If these are the hoses I'm thinking of, they are for the vapor recovery system on the gas tank. It's supposed to burn up excess vapors from the gas tank, rather than let them escape. Confused? Let's explain! Behind the access panel is the Carbon Canistor. All 3 hoses connect to this canistor. Hose #1: Connects to the fuel filler neck on the gas tank. Gasoline vapors in the gas tank will travel back to the canistor, and will be collected inside where the charcoal within the canistor stores them. Hose #2: This hose connects to the intake manifold on the motor. Once the engine is activated, the vacuum created inside the manifold will travel up the hose. This in turn activates a diaphram that opens up hose 3. Hose #3: This hose is connected to the same vapor hose that the 7th injector is on (or as it's normally called, the Cold Start Valve). Once opened by the vacuum diaphram, all gasoline vapors within the carbon canistor are then sucked out, and into the engine to be burned up, rather than evaporate. Hose #4: Ah-ha! The forgotten hose! This is a drain tube on the bottom of the canistor! You can easily see this hose sticking out, on the bottom of the rear pontoon. Now, the mystery here to me was always this: What is it supposed to drain? I assume water, but gas vapors are heavy too. So how would it be able to stop one, but not the other? Then again, it's purpose is just speculation on my side at this point... The purpose of the diaphram on the canistor is to disallow any gasloine vapors from entering the manifold while the motor is off. It could be possible that they could run backwards thru the air intake, and hit the exposed atmosphere. This is pretty dangerous since they are extremly flamable! Just take a look: http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other_cut/2002/ apr/03/c00031135.html Plus of course this is also bad for the environment as well. When gasoline, or any other petrol based products evaporate, they don't just disappear. They will condense just like dew when it gets cold enough. Now you know why gas pumps in smog areas have vapor recovery nozzles installed. All cars now adays have this same vapor recovery system installed. You can't really see the canistor because typically it's hidden behind/below/to the side of the left front head lamp, behind the fender. But you'll find it on the Vacuum Hose Routing Diagram on the underside of the bonnet. Or depending upon where you're at, the hood. "Bonnet" just sounds so much more sophisticated though =) -Robert vin 6585 "X" --- In dmcnews@xxxx, "James LaLonde" <krfds@xxxx> wrote: > there are three hoses coming from the driver side of the engine bay, they > are grouped together and come out of the side of the bay's wall <SNIP> > any help?? > > Wink.... tell em what they'll win. > > "Well, Bob, they will win a life-time supply of 001697's owner James > LaLonde's undying gratitude" > > --james 001697