That 2012 F-150 came back 3 years later with the same evap code I fixed

Had a guy roll in last month with a P0456 code on the same truck I replaced the purge valve on back in 2019. Turns out the new part had a hairline crack in the plastic housing from day one, just took three years to show up. Anyone else run into new parts failing slow like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

felixhenderson2d ago

Wait, are you sure that crack wasn't there from the start and you just didn't catch it? I mean, I've seen plenty of guys blame the part when really it was a bad install or a damaged o-ring they didn't seat right. Those plastic purge valves are cheap and the aftermarket ones are basically garbage half the time, so if you bought a no-name brand that's on you. But even a Motorcraft or Delphi valve, I've had them last 10 years or more without a single issue. The fact that it took three years to show up actually proves the part was working fine for a long time. You have to consider road salt, heat cycles, and vibration over three years could crack anything plastic. Plus that code is just a tiny leak, it could be the gas cap or a filler neck hose you overlooked the first time. I'd bet money you missed something else and the part got blamed.

shane_bell1d ago

You're acting like this guy committed some kind of crime against his car. It's just a purge valve, not a transmission rebuild. Three years out of a $30 part is pretty decent honestly. People act like every plastic part should last until the heat death of the universe. And yeah, maybe the crack wasn't there from day one, but who cares? He swapped it out and the code went away, that's all that matters. We're not NASA engineers here, we're just trying to keep a check engine light off long enough to pass inspection.

felixm291d ago

Three years out of a $30 part is pretty decent" - reminds me of the time I put a cheap thermostat in my old Civic and it stuck open two years later, right in the middle of a road trip through the desert.