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Ford to Get Rid of Gas Caps (WITH POLL)

Amused

Amused

Elite Member
Ford to Get Rid of Gas Caps

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Aug 9) - Gas caps are about to become a thing of the past on many models of Ford Motor vehicles.

The company told an automotive industry conference near Lake Michigan that the cap will disappear from its its new 2008 Lincoln M-K-S full-sized model, and that -- eventually -- all Fords will be without them.

Instead, there'll be a flap that opens under pressure from the gas pump nozzle. The flap will fit snugly to the nozzle to stop fumes from escaping.

A company official says the flap will eliminate the inconvenience of forgetting to put your gas cap back on after filling up.

The new cap comes from Ford's NASCAR racing experience and has been used on the Ford G-T.

Pic of new fuel hole and door:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Amused/20060809162909990001.gif
 
If it works, cool. I've almost lost my gas cap a few times. It's a bit of a hassle and getting rid of it is no big deal.
 
Need to siphon some gas? Look for a ford

And yes, I have lost a cap or two, but I've been driving for 35yrs. On older cars it was much easier to do because the were usually completely external and not attached to the car, and you had to set them down somewhere while you filled up.
 
I've lost one gas cap.

My question is how much of a pain does this get to be to replace if it is damaged or does not function properly? My truck failed an emissions test recently because the gas cap I had wasn't working correctly. I simply had to spend $5 to get a new one. What happens when you have an entire mechanism attached to your car like this?
 
Originally posted by: z0mb13
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Mike
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
gas cap makes me paranoid. i've never lost one yet though
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connect it to your fuel tank door?
Click to expand...

How?
Click to expand...

I thought most cars have this connected? like via a plastic string?
Click to expand...

Not all. My truck has a little holder on the cover where you put the gas cap when you're done. I've had previous cars that didn't even have a holder.
 
Originally posted by: Queasy
Originally posted by: z0mb13
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Mike
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
gas cap makes me paranoid. i've never lost one yet though
Click to expand...

connect it to your fuel tank door?
Click to expand...

How?
Click to expand...

I thought most cars have this connected? like via a plastic string?
Click to expand...

Not all. My truck has a little holder on the cover where you put the gas cap when you're done. I've had previous cars that didn't even have a holder.
Click to expand...

then that is sucky engineering..
 
Any car I bought in the last 10 years had a little plastic tether that kept my gas caps from running away.

*shrug*
 
Originally posted by: z0mb13

then that is sucky engineering..
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I actually prefer the holder to the tether. I don't really like having the cap hang against the side of car. Not sure why, I just don't... maybe I'm paranoid about dirt or something.
 
Some do, some don't.

And on the last one I had that did, the plastic strap broke after a few years.
Click to expand...
Get a better piece of plastic then.

I have the plastic connector on my gas cap, I fill up at least 3 times a week and it is in mint condition.
 
Originally posted by: SampSon
Some do, some don't.

And on the last one I had that did, the plastic strap broke after a few years.
Click to expand...
Get a better piece of plastic then.

I have the plastic connector on my gas cap, I fill up at least 3 times a week and it is in mint condition.
Click to expand...

That all depends on if you live in an area in which plastic succumbs to dry rot rather quickly or not.
 
Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
I've never lost a gas cap, but I've had to replace one because of a Smog test.
Click to expand...

Yep, which makes me wonder about the time and expense that will be required to replace Ford's new mechanism should it fail a smog test.
 
Yep, I lost one once. Well not lost in the sense that I couldn't find it, but lost in the sense that I had to replace it.

It was a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix. There was no place to put the cap and there was nothing tethering it to the car. So as I filled up, I always placed it on the trunk where the back window met the trunk. One day I did this when it was windy. The wind blew it to the ground where it shattered into many little pieces. Pretty crappy plastic that they used in the gas cap. But what else would you expect from a Grand Prix of that age - everything would always shatter and fall into pieces (it is well known that the few years around that are some of the worst reliability vehicles ever made; but newer Grand Prix vehicles aren't nearly as bad).

I'd gladly pay a few more bucks on the vehicle purchase to never have to screw on/off the gas cap. And to never have to pay $10 for a new one when the wind blows it away.
 
My gas cap is attached to the car with a plastic band. I've forgotten to put it back on sometimes but have never lost one. Even in my other cars where it wasn't attached.
 
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