DTC P0455 help on a 2007 V6

Tartar22

New Member
Feb 7, 2012
14
0
2
Azusa CA
I'm new here, but done a lot of searching to try to get any kind of fairly specific info in regards this CEL light and code P0455. I am well aware of being absolutely sure the gas cap is correct, and put on as it should be. I have a descent code checker, and can check and clear the codes.

My basic question is, is there a typical problem the 07 to 09 Mustangs have that I could check before biting the bullitt and taking the car in to be smoked to find where I may be getting this 'Gross Leak'? It would be nice to know, hopefully via a schematic or pics, where the canister is, and where the purge valve is. Can someone tell me what other parts to be sure to check to troubleshoot this problem. As you can imagine, having this CEL constantly keep popping up is frustrating.

This is my first Mustang! My dad bought a 1964 1/2 in the summer of '64, and at 14 years of age, I got to drive it from Denver Co to South Dakota and back on one of his business trips, around 700 miles! His had the 260 V8 with a 3 speed, red with white interior. If I only had that car today, WOW!

Thanks in advance for your help. I am going to be sure to post anything I do to try to cure this, swo there will be a complete thread for the next person that may have this problem. If you know of a thread that covers this I missed, I'm all for checking it out!

Untill then, Thanks, Terry
 
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I see the vapor management valve under the hood. All hoses and electrical look very good under the hood of this car. Is there a way to check the valve itself for function? From what I read, I would get a specific code if that valve was not functioning correctly.

Thanks for the heads up on location of the evap canister. As you said, the location is under the car, under the spare tire well, correct? I don't have a floor jack and stands, today, but gonna have to acquire those items in the next couple days. Crawling under the car, did see a couple vacuum lines there. I will post an update no matter what I find. I am a descent mechanic, old school, and hate to take a car to a garage if I don't have to. But the newer computer controlled everything cars these days make it mandatory to have expensive diagnostic tools to do the job correctly! Guessing I'm gonna have to resort to taking it to a place that can smoke test it to pinpoint the leak. Damn!!

Any other advise gladly accepted, talk to you all soon!

Terry
 
It is possible to test the function of the evaporative emissions system components on your car but you will need a diagnostic tool capable of performing active commands of the PCM output devices such as the vapor management valve and the canister vent solenoid in your case. A code checker is not going to work. I am not familiar with the available aftermarket diagnostic tools on the market that will work for what you need to do on your car. I'm fairly certain you'd pay well over a $1000 for one however. If you don't want to buy one, you are going to have to take it somewhere that is capable of testing your car properly. As has already been stated you can look for obvious sources of leaks (i.e. disconnected lines, damaged/broken parts), this is about all you can really do.
 
I appreciate your post. In this case, after checking for obvious disconneted lines or cracks in tubing, I agree to keep from going insane, I should, and will take it to a shop so they can diagnose and fix this properly. I want to enjoy my car, since it's my first mustang, and will update the findings!
 
I'm new here, but done a lot of searching to try to get any kind of fairly specific info in regards this CEL light and code P0455. I am well aware of being absolutely sure the gas cap is correct, and put on as it should be. I have a descent code checker, and can check and clear the codes.
...........
This is my first Mustang! My dad bought a 1964 1/2 in the summer of '64, and at 14 years of age, I got to drive it from Denver Co to South Dakota and back on one of his business trips, around 700 miles! His had the 260 V8 with a 3 speed, red with white interior. If I only had that car today, WOW!
Thanks in advance for your help........
I appreciate your post. In this case, after checking for obvious disconneted lines or cracks in tubing, I agree to keep from going insane, I should, and will take it to a shop so they can diagnose and fix this properly. I want to enjoy my car, since it's my first mustang, and will update the findings!


Hello Tartar22,


I concur with the avoidance of insanity; life's too short for it! ;)

The local Ford dealer will diagnose and repair the concern for you. Let me know if I can be of any assistance and I'll see what I can do from my side.

BTW - That's a great memory of your dad.

Take care!

Noemi
 
Finally had a chance to take a look under the car at the rear to inspect the EVAP canister and all the hoses I could see. I dropped the tray holding the canister, and low and behold, I now think either this car had a rear end collision, or the car went too fast over a dip, because the canister was cracked! The tray holding the canster may or may not be slightly warped, but at least I found the exact problem why I was throwing the P0455 code, the crack is pretty large! And from Ford the canister is $378, from a local auto parts store that sells Motorcraft parts, $338, and from Rockauto, $218. If anyone has other sources, let me know, otherwise, I will be ordering this from Rockauto. I will let you know the outcome, that my codes all cleared up.

Just want to say thanks for the help you guys gave me, it pointed me to that tray, which is directly under the spare tire well.
 
Just a little update. I made a decision to put silicon sealant on the old evap canister, based on why not! If anyone can tell me a good reason not to, I'm all ears. I will pop for a new evap canister later.

Now, I thank you for the heads up about the orings! I am guessing you are talking about the quick disconnect lines. Because I now am throwing a P0457, small leak. So better, but not completely fixed yet. I will continue to report my findings as I go, so there is at least a complete report on my original P0455 problem and all it took to cure it in my case. And I appreciate all the input and advise. I think it helps all of us.

And please let me know if I'm being an idiot for just temporarily patching the evap canister. Fords price is $378, Rockauto seems to be $218.
 
Hi gents, and ladies of course, another related question:

I live here in Southern California, and bought my car from a dealership. Not a Ford dealer, but a dealer none the less. After determining what was causing my codes with all you folks help, it is obvious beyond any shadow of a doubt the dealership cheated when they had this car pass smog upon sale to me.

Here's my question; is it possible to somehow download the stored codes to determine when the car first threw this p0455 code? I know that until the problem is actually fixed, and the cars computer runs its own diagnostics and sees no problems, the code stays stored. That way, even if you erase the codes with your OBDII scanner, the car will not pass smog.

I ordered the new EVAP canister from Rockauto, but am holding off installing until I get an answer from you folks if I can determine when the car first experienced the 'Gross leak'! I plan on going back to that dealer and making him pay for this part, but worried if I can't prove when the canister broke, they will just blame it on me!

Thanks again for all the help, hope to hear from someone soon, and as usual, will continue to report all that happens to resolve this issue of the P0455 code completely !
 
Thanks for your help, but to clarify; by clearing the PCM, is that manually erasing the codes, or when the PCM resets itself when it is satisfied that all is well when it performs it's diagnostics? Hope that question makes sense. If that is the case, then I would know how many miles ago it first experienced this gross leak problem.

Again, thanks for the help, let me know!
 
Ok, got it. I did of course use a scan tool several times while trying to find the problem, and used it several times to clear the codes. As I mentioned earlier, I did try to go the easy cheap route of sealing the canister, but not quite successful. It no longer throws the P0455 Gross Leak code, now it's throwing I believe a P0457, small leak. I must not have completely sealed the canister. So, I ordered and have received the new canister and will report here if I am successful cleaning up the codes.

Thanks for the continued help, this forum is awesome!
 
This may be my final post on this subject, other than letting you all know if the dealer who sold me the car does the right thing and reimburses me for the cannister. It is the responsibility of the seller in California to have the vehicle smoged, and perform whatever is required to make sure it passes smog.

Installed the EVAP canister, and after 4 or 5 days, checked the codes using my scanner, and 'NO' codes!!! A clean bill of health.

I want to thank those of you who helped me with this situation, it was invaluable to my discovering exactly what was wrong. This was a situation, where if I had taken it to the dealer, they would have diagnosed the problem, and rightly charged $500 to $600 to fix it, and I would have always wondered if it required all that to fix it. That's why I try to do my own work, for my own pease of mind.

Thanks again, Terry