Nissan Repair: po455, loose hose, gas cap

Question
i bought a 2003 maxima se 2 weeks ago from a dealer in nevada-i have'nt registered it yet.check engine light came on today -code po455.in the morning the car is hard to start but later in the day starts fine.is it possible the 2 problems are linked.also do u think i have any recourse with the dealer-many thanks.

Answer
John,

The P0455 is an evaporative leak.  That is, the car is equipt with a closed fuel system so no vapors escape.  This could be as easy as the gas cap not being tight or a loose hose or a defective hose.  I would ask the dealer since you are in Nevada and most have a 30 day warranty.  So, they should correct the problem for free or with a small deductable.  Again, it could be as easy as a loose gas cap.  You could disconnect the battery for five minutes to clear the code and then make sure the cap is tight before you reconnect it.  Drive it and see if the code is gone.  The hard start is probably not related.  I would say it needs a new set of plugs.  I have a 2000 Maxima and after 60,000 miles the plugs needed changing even though the car is supposedly equipped with 100,000 mile plugs.  Mine runs much better with new plugs and starts easy to boot.