My engine light turned on and my mechanic scanned the code. He said there is a leak around the gas cap. I replaced the gas cap a month ago with a new one. He thinks there is a tiny leak around where I put in my gas. He said he could fix it but will take most of the day.

Can I still pass the emissions test with this tiny leak?

 

In my state (UT) you will fail safety & emissions right out of the gate with a DTC. My understanding is that an EVAP code will also fail emissions inspection. Probably the best thing you could do is call up your local jiffy lube or whatever and ask what would pass/fail.

Another thing you can do to roll the dice a bit is bring your car in to your favorite lube shop on the last day of the month close to closing when they're slammed busy and their inspection will be ... lax (chances are).

It would be helpful to us if you gave us the exact code you're getting.

 

He didn't give me the code. But the minute he ran the scanner, he said "Gas Cap" error.

 

This is specific to DriveClean (in Ontario), but might also apply to other jurisdictions. DriveClean is OBD-based (codes are read from the car). There's a bunch of sensors and if one shows a FAIL, the check engine light turns on and a lit check engine light is an automatic fail on the DriveClean test.

So option 1 is to get your mechanic to diagnose and fix it and you should pass the test. There's two other ways around it:

If you get your check engine light reset, all readings will show NOT READY status until you drive it a certain distance and other factors, then each sensor will start to show PASS or FAIL. For the age of your TL, you're allowed two NOT READY sensors to pass DriveClean. So if you just want to get it passed for now and ignore/delay the repair to your EVAP system, you can get the check engine light reset and then drive around enough for most of your sensors to read PASS except for the EVAP reading, which would still show NOT READY. If you drive around too much, your EVAP sensors will have enough data and show FAIL. How will you know that all readings except EVAP are showing a PASS? You can buy a standalone OBD reader, or (if you have time to have it shipped from China), you can buy a small OBD reader for $15 and use an app to monitor it. Once your OBD reader shows you have a bunch of PASS readings and EVAP is still showing NOT READY, head to the test facility ASAP.

Third option, if you have a few more months before you need to get tested, is wait until it's the winter to get tested. The EVAP system doesn't fully work in very cold temperatures (I forget the exact temperature), so if you reset your check engine light in the winter, the EVAP reading will always show NOT READY until it gets milder, regardless of how much you drive it.

 

The mechanic cleared the codes that day and and went for the test last Wednesday. The error did not come back and I passed the test.

I'll probably keep the car at least 2 more years before I let her go.

 

any chance you didnt tighten the gas cap until it clicks 3 times?
That will throw a code

OE gas cap or something aftermarket?