P0496 on Ford Vehicles
Vapor is being drawn into the engine while purge is commanded off: almost always a purge valve stuck open. P0496 →
6Complaints mentioning the code
#2Rank among 4 brands
0.2%Share of Ford DTC complaints
In NHTSA owner complaints we analyzed for Ford, P0496 was mentioned 6 times.
Notes by brand
On Focus and Escape models from around the 2012 model year onward, a purge valve stuck open is a known cause of hard starts after refueling, EVAP codes and even a distorted fuel tank. The usual fix is a new purge valve plus a check of the tank and fuel level sender for distortion.
Most mentioned models
| Ford Escape | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Ecosport | 2 | |
| Ford Edge | 1 |
Model years mentioned
Components named in these complaints
- Fuel/propulsion System (3)
- Engine (2)
- Engine And Engine Cooling (1)
- Fuel System (1)
- Gasoline (1)
Often appears together with
Possible causes
- Purge valve stuck open or leaking past its seat
- Charcoal granules from a breaking canister jamming the new or old purge valve
- Purge valve control wire shorted to ground, holding it open
- Tank pressure sensor drifting toward vacuum, faking the result
Related codes
Source: NHTSA Complaints API (US government open data), analyzed by DTC mention.