In this video I have a look at a 2017 Buick Encore with the big 1.4 that came in with a customer complaint of the engine light being on. Customer also mentioned car won't start after he gets gas and it is littered with lean codes. I have a pretty good suspicion as to what's going on here. Let's have a look. -Enjoy!
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It's a beautiful day for a buick, that's just a song. I made up uh 2017 buick little white car. I don't know what these things are called encore ewd there we go there. She goes.

I love that proximity stuff, especially when i got my hands full yeah set this stuff down. Buick encore. It came with a love note and he writes a dear eric. It's been a long time since we last talked.

He didn't write that just give me the best. Casey casem, i can uh, the car is stalling, like when put gas in it running rough engine. Light is on and off has hard has had a 171 code. When light is on pcv pvc.

Pvc, that's not that's, not a car part. That's a pipe. Uh has been changed uh i checked plugs they're, pretty brown ashy vacuum lines wires. I'm at my wit's end.

If you need any info, give me a call lovejenny8675309 well folks, based on what we just read, i'm assuming we know what's wrong with it and i'm assuming you do too whoa, don't lose, don't lose me. Let me plug it in we're plugged in let's fire up the alto uh and let's have a little chit chat coming in boy must be a short little guy. Let's uh return these thinking cards, huh, yeah, roll down the windows, all right, let's shut back off because we don't want any of information to be messed up. So let's get the love note again uh, despite some grammar problems here.

What it sounds like to me is when he puts the gas in, it runs rough lights on sometimes sometimes it's off he's had a po171 probably got onto google changed out his pvc pipes in his house pulled the plugs. Looked at him checked out the vacuum lines at his wit's end gave up i'll. Tell you right now it's going to need a pcb, not a pcv. Now you got me saying it.

You ding dong, uh canister purge valve is my first assumption uh simply because when you get gas and it runs rough, that's a big clue. I got ta figure out how to turn the key on. I hate these stupid push button things um and then what happens? So you go. You get your gas you're over there you're pumping gas you're having fun all the fumes for lack of a better term gets stored in the charcoal canister.

You start the car. The purge is stuck open. It's running like poo poo. How do you turn the freaking blower thingy off here got button button button who's got my button that doesn't do it.

I don't turn off that's close enough and then what happens is once it evacuates the canister and it gets all the fumes out of it. Well now you just got a big vacuum leak uh. Hence the p0171 uh lean bank one code. So what we want to know is, is it intermittent she's got the big 1.4 liter 17 and core uh? Is it intermittent, or can we start it right now and see the fuel trim is right off the chart, which would be fantastic uh if it was still broke.

So after this thing, quits asking me a bazillion questions that i don't have the answer for, because i'm a man and we don't know anything - we're gon na find the ecm. This is confusing. There's control mod, let's go in there. Look at some data see if the code's stored in it.
Let's see what we can do and i've been wrong before too on multiple occasions, usually multiple times a day holy smokies po171s. We got under boost codes purge during none. He told me. It only had one coat stuck lean, stuck lean intake flow performance.

We got some serious issues, folks holy cow - let's get in here and find what we need to find just had to help out this young man that just pulled in here uh. One thing i wanted to do is i wanted to come in here and just pop up a freeze frame data, real quick. Like a little bunny 24 miles, we got fuel trim data. Oh, look at that fuel trim pegged out to the maximum and i don't know: do we show fuel tank pressure, fuel tank pressure, quick and negative.

I think we've done answered our questions. Folks, big heavy you tell me his gas metal was broke. Listen to that ding dong! That's right! Okay, let's fire this baby up step on the brake from live data. We are running, we want our fuel trimmings and then, let's see, there's our oxygen sensor, there's our loop status and then what do we want? Get? Some of that, probably let's wait here.

Let her hit close loop and we'll see, let's see what we see well, it takes a while to go there. We go so closed loop. And what do you know? What do you say what you know? Our fuel trim, total trim, is spot on the money. What about this? What if we go like? Let's see active test, evap uh? What if we do, our classic mint valve, let's just see, is venting right now it is not purging.

So we have a fuel tank pressure, atmospheric we're going to make it not vent, not venting no purge so technically. Fuel tank pressure should start to build pressure. I would assume yep and it's starting to build pressure because it's hot outside, so it should be building pressure and it is and we're going to let her go back to vent just as i suspected so we're letting her vent. Now.

Oh folks, let's do this. Let's fiddle with his jiggly bits here, let's go to the purge and then see if we can make it stick. I wish we could select some data here, so we don't have to keep doing the back and forth bit, but what we want to do is we want a bumper up here. I hear it under the hood of clicking technically we should start pulling some vacuum here in the tank which we are right there now technically when we decrease it and we turn it all.

The way off we are back to zero should go back to atmospheric pressure and it did and then here we're going to turn it on again. This might be an intermittent problem. From the love note, it was so we'll let her sit there at 70 percent and then we're gon na shut her back down and we are at zero percent. I think we caught the little jerk red-handed because look we're zero percent, but guess what buckaroo your fuel tank pressure is still under negative under negative action here.
So, let's back out of here, let's go back watch this. I think it's going to get real ugly, real, quick, we're on to it. We're venting canister vent valve is open. Now we're perching at seven percent, though, but look at look at the amount of vacuum we have in the tank we go to not bending that sucker is gon na stall, the engine just like that bada bing bada boom.

We got you buddy. We got you pop pops all over you fella, let's fire, this pick back up. Oh, oh, you don't want to start huh. Oh now you run like crap well, instead of looking at all this.

Let's just go find this sucker because obviously we made it break and obviously we know what's wrong with it. So that's good, oh she's, running like poo now so hopefully this is all making sense to you. Folks, uh. You know all the codes that we have.

You know are pertaining to um, you know a lean condition. You know the 171 uh, the only one i'm not certain on is the under boost code, which you know i mean these engines are notorious for turbo failures. You know to the point: gm usually has 10 or 12 of them in stock. I mean absolutely garbage engines turbochargers.

You might better keep on yourself next to the oil filters, but all of the other codes that were in it. Oh it keys off right now. So it's probably gon na work, oh yeah, so the lean code um the purge during non-purge or evap system flow during non-purge uh, the intake airflow performance, maybe not uh. The auction sensor stuck lean codes.

I guess what i'm getting at is between the data that the customer provided us. What the scan tool is telling us and then what we've discovered from where it was not broke, but then it is broke um. What we need to do is fix fix this. First, i'm going to try to unplug this purge valve.

Hopefully i can figure out how it unplugs. We will unplug this and then we'll test. It make sure that it's not stuck electrically, which i highly doubt there we go. So it has a little tab on it.

You pull the tab up and then push down on the actual connector um. Hopefully we can still keep it broke. Uh, we'll stick a vacuum hose on it, some sort here. Hopefully, let's see there's that baby right there we'll stick a vacuum hose on it.

That way. There you guys can see it, but i think we're all on the same page. You know what we did is we activated uh, you know the purge valve turned it on, turned it off, and then we see it stayed on. We kept having back and make a tank that we should have.

So let me get this thing fired up here, so we got it running right now. The purge is not commanded on, so we have no vacuum, which is technically correct, so we're gon na pop back out here. I know you guys won't be able to see it. I can't even see if you can see me uh we'll go back into active test, we'll go back into evap back into the purge valve and then i'm going to turn it on and you can see.

You know that we're pulling 18 inches and i'm going to i'm going to crank it right up so we're up at 60 percent. Then we're going to shut it back off. There's 10 there's zero. However, we still have full vacuum.
So then we want to know if it's an electrical command, so the easiest way to do that is unplug it because right now it's commanded at zero. I just unplugged it probably by flicking it so i'm going to barely plug it back in all right. We're back up at 10 percent, 20 30. I'm just gon na run it right up there, sometimes just by whacking on them with a screwdriver they'll, actually fix them temporarily.

So now i'm gon na go back to zero percent. So now we're at zero. It's still pulling full vacuum, i'm trying to gingerly unplug it here. It's unplugged fast hanging on the head, see if i can't lightly.

I think, every time i flick it okay, so i got it at 50. Now i got ta try to catch it in the act. Here, for you folks, that's a pisser with these. Sometimes is you mess with them there? There you go so now, it's completely unplugged and we have full manifold vacuum.

Okay, so we know it's not an electrical input but, like i say, sometimes just unplugging the connector. It's gon na screw you because you fix it so right now, we've got full manifold vacuum, we'll reach back with our pry driver whack on it, and look at that now it's fixed so simple as that. It's as simple as that simple, as that plug it back in, of course, i still have it commanded at 90 percent, so i'll command it back to zero. So it's back at zero and this time it's working because we hit it with a screwdriver, we'll plug it back in and now we know what's wrong with it and we don't even have to you know we don't have to test the electrical connector because with it Completely removed from the circuit, the purge valve was still stuck open.

Well, there you have it folks, uh fixing your well diagnosing; rather your buick evolve or enclave, or whatever the little white car was. We worked on earlier today in using the clues that the customer gives you, plus the clues, that scan tool gives you to figure out what's wrong in a pretty uh quick amount of time, and also you know, let's be honest, previous experience with canister purge valves and Their symptoms associated with them helps so doesn't just a little bit of uh. You know just kind of logical thinking what i didn't logically think about was when i was at work uh to give you guys a happy ending, um diagnosed that car went in found out. The part was on an infinite backorder from gm uh ordered one from napper.

Uh didn't want to sponsor us still, so i have it in the morning. I would rather have had an oem um, but instead we got uh eklund, so anyways that'll get put on. I got home, i see it, didn't give you an ending, but i'm not going to leave you hanging, not that kind of guy and why don't you be a kind of guy that goes in that comment section the questions, the comments, the concerns, the insti, the facebook. Just from our viewers, we can do it, you can do it thanks for watching.
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By EricO

12 thoughts on “Buick Encore: No Start After Getting Gas?!”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Christoph Hein says:

    When you're talking about percentage on for the purge valve, is that referring to duty cycle? And are they always power on to be open? Asking because if it is an electrical issue, I would imagine the scope would come out to check duty cycle?

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars 10100rsn says:

    One thing that everyone should know is that refueling while the engine is running can also set some of these codes. So turn off your engines before removing that gas cap…….. :/

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars 7curiogeo says:

    Hmmm my 96 gmc runs great but every time after it gets hot it acts like it runs out of fule
    I suspect the original fule cut off from the oil pressure sensor.
    But now I'm wondering if it's the CPV.?…..
    5.7 V8 tbi.
    Makes me crazy.
    I don't like modern trucks no matter how nice the cab, seats are.
    And it still gets no better mileage then my old 75 Chevy and both worse then my old 66, with the 350 and 4 Bbl. WT…..?

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Bobby Orr Sr. says:

    I had one of my kids car would act upon them they bring it to me I touch it and it's fixed. So I am so glad it happens to someone else. It took six times for me to have it act up on me. Keep the video coming.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Jonathan Gahan says:

    I have a Trax, which is the badge-engineered Chevy version of this car. The purge valve is a known issue on these cars. GM has issued a 10 year/150k mile silent warranty on it.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Mark richardson says:

    I recently spent a bit of time chasing a “ Tighten gas cap “ light on my 04 Suburban, replaced the gas cap. Light came back, replaced purge valve canister near the fuel tank, light came back. Very frustrating, I was contemplating lighting it on fire when I found that there was another purge valve under the hood. Bingo Bango, winner winner, chicken dinner. All is well in tighten gas cap land.

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars David Miranda says:

    This guy ever responds to a comment? He's just about making his money from YouTube and asking for things from people watching and asking to donate money to him… Scotty never asks

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars saxmusicmail says:

    PVC = poly vinyl chloride (plastic pipe). PCV = Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve (with a hose from valve cover to intake manifold vacuum – old time stuff).

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars spyder000069 says:

    Didn't know these engines had turbo problems. I am cautious about buying a turbo and had bought a '20 ford ecosport specifically for the 2.0 non-turbo. Wife is ready for a new car and she liked the trax/encore and I had saw positive reviews on them so we were considering it. Might go with another ecosport though if these gm cars have issues. Too bad. I own a chevy spark as well and its been completely reliable for 80k so far.

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Captain Shark says:

    I have a 99 Chevy Lumina that intermittently would act like it was flooded when cranked. Also a P0171 code that would keep coming back, nothing else. It's been like this for years, but it was still reliable so I just dealt with it. I almost didn't watch this vid in my feed, but after I did…facepalm. I replaced the part and it cranks up fast every time now. Thanks! Not sure if I solved the code issue yet, may have to reset it.

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars James Nasium says:

    Car is made in Korea and is nothing like an old school Buick—but it is Buick's #1 selling car. 1.4L turbo replacement is $1800 and is very common. I had the unfortunate experience of renting one of these in Rhode Island and drove it to Cape Cod. What an utter dog. Don't buy one.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Randy Gruwell says:

    Love your videos. Think i i have seen all of them now. Other night my daughter put you on 1/2 speed in the settings. Laughed my ass off. You sound like you have been partaking in a lot of downtown charlie brown from your other video recently.

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