Hi!
I recently bought a bright red 2003 Vibe GT. Unfortunately my first post here is not about proud pictures of my new baby but about fixing it.
I got a PO441 and PO446 code that the mechanic initially fixed by patching a pinhead sized vapor leak around the fuel cap. However, the PO446 came back a couple days later, which they then attributed to a faulty vacuum switch valve that's stuck open. They didn't have the part in stock, and I had to leave the next day to spend Christmas with family. Doing some research, I figured that I could probably replace the valve myself and get it for relatively cheap from Amazon (Dorman 911-601 Toyota Vacuum Switching Valve for $25, fits 2003 Toyota Matrix. So should be fine for the Vibe, right?), saving some bugs for Christmas presents.
Finally getting around to actually looking underneath the car, I experienced myself what the mechanic meant with excessive rust issues. The screw that attaches the valve to the charcoal canister is rusted on and didn't budge a bit (see picture). I tried WD-40, tapping on it etc. but with it being so inaccessible, I wasn't able to put any pressure on the screw and I'm just starting to strip it altogether. So I figured, I could just try to get the whole charcoal canister assembly off. But trying to undo the four little screws, I twisted one of them off (see picture). The three big screws didn't really move at all. And before breaking the wrench or my fingers, I figured I should get some more advice before moving on.
Searching around some more, I found people talking about the same issue. Their solution is to just zip tie the new valve to the old one, and don't even bother with the screw. Does that sound like a good workaround to you? How well will the zip ties hold up down there? Also, because I might be leaving the country in three years, would that affect the resale value much?
Disclaimer: I feel like a very versatile handy man and fix all kinds of things around the house. Still, this is my first time working on a car. So I'm not very car savvy, but it doesn't seem a lot different to me with the right instructions, as long as it doesn't involve any safety related parts.
Thanks so much for your help with this issue!