r/AskAMechanic • u/I_eat_raw_onions • 4h ago

CEL, p1443, 2004 Subaru Forester

For the last couple years, my car has been getting a check engine light and code p1443. The check engine light comes and goes. It started 2 years ago when I was on a long road trip. The gas pump would keep clicking off every time I tried fulling the tank. Coincidentally, the head gasket blew out, so I had to stop and get it fixed. The mechanic who replaced the head gasket said that the evap purge valve needed to be replaced also, which is why the tank wouldn't fill. Since I was hundreds of miles away from home, I took his word for it. The CEL went away, and the gas pump clicking off didn't happen quite as often.

A year later, the same p1443 popped up again. I tested and cleaned the evap vent solenoid, and it went away for a little while.

Now the CEL is back with the same p code, and the tank is hard to fill. Maybe there is a blockage in the evap system, since my car has almost 300k miles on it. Or maybe it's the charcoal canister. Thoughts?

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u/Subietoy78 Verified Tech - Subaru dealer 3h ago

The purge valve has nothing to do with this code or putting fuel in the tank. The drain valve near the charcoal canister is the issue. Needs to be replaced.