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Gas boiling, hissing from cap 200 1993

Hello:

Hot weather here in NM, heard gas boiling in tank and when gas cap is removed a large rush of fumes comes out.

What's happening?
--
1993 240, 1992 240GL, 1985 240DL Wagon, 1983 240DL








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    Gas boiling, hissing from cap 200 1993

    I just had (and I think solved) this problem in my 92 740. If its the same for a 240, there should be a black canister up in front of the airbox. Its filled with charcoal and has two vacuum lines going to the engine and a vent line from the gas tank. I knew mine was acting up when I had been driving it for a while and immediately after shutting down at a gas station I had the same high pressure fumescoming out when I took the cap off.

    I pulled the vent line off of the canister and it was filled with this white powdery crud. I had to go back in the trunk and get access to the fuel tank and find the vent line. I didn't have compressed air but its the right size to get a bike pump on. Hooked up the bike pump and gave it a bunch of hard pumps, and when I checked the open end of the line, all of the crap had blown out. Haven't had the problem since.








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      Gas boiling, hissing from cap - EVAP system 200 1993

      Excess evaporated gasoline vapor pressure is usually directed through the vapor hose to the black cannister, that, on 240s, is mounted to the car left side bumper shock plate metal housing in front of the car left side front tire, in front of the fender well insert.

      Also, it is suggested you do not ever remove the cap from the expansion tank where the coolant is at a normal expansion tank level with a hot engine and coolant. Embolisms can form inside the coolant jacket (engine-cylinder head / top of radiator) and the coolant may be hot enough, more so if the coolant mix is more than 50/50 in favor of water (distilled, demineralized, deionized, never TAP water, unless an emergency), coolant may boil up and over with loss of pressure cap seal.

      Else, one should worry if the system become immediately pressurized, and bleeds off pressure, when starting a cold engine from a long over night sit. As you can tell by the upper radiator hose feel. Suspect cylinder compression leak into the coolant jacket. Warped head / cylinder head gasket leak.
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    Gas boiling, hissing from cap 200 1993

    Hi there,

    Yes the rush of gas pressure is normal. It means the evaporative emissions system is working at holding pressure. This means the gas cap is good for sure.

    When the engine starts there is a vacuum controlled check valve on the evaporative canister that is suppose to pass some of that gas through some charcoal so only fumes go back to the engine.
    The can allows fuel vapors to condense a evaporate in a more timely manner.
    I'm not sure from there what Volvo does with the fumes or what conditions have to exist to draw them into the engine. It's been a long time since I looked at my system.

    The heating of the fuel will raise the evaporation rate.
    During quiet moments you may hear a chirping sound from the rear of the car. This is gas being vented if it becomes too excessive.
    This I believe it is the gas cap itself. I have never remove one of Volvos gas tanks to know if there is a relief valve elsewhere.

    The gas cap also allows air into the tank, after it cools down or as barometric pressure changes.
    It is mostly there to allow for fuel usage and changes in altitude.
    In New Mexico, I bet you go up and down a lot!
    You can suck on the cap screw and get air but blow and you will not get any through. It's a few PSI more than I want go up to, under a shade tree test! (:-)
    Note, if you have a bad large O ring on the cap, then you won't hear a chirp and may not get the blast.
    With that said, any changes in temperature and you will can get a double whammy at altitude. You might relate it to a radiator cap.

    Volvo has stated in manuals to release or open the fuel cap slowly to avoid a splash or a cloud of vapors. I'm sure you can find it, maybe, in a owners manual?

    Phil







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