will be in a government vehicle, not my HHR, so never mind.

 

Inspections? What is this? Yeah, my state of Alabama is a little behind the rest of the country. Hmmm...maybe it's time for that catless downpipe.

 

Here we go again. Another DIC about the cap. I will ask the local dealer about it. Is the labor of installing the cap on its lanyard something the dealer can do free in the line at the service adviser area? I know the factor cap will cost a lot more than an aftermarket one, but I do like having it tethered and am willing to pay more to get it that way.

I went to the (better of the two) local dealer. Gas cap was only about $20 (for the 2006-2008 part, made in Germany!) and they put it in for me. Service writer inspected the gas cap first and said the seal looked worn. He said in his experience the problem with the code and the DIC message was either the gas cap or the purge solenoid. Replacing the gas cap was so inexpensive that rather than trying to diagnose anything, he suggested just replacing the cap first. Should the problem not go away, the purge solenoid should then be replaced.

 

Well, no more gas cap DIC message, but the CEL came back on. Firestone will be happy to charge me $90 to diagnose locally it again - they offer free redo diagnosis only at the specific to the Firestone store (in my case in Missouri) that did it in the first place. Local Firestone says since they would charge that and another $120 for the part and labor, with tax and their shop fee padding they could fix me up for only $220 out the door. If I wait until I'm visiting Missouri again, Firestone there would just charge about $106 to replace the purge solenoid. I checked with the local dealer and got the response that they know all about the purge solenoid, keep them in stock, you wait 1 1/2 hours with an appointment and pay $103 out-the-door. It goes in the shop next Tuesday at 1 PM for purge solenoid replacement.

 

$85 installed for purge solenoid at the (better) local dealer. I had to talk them out of doing diagnosis. Check engine light has stayed off so far. Engine doesn't stumble when started up, which it sometimes did before. So, that and $20 for the gas cap and I'm all fixed up. Is it unusual for BOTH the gas cap and purge solenoid to fail, or perhaps can one lead to the other? These fuel system failures are the second pair of repairs needed in the same system of my car this year. I had the resonator and flex pipe both fail in my exhaust system within the last couple of months as well. In any event, I hope I've met my quota of repairs for a while.