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No More Gas Caps

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - The gas cap, long left sitting on trunk lids or dangling from cars as they leave gas stations, will become a thing of the past on many Ford Motor Co. models in the coming years.

At an automotive industry conference near Lake Michigan, the company announced Wednesday that the venerable cap will disappear on its new

2008 Lincoln MKS full-sized car model, and eventually all Ford models will be without them.

Replacing the caps will 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, company officials said.

"It eliminates the inconvenience of forgetting to put your gas cap back on after refueling," said Mark Fields, Ford executive vice president and president of the Americas.

The new cap came from Ford's NASCAR racing experience and has been used on the Ford GT sports car, Fields said.

Eventually Ford will get rid of the caps on all of its vehicles, although it has no timetable to do that, said Said Deep, a company spokesman.

The change likely will be made when models are updated, but could be retrofitted onto existing models, Deep said.

Reply to
Eric Toline
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Maybe I am unique... but I have never lost my gas cap or forgot to put it back on.

Reply to
Craig Bennett

Since the automakers figured out the gas caps required tethering, I don't see how anyone could lose one. With OBD-II diagnostics and no cap on, the vehicle CEL will turn on, so I don't see how you could forget to replace the cap. The membrane thing SOUNDS like a good idea, but what's the replacement cost for a worn one going to be, a $1,000 or so?

Reply to
Sharon K. Cooke

Most of the ones today have a piece of plastic that connects them permanently to the car so you can forget them.

However, I have seen a few of the ones not attached left at the gas pump.

The idea of making a good seal between the nozzle and filler pipe is an excellent idea that will help protect the environment and make things safer, too. Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

You're right, the tethers never ever break.

And people never forget to put the gas caps back on before closing the lid and getting back in the car.

The CEL doesn't come on the second you get in the car with the gas cap off.

Probably about $25 or so from the dealer.

$1000 for the Nascar unit, though. But that includes a big gas can and fire extinquisher. ;-)

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Considering some models already have problems with pump nozzle auto- release... What is it has to happen, FIRST?

Think ON!

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

I doubt it, the cap is going to be on a Lincoln not a Toyota ;)

mike hunt

Reply to
Mike Hunter

I don't like the idea. It sounds like a moving part that I cannot replace as it wears out. Which means higher costs when I fail an state inspection. :(

Just a guess, from the post.

tom @

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Reply to
Tom The Great

I would also rather have a gas cap, espically one that I can lock.

Reply to
scott21230

That was my first idea, how do I keep someone from stuffing something down it ?

Lynn

Reply to
Lynn McGuire

Isn't there a locking door over the current gas cap? I can't picture a Lincoln MKS with an exposed gas cap today, much less a thingamagig exposed on a future model.

Reply to
dold

When was the last time you tried to siphon fuel from a modern car? Most (all?) have some sort of rollover valve that prevents fuel from draining out the filler neck in a rollover. A happy side effect is that it is nearly impossible to insert a siphon hose.

Reply to
Tom Adkins

I think the fear is more like something 'falling down' or being vandalized. Not stealing gas.

Who does that today? :p

later,

tom @

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Reply to
Tom The Great

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