Nissan Frontier P0448 Check Engine Light FIX EASILY// 2005-2022

[@xntryk28]

thanks man...just saved me 1000$ which is what they told me it would take at the dealership. All I had to do was blow the dust out of the solenoid with compressed air... cycled the battery and the check light was cleared....passed my emissions test

[@desertdudechannel]

Awesome man glad I saved you money from those crooked dealers!!!

[@matthewp5472]

Thank you!! The explanation at the end really helped things make sense as to why I had this problem!

[@desertdudechannel]

Thanks for watching glad it helped !!

[@anthonyaguilar22]

This may be the EVAP Canister Part number. Thank you for the Video!! 14950-EA20B

[@desertdudechannel]

Thank you! I just ordered a new canister on eBay today for 170$ with tax and shipping! Only paid 99$ last time….

[@tali4prez]

Hopefully this vid helps me I appreciate you making a vid about taking this thing off🤣🤣 I’m a bit short on money right now since I just bought this 2012 pro4x frontier with 30k miles so I’m just gonna try to clean out the evap can first I hope it works

[@desertdudechannel]

Thank you. I know the feeling. I just paid off my 2016 pro4. I’m never paying for a new truck again haha. This truck better last me so I can start saving money because I’m flat broke right now. My canister just clogged again after 2 years but it’s cheaper than a shop charge. I’ve saved thousands of dollars working on my truck myself. You can clean the canister. It works for a while but it’s better to buy a new one. It cost me 100$ on eBay for a Nissan made in USA oem. Thanks again for watching I hope you get to enjoy your new truck as much as I do. I have 115,000 miles on mine now.

[@tali4prez]

@@desertdudechannel kinda late but good news. This worked. Thanks!

[@goinggarbage8715]

Half the battle with p0448 is finding thorough instructions on this godforsaken internet. You did it bud, thanks! Just one question.. how many times will we have to do this throughout the lifetime of our frontiers?

[@desertdudechannel]

Thanks dude I feel your pain. Most of the videos just plain suck out there on truck maintenance. All talk and no work lol. Well I’m thinking the same thing as you. It’s not super hard to replace but the design is pretty lame. The dusty roads are what clogs it up. I haven’t been on any really powdery toads since I changed it. I try to stay on hard pack dirt roads now as much as I can.

[@rhdbrnr]

Would it be possible to place a gasket to seal the gas door so that dust doesn't get sucked in? Or would that defeat the purpose of having this vent. I assume it's to vent volatilized gas (fumes), so that would just allow a build up of fumes in the gas door? Thoughts?

[@desertdudechannel]

I tried that and the gas shoots straight back out of the gas tank when you get gas lol. It literally shot like 2 feet straight out after I pump it in. I have some ideas I figured out that I’ll make a video about on sealing it during off-road use!

[@rhdbrnr]

@@desertdudechannel please do. After 10 years of no issues (2011 frontier) I'm cleaning it out every time I go off roading. Had no idea that the issue was dust sucked in from the gas door, thought it was dust sucked in through the hose connections. There are no hose clamps like the hoses in the engine bay, my next thought was to get hose clamps.

[@oracle8766]

Holy shit you’re not kidding there buddy

[@peterdguru]

I had a similar dust intake problem with another vehicle. the solution is to take some filter fabric from a furnace forced air filter , ball it up and stuff it in the open end of the vent in the fuel filler cavity. Change the filter material each season.

[@sun450]

Fantastic video. You just saved my Butt……… THANK YOU…..

[@desertdudechannel]

Thank you!! Glad the video helped you

[@williamdenke8653]

Hey man great vid. I usually just clean my charcoal canister out and a few desert trips/year later the light pops back on again. Is the new canister worth it? I saw your comment that the solenoid isn’t so I just wanted to see what your experience was

[@desertdudechannel]

Thanks dude Yeah the canister is not really worth it but it’s required haha. Cleaning the old one doesn’t last long enough to mess with. It’s better to just replace it every couple years. It’s a little expensive for what it does but everything is expensive these days sadly. The solenoid doesn’t do much except open and close with a spring and dc voltage. I tried the solenoid first and found out the old one still worked fine so I put it back. The canister design is the major flaw of the frontier.

[@andrewdowd3997]

Hey man thanks a bunch for the video I’m dealing with it in Montana for the past few years and I’m finally ready to be done with the check engine light. Quick question. The second electrical connection that’s directly to the solenoid… is there a tab to push to disconnect it or just give it a little muscle? Thanks again

[@desertdudechannel]

I hear you man. The damn check engine light….. I think you push down on the connector to release it. I sprayed some silicone spray on mine because it was stuck. Push and wiggle to release it. It gets really stuck.

[@andrewdowd3997]

@@desertdudechannel right on thanks man I’m gonna do the whole disassembly and cleaning this weekend I’ll let ya know how it turns out thanks for all the help!

[@desertdudechannel]

Cool man let me know. I cleaned mine last week and disconnected the battery. Seems to be check engine free 2 weeks later. I didn’t feel like ordering another evap can haha. Peace ✌️

[@aqilsheraze7959]

Hey Desert Dude, thanks for the video. Did you have to lift the truck up any or you did all this while it was on the ground?

[@desertdudechannel]

Hey man thank you for the comment!! I did not need to lift the truck to get to the box. It’s very easy to access. Just lay underneath the truck and then there’s actually a space underneath where you can sit upright to work on it. I’ll make a video on how to work on it!

[@Jim-vi5wi]

Couldn't you just put some poly wool into the hose to act as a filter, to extend the life of the solenoid?

[@desertdudechannel]

I’m testing out a new idea I had similar to what you asked. I’ll make a video if it works out.

[@johnhenderson9817]

I think the dust might be charcoal, that is supposed to be in canister

[@russreid6881]

Thanks great job!

[@user-wg6rv9op9r]

Thanks for the vid! I know what you mean about all that dirt in your face. I live in southern NM and just changed mine out a while ago and I'm covered in grit.

[@desertdudechannel]

Yep it all goes right in your face when you pull the box off. Thanks for watching the video!

[@juliansdiamonds]

Good day. Did you ever have issues with filling your tank before the new charcoal canister??

[@desertdudechannel]

Yes I did. Sometimes the gas would bubble and squirt back out before the new canister.

[@juliansdiamonds]

@Desert Dude perfect !!! Thank you tons bro !!! You are godsent !!!!!

[@desertdudechannel]

You’re welcome. Just sharing what I learned with you!

[@xntryk28]

changing the canister helped i'm sure, but I think the real issue is the solenoid jams creating the short and when that is jammed, there is no route for air to bleed so it has to come back up the fill tube... it's back pressure because that stupid dust prone solenoid is keeping your bleeder shut

[@bellcranell7650]

I just installed a cat back exhaust system and its leaking righ before the tip hanger. On my first test drive with the new exhaust the code popped up. (Garage keeping during winter and never saw a mud route)

[@desertdudechannel]

Not surprising when exhaust mods cause other problems. I think the stock exhaust sounds better than cat backs

[@MegaZach98]

I have po 446 Nissan Pathfinder 2012 getting sluggish acceleration at 40 when I replaced the solenoid it felt a lot better & now it’s still doing it should I check this again or the evap purge valve up front

[@desertdudechannel]

Replace the canister first. I tried the solenoid first and that wasn’t the problem. Just clean the solenoid out and it should be fine. They don’t usually go bad.

[@germancervera8910]

Thanks for the video. Do you know the part number for the solenoid? There’s a few different ones I seen on Amazon.

[@desertdudechannel]

The solenoid probably will never go bad on you. I bought a new one and didn’t need it. You can test your old solenoid with a 12 volt battery to see if it’s working. The problem is they get clogged with dirt and even gravel. I’m not sure on the part number since it’s still installed on my canister. Just enter your year model and truck version into google and that will give you the appropriate one.

[@casualtactician9537]

What year is your frontier and how many issues have you had? I’m asking because I’m about to buy one

[@desertdudechannel]

2016… I haven’t had one single problem. Just buy it and you’ll never have one regret. It’s an absolute tank and nothing can hurt it. I still have the original brake pads after 123,000 miles which is unheard of.

[@casualtactician9537]

@@desertdudechannel well it’s a 2014 or 2015 one of our work vehicles 260,000 miles lol for 2k I know it’s alot of miles but for 2k I feel it’s a fair gamble so I’m picking peoples brain on their experience or parts I might want to change like preventive maintenance

[@desertdudechannel]

@casualtactician9537 my dad has a 2007 with over 250,00 miles. It still runs like new. Kelly blue book puts my 2016 pro4x at 14,000$ in value haha.

[@RonMarion]

Outside of routine maintenance and the replacement of typical wear items on my 2011 model, I have had to repair a connector wire for a rear wheel speed sensor, replace a crankshaft position sensor, an 02 sensor, a positive battery terminal, a heater hose and fitting plus the EVAP canister shown in this video. So that is seven things that have needed repaired or replaced in 13.5 years of ownership and 162,000 miles of operation. I really don’t consider that to be all that bad. Works out to roughly 1 issue per 1.9 years since purchasing the vehicle new on New Year’s Day 2011. I can live with that because none of the issues have been major problems such as a transmission failure.

[@desertdudechannel]

@RonMarion I replaced both crankshaft sensors last month after my truck stalled on the freeway. Thankfully the truck started again and the check engine light stayed on so I was able to use my obd2 reader to solve that easily. I’ve also replaced the evap can twice, and both front wheel bearings and all brake pads. The brake pads didn’t wear out until 126,000 miles. I used oem to replace. I upgraded to LED lights. I now have 135,000 miles and the truck is absolutely flawless. It makes me money and I’m very happy. Why buy a new one?

[@aron8949]

I do this every year, but I want a permanent solution. So far I am finding the dust enters through the fuel cap and the filler neck, so seems the only solution is don’t off road with the sensitive Nissan Frontier.

[@desertdudechannel]

Well so far for me I have only had to change it one time. But yes I’d probably consider it more of a high service item like an air filter or an oil change. It’s definitely a major flaw of the frontier but at the end of the day every truck has at least one major flaw.

[@Blend-24]

Take that vent hose and run it all the way up to the engine compartment. Drill a hole in the filtered side of the air box with a fitting for your hose and you will never need to do this again

[@desertdudechannel]

I considered that too. I thought about running it into the bed of the truck.

[@Anythingyagot]

?

[@mikeberger8881]

My purge valve clogged up at 800 miles after a whole new canister and valve were swapped out. I was thinking about attaching a hose to it and running it up somewhere. Would that stop it or would the vent in the gas cap area still cause the issue???

[@desertdudechannel]

I’m thinking about doing that too. Instead of running the hose to the gas cap maybe run it into the bed throw the hole the bed has in the vertical front wall. Im considering doing this because the design is just terrible. I have a dirtbike air filter under my gas lid right now.

[@desertdudechannel]

Through the hole

[@desertdudechannel]

The solenoid also leaks dust around the cheesy rubber gasket. Watch my new video with the flex seal glue.

[@mikeberger8881]

9,000 miles on my 23 Pro-4x and I started having this issue. My dealerships says Nissan won't cover it under warranty again, to just ignore the check engine light. 40k off-road pickup done in by dust. Rediculous.

[@desertdudechannel]

@mikeberger8881 yeah warranties are a massive scam. Unfortunately I paid 3,400$ for the extended warranty I never used. Stay away from the dealer. They just want you to buy a new truck. And yeah the evap canister is a terrible design for an off-road truck.

[@johnnyreb9398]

I slapped duct tape on the biggest holes in the frame by the tire where the hose plugs in probably won't do a damn thing but I tried to cut the dust a little

[@desertdudechannel]

The dust comes in under the gas cap! The duct tape doesn’t work !!

[@anthonyaguilar22]

Forum, So I just changed the Solenoid due to an 0447 OPEN OBDII code. I installed it and ran my '05 Frontier for 1 hour and another check engine light came on. This time it said it was a P1446. I can't seem to find any videos with suggestions on what to do here. so I'm all ears and eyes if anyone has any suggestions. Not sure changing the canister will help in this instance. What has your experience been? Thank you, AA

[@desertdudechannel]

The solenoid usually doesn’t go bad. Try to replace your gas cap and evap Canister with the battery disconnected. That’s the cheapest 2nd try haha.

[@anthonyaguilar22]

@@desertdudechannel I changed the Evap Canister also and it worked like a charm. no more Check engine light and passed smog!!! Thanks desertdudeoverland, this was great help. and you were right it was an easy fix.

[@desertdudechannel]

Awesome Anthony! That’s why I made the videos. Just trying to pass on knowledge for free! It definitely saved you at least 1000$ by not taking it to a shop. I just replaced my can last weekend and I’m due for inspection this march so I’ll get that done. Thanks for the feedback! Take care!

[@andrewjones9105]

I have a p0441 code. Could that be the vent value solenoid?

[@desertdudechannel]

Most likely the canister. The solenoid doesn’t really fail but it gets clogged with dirt and the spring needs to be cleaned out so it functions normally

[@andrewjones9105]

@@desertdudechannel yeah I just think it may be bad because the metal part of the solenoid looks pretty rusty and I'm pretty sure it has never been replaced and it has definitely been in the mud a lot. (It's a 2010 btw)

[@andrewjones9105]

I feel like the canister is fine because at idle it idles fine like it should. But like it sometimes it wants to get stuck at Luke 2100 rpms and then finally goes. It's like the valve is stuck closed and not getting the fuel vapors to the intake.

[@desertdudechannel]

I think the canister is more for the venting of gas fumes and gas station fill ups than it is for the trucks performance while driving. If you start smelling gas fumes when your truck is parked that’s a sign that you have a problem. Another problem is the gas overflows during filling or the loose gas cap light comes on.

[@andrewjones9105]

@@desertdudechannel yeah I have never had a problem with it over flowing when filling it up. So would that mean that the canister is fine? What could it be?

[@Getagrippeople2witnesses]

My hose does not fit tight and my electrical connector was half way in careful who you let touch your truck check everything

[@desertdudechannel]

I do 100% of work myself. The dealer stole my brand new special fit shade and who knows what else they took out of my truck just for letting them scan my error code.

[@esales2001]

Does someone know the part number ( or the name of the black pipe ) at 2:43 minutes on the film?

[@desertdudechannel]

Go to the parts department at your Nissan dealer. I could not find that part number myself when I searched. That might be a special order hose.

[@SLiveForTheMoment]

Had this code for two years had took it to mechanic they change vent control valve 6 months later code re appear

[@desertdudechannel]

Yeah it’s not the valve

[@SLiveForTheMoment]

@@desertdudechannel thanks... Cause it confuses me doing different research and looking up on KZbin someone say it's the same code as p0449 cause it's a circuit issue probably have a cut wire etc

[@desertdudechannel]

@@SLiveForTheMoment yeah same thing happened to me. I had 2 different codes. I cleaned the canister and the check engine went away for about 6 months then came back. Finally replaced the canister and solved the problem.

[@desertdudechannel]

Yeah I know it can be confusing when it says “short circuit” but that’s not a wiring problem.

[@incognito8448]

usually its a hose that gets a small leak

[@desertdudechannel]

Yeah it leaks in

[@ceeball9525]

Did it solve the problem? I have the same issue and replaced the vent valve. Engine light is still on.

[@desertdudechannel]

Yeah it’s fixed man. Been over a month no check engine. I replaced the valve first and then 3 gas caps according to other videos on KZbin. That didn’t fix it. I ended up putting the old valve back and the new canister and then disconnecting the battery for a few seconds. Good as new again!

[@desertdudechannel]

The problem is that it’s a bad design and dust clogs the canister up so fast. But it lasted a few years in pure sand and dust. I was getting check engine P0442-P0448 with the clogged box.

[@glock316]

Where did you buy canister from?

[@desertdudechannel]

Online. Just google search “nissan frontier charcoal canister 2XXX year model” they run roughly 100$