Hey, it started sleeting here, and the wife brought the MB home at lunch.
I checked the hose routing.
Mine is definitely different, has no thermo valve, but instead has an electrical vacuum solenoid over on the left fender, right below the purge valve.
I'm sure it's opened and closed by a temp signal, same as your thermo valve.
1. The hose from the purge valve that should lead to the diaphragm and canister disappears into a hole in the left front inner fender. So apparantly the diaphragm and canister are indeed between the inner/outer fender.
2. The vacuum solenoid has a 3rd port, a pressure-balancing port to relieve vacuum when the switch clicks. I bet the 3rd port on your thermo valve is the same thing, just a vacuum relief. So you probably should leave it open?

Hey, that should fix you up, all items accounted for, correct?

DG