SOLVED: Rodent-damaged EVAP purge solenoid wiring, with code P0441.ld).

[rickst29]

Hi. My 2006 4runner V6 starts and runs fine (including brakes, although unsure about ABS) without this connector plugged in. A small 'vermin' animal chewed off both wires of a 1/4 cable wrapped 2-wire cable segment, breaking both wires for a distance of about 6 inches. Apparently the 1/4 flex cable wrap was "tasty". :nono:

One end uses a Toyota connector which is very widely used, The 2-wire connector is used in may places, and I have enough length to make new jumpers from parts of wire still remaining on that connector. Wire insulation on one wire is coded green with smaller yellow stripes, the other is blue with smaller white stripes.

The other end of the chewed away segment does not have usable stubs left. Totally chewed wire ends are visible where the "tasty cable wrap" ended, with the wires continuing along a path joined (at least part way in) with the 4 wires from the coil connector for cylinder #4.
- - -
Diagnostics:

Upon setting ignition to either run or start, the dashboard shows the generic and widely used combination of lamps CEL, VSC OFF, ABS (skid emblem), and VSC TRAC, with CEL lit on the ower right side. I have not pulled codes, having misplaced my old OBD-2 scanner. EDIT: found the scanner, diagnostic code was P0441 (alone) - This is is an EVAP system problem with the purge solenoid (near the manifold).

QUESTIONS: (1) Will I likely be able to access the unchewed portion of this wire pair, further under the head cover, if I recover the head cover and maybe other stuff as well? (2) Would Honda's capsaicin-treated anti-rodent tape be the best product to prevent this problem in the future?

Thanks in advance! I'm good with a soldering iron, but I'm uncomfortable with digging into the upper engine block before someone here confirms that to be the best approach. Photo #1 shows the destination socket (upper driver's side of the engine and header assembly). Photo #2 is the connector, there is still about 4 inches of wire connected (both wires). Photo #3 is the hard one, this is where the 2-wire cable broke out from the cylinder #4 spark and coil wires.

 

[MikeinNH67]

That looks like something to do with the EVAP system. Is there not enough space to cut that back a bit if you unplug the connector seen in the second pic? Hard to tell with the picture angle. You don't need much to solder onto then heat shrink it.

Worth a try on the rodent tape but they may have already chewed the tasty part.

 

[Rahll]

Same thing happened in my Dads 4th in nearly the same spot. You're right, must be a tasty area. Good luck on the repair

 

[rickst29]

That looks like something to do with the EVAP system. Is there not enough space to cut that back a bit if you unplug the connector seen in the second pic? Hard to tell with the picture angle. You don't need much to solder onto then heat shrink it.

Worth a try on the rodent tape but they may have already chewed the tasty part.

Mike, thank you taking look, with making an educated guess for the purpose of this borken wire pair. My connector (2nd photo taken without showing all of the rmaining wisre length has lot of remaining wire to splice new jumpers for both wires, I won't be needing a new connector.

But the point at which those wires used to join into a bundle with spark plug coil wires (3rd photo) is chewed down all the way to the bundle. After the Honda tape arrives with enuouh new stranded jumper wire to make the jumpers (it's maybe maybe 18-AWG, I don't currently have any wires that small), I'll need to dig under header block cover to unwrap usable stub lengths for the target wires in my 3rd photo.

 

[rickst29]

Same thing happened in my Dads 4th in nearly the same spot. You're right, must be a tasty area. Good luck on the repair

Thanks, Rahil. Were you and Dad able to determine the purpose of the wire pair (probllem codes), or did the dashboard error lights clear themselves after you repaired it?

 

[Rahll]

Its been a few years, but I don't remember needing to do anything special to reset codes other than probably reset on the scanner after the fix. I do remember that we had to open up the connector to retrieve the wire terminal and we had just enough wire to reconnect it. If it's still too short, I've gone to the junkyard and snipped a couple pigtails from wrecked trucks so I have extra wire terminals to slide into a connector in this type of situation. Most of those little terminals, the metal fittings that click into the connector should be similar across most of the harness

 

[rickst29]

Yes, these were wires into the EVAP Vapor Purge Solenoid. Fixed. c

That looks like something to do with the EVAP system. Is there not enough space to cut that back a bit if you unplug the connector seen in the second pic? Hard to tell with the picture angle. You don't need much to solder onto then heat shrink it.

Worth a try on the rodent tape but they may have already chewed the tasty part.

I was able to pull a bit of wrapping from the set of coil wires leading from tne manifold head into cylinder#4, exposing enough of each sensor wire to create jumpers (for the solenoid cable plug).

The dashboard lights light did not clear themselves after connecting the repaired connector plug and stopping restarting the engine, but did clear and stayed off after I cleared codes from my older OBD-2 diagnostic test unit (a cheap one) and restarted a 3rd time. In this problem, the diagnostic code was P0441 alone.

In toyota-talk, this 'Evap Purge Solenoid' is sometimes labeled as the "Purge VSV".

 

[mrmike7189]

soy coated wires= Yummy treat

:banana: I've been using this under the hood

 

[MikeinNH67]

:banana: I've been using this under the hood

So it's minty fresh under there?