OBD-II 442 in 1998 Ford Escort

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John Perry - 25 Aug 2007 03:09 GMT

My service Engine Soon indicator came on in my 1998 Ford Escort. Auto Zone
said it was 442. This happened about 3 week ago at which time Auto Zone
said to replace the gas cap. Lately the car has had momentary losses of
power, like its skipping. I don't know if the 442 is related to the
skipping, there were no other error codes.

A couple of things...

Auto Zone did not have a Ford gas cap so I purchased a OEM replacement
cap, could this be a problem? Do I need a Ford gas cap?

I looked at the plumbing going to the canister, lot of rusty looking
tubes. I could find no leaks, I looked for stains on the plumbing but this
may not be a effective troubleshooting procedure.

Any ideas on isolating the failure would be great appreciated? Thanks John

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Tim J. - 25 Aug 2007 05:12 GMT

>My service Engine Soon indicator came on in my 1998 Ford Escort. Auto Zone
>said it was 442. This happened about 3 week ago at which time Auto Zone
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
>Any ideas on isolating the failure would be great appreciated? Thanks John

From: http://tinyurl.com/cency

"A code P0442 most likely means one or more of the following has
happened:

A loose or improperly affixed gas cap
A non-conforming gas cap (i.e. not factory/original brand)
A small leak/hole in a fuel vapor hose/tube
Other small leak in EVAP system
Faulty vent o-ring seal"

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John Perry - 25 Aug 2007 23:05 GMT

I did not get a Ford cap. AutoZone sold me one they said would function.
Maybe I should get a ford cap before I send the car in for repair.

>>My service Engine Soon indicator came on in my 1998 Ford Escort. Auto
>>Zone
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> Other small leak in EVAP system
> Faulty vent o-ring seal"

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Bob Bailin - 26 Aug 2007 15:32 GMT

It's highly unlikely that the faulty gas cap is responsible for the
momentary lapses of power. If the code 0442 doesn't return, then
you've solved that problem, even with the non-Ford cap.

If you haven't changed spark plugs, plug wires, fuel filter or
any of the other normal maintenance items in the last several
years or 30,000+ miles, I would try that as a first measure.

Bob

>I did not get a Ford cap. AutoZone sold me one they said would function.
> Maybe I should get a ford cap before I send the car in for repair.
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>> Other small leak in EVAP system
>> Faulty vent o-ring seal"

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