So I stepped out into my garage tonight and heard the hum of an electric motor of some sort. Started snooping around and noticed it was coming from the back of the car. Fuel pump was running, with no keys in the ignition. seems a little more than strange. I grabbed keys and turned ignition to on then back off and it shut off, but wtf?!

 

Read your manual. Or there should have been a plastic card hanging from the mirror when you picked your car up from the dealer. If I remember correct when I bought my car new Scion stated the car would make that exact noise.

 

I don't remember that! I'm one of those weird guys who actually reads the instructions and I don't remember seeing it. Not saying I couldn't have missed it, but I don't remember seeing for sure.

Kinda like the 1 reverse light even though there are spots for 2...

 

You should've been notified twice through the reading of your manual and through a separate card that comes with the car when delivered stating that the fuel EVAP system kicks in a few hours after engine shut-off in order to ensure that the fuel vapors don't get released into the atmosphere. Instead, it stores the fuel vapors and cycles it back in to the tank or directly into the throttle body and into the combustion process the next time you start-up.

 

wow. I definitely missed that in the manual. Also, dealer musta stole my info card.
Gotta say, if Im walking next to a car making that noise at an airport...im pooping myself and running for the hills!
thanks for the quick replys though!

 

Okay, so I went back and read through my manual again and still didn't see anything about a fuel EVAP system. Where in the owner's manual should I be looking? I read through the fuel sections and safety sections.

Please understand, it's not that I don't believe you, I just really can't find the info and it's bugging me. I also had the thought that maybe California has different requirements than Florida.

Thanks,

 

Check page 20 of your Owner's Manual, it will be the second sub-section.

It states:

"Noise from under vehicle after turning off the engine: Approximately five hours after the engine is turned off, you may hear sound coming from under the vehicle for several minutes. This is the sound of a fuel evaporation leakage check and, it does not indicate a malfunction."