Fresh Air Valve

[bmx672]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone know where it is? Its on the same circuit as the ORVR. Controlled by reed contact and the E6 fuse.

[Dale_K]

I haven't heard that terminology "fresh air valve". There are two valves behind the right headlight in a black plastic housing. You can also get to them by removing the fender liner. One of them connects to the atmosphere through an opening by the fuel door hinge but I don't know if that is the valve you're talking about.

[insite]

if it's for the HVAC system, the fresh air valve is located beneath the cabin air filter. pop the hood. the cabin air filter will be all the way back & left. remove it; just underneath is the valve that decides whether to recirculate cabin air OR to suck in fresh air from outside the car.

[bmx672]

Thanks Insite!
If I'm correct then that valve uses the same power wire that the reed switch does. Where those two meet is where my problem is I believe. Now thats going to be the trick... finding where they actually meet!

[insite]

they should merge behind the climatronic unit in the dash. remove the climatronic. it should have four connectors. the red wire on the beige connector feeds +5V to the mixing flaps, the footwell defrost valve, and the outside air valve.

what is the issue & what are you trying to do? what are you calling the 'reed switch'?

[bmx672]

The issue: I am unable to fill the tank past half.

The reed switch (magnetic switch attached to filler tube) was not activating the vent valve for the gas tank. The gas pump nozzle flips the little cover open and the cover engages the reed switch (magnetically). Thus sending everything in motion for the tank to vent while filling.
(I checked all the obvious issues, fuses, the tank, sending unit, obstructed spit back valve in the neck etc etc.)
My next steps were to check continuity and power to all the switches and valves. Everything looked good and worked when power was applied separately. But when everything was connected... nothing!
Next step... to look at the wire diagram in the Bentley. On that same system of wires is the "Fresh Air Valve" my guess is that when fueling up the car shuts off outside venting to avoid pulling fumes into the cabin. There has to be a short there at that connection because when we cut that wire and used a different configuration the filler flap activated the reed switch and the vent valve opened for the fuel tank! Everything worked when we eliminated the "Fresh Air Valve" from the daisy chain. So therein lies the problem I believe.
My next step is to see if the "Fresh Air Valve" works... if not maybe theres just corrosion where the wires split? Not sure...