[UPDATE page 3, top post. #21]

A bit sleep deprived today, so hopefully this makes sense..
I have a 2007 saturn ion3. 2.2L

I recently took it into the shop for several issues. One of which was that when i went to fill up the gas tank, the fuel pump would click off right away or nearly right away; nearly every time. Even with plenty of room for more gas. I tend to not like it with something regarding my combustible fuel isnt operating as it should. Im not overly knowledgeable on cars, but i guessed that maybe it was a venting issue. But i wasnt sure.
(Note: roughly 2 or so years ago i had to have the gas tank replaced with a used one. The one i had developed a hair line fracture and was leaking fuel. I of course found that out right after i filled the tank up. But i cant complain. I noticed it right before driving the hour~ home... So im glad i noticed it and didnt make that trip with fuel pouring out my tank...)

The shop report said "Checked all hoses coming from and going to tank, ok. Most likely blockage in canister assy causing tank not to vent. Would recommend new canister assy."
Im not overly comfortable with the 'most likely' part of that statement. And not fond of the idea of advising replacing parts if there not sure its the issue. Then again, as i said, im not overly familiar with the system so maybe it is a logical next step.

So my two questions are
1. Does that diagnosis/recommendation sound legit?
2. If so, helping me to find a new canister that is compatible with my 2007 saturn ion. - I was looking online and saw the variety of options that came up were pretty wide. Price of said options were also pretty wide. So i figured id ask for help identifying the correct item that i would need.

Side note: As for why im not letting the shop just get the part (potentially), its because of all the other work that needs to be done. Apparently i needed several new parts. Most of which were related to issues i new the car was having. So it wasnt a big surprise. But the price quote they came back with was a shock for sure. After going through a bunch of bs, i started looking up parts myself. The price difference between what i found and what the shop wanted to charge was huge. The closest item was 67% higher. Most were about 4x. And one was far worse.. So i ended up ordering the parts myself and ill let them install that. So only getting hit with labor and not those jacked up parts costs. I was able to find everything i needed except this fuel canister.

Side note 2: a few days before i was scheduled to take the car in, i started having start up issues. So i got it started one more time and dropped it off at there lot. So getting the car somewhere else isnt going to happen unless i get it towed out of the maintenance lot to another maintenance place.

So any thoughts or info about this diagnosis and/or canister would be appreciated!
Thank you!

 

First off, repair shops run on profit on parts sold and labor charges. So with you buying the parts they might not be willing to install your parts, and if they do the labor charge will be more than the original quote.

Now if you are asking for diagnostic help, I am happy to help. As a former professional garage owner I would not install customer purchased parts. It is like taking your eggs to a restaurant and asking them to cook them. I hope you understand.

 

If the shop does agree to install parts you purchase, the item you're looking for is called a vapor canister. RockAuto lists several different ones (under Exhaust & Emissions) ranging in price from $100 to over $200. If you have California emissions, it's the higher priced ones.

 

Then ill find someone else who will. While i do understand the need for them to make a profit, the bill estimate they sent me for my 17 year old car was OVER $5,000. Which is insane.
Aside from this issue, and one other, the parts charge was 1200. I got the parts for under 300. Its a huge difference. And seeing that im broke and on disability, i have to be picky. Because a 5k bill simply aint gonna happen. Then im left without a car and no way to get another one. So i dont rly have many choices. - They already got the diagnostic fees and some maintenance item fees. If they are willing, then they can tack on there labor charges to install these. Its the only option i have.

All that being said.. yes, i could still use the diagnostic help on what i mentioned. I do apprciate where you are coming from. Im not trying to take advantage of them, or anyone for that matter. I simply dont see any other way to get this done.

Edit: I did already tell the shop that there was no way id be doing that list they gave me. 5k wasnt gonna happen. So they are aware of that. They still have my car on there lot for a little bit while i try to figure something out.
My thought/hope was that as it stands now, they wont be doing any of the work or making anything off it right now. At least if i provide the parts, they can charge there labor fee. They would end the day with more money made that way. - And of course i understand that they are not warrentying the parts at all; only there work. - If they chose not to, then thats there choice, and il look for another place.

 

Yea, i saw a few different ones. That was the part that worried me. I wasnt sure the difference between any of them or which one my car needed. I no the shop wont be thrilled with me for doing all this... im guessing it would be worse if i showed up with a wrong part'
(Not in cali)

 

Andy,
I know the OP has an ion, so there are likely a few more NOS parts, OEM and aftermarket, that can still be purchased.

For perspective, if I ever need work done on my 95 SC2, no one on earth wants to work on it. On top of that, there's only one mechanic in town that will work on it, and that's only if I source all of the parts. Otherwise his time equals lost money when he could be doing something else besides scraping the internet for parts for a 30-year-old car. Especially now that 95% of the parts are aftermarket, they are not coming from GM, they're coming from all over the freaking place and he does not want to spend the time tracking them down and double-checking that they are correct.

We have the same understanding that the OP does regarding warranty. He obviously is not going to warranty parts he didn't source nor would I expect him to. Just the workmanship.

I fully understand the need for a professional mechanic to make money on repairs. And I don't begrudge them at all.

 

Sounds like the problem that you are having is filling the tank not driving the car. There are two solenoids on the fuel system that operate to run the evap test. Most likely explanation of your issue is the fuel tank vent solenoid near the fuel fill is stuck closed. This prevents the air from exiting the tank as fuel fills the tank. When this solenoid fails it is nearly impossible to fuel the car. That is where I would start, not with the canister.

 

I wonder if that shop checked the vent valve. This might be where the venting is having a problem don't you think?

 

Seems to be the obvious place to start.

@oldmarine , do you happen to know if all of the evap solenoids share a single fuse?

Maybe it is not opening due to a blown fuse? The vent valve is usually over the gas tank on ions, is it not?

 

The fuel canister vent solenoid is mounted in the canister. According to the online service manuals, the canister can be removed and the solenoid replaced. The canister can be removed with the car raised. It is not on top of the fuel tank but next to it.