{"id":12985,"date":"2020-05-09T09:10:09","date_gmt":"2020-05-09T16:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drivinglife.net\/?p=12985"},"modified":"2024-01-01T10:10:13","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T18:10:13","slug":"gas-caps-universal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drivinglife.net\/gas-caps-universal\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Gas Caps Universal?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Almost every car on the road uses gas to fuel the engine and make the car move (electric cars are the exception). Every car is a fuel tank, and the entry point that all cars have is a gas cap. But, the gas cap is a flimsy piece on the vehicle and can be easily lost if not properly taken care of. If that happens, how difficult might it be to replace it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are different types of gas caps, ranging from slow-release to cap-less. However, the gas caps for all types of vehicles are replaceable; some gas caps fit many manufacturers’ gas tanks. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that you know, you may be thinking that you can plug and replace a gas cap for a lost one on your vehicle. While that is true, plenty of complications come with trying to replace a lost or damaged gas cap. Plus, gas caps are so much more than a piece of plastic that stops gas from leaving the gas tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Purpose of a Gas Cap    <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Gas caps are a small part of the vehicle but have more functions than you may realize at first. Obviously, the gas cap is essential to keep the gas inside<\/strong> the gas tank. It is the stopper for gas leaking out of the tank through the fill hole. But there are more functions than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another purpose is to keep other outside elements from entering<\/strong> the gas tank. If fuel is mixed with other liquids or debris, then there can be dire consequences. While most vehicles are also equipped with a little door on a hinge that covers the gas cap and fills the hole, the gas cap acts as a last line of defense to prevent outside elements from coming inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A gas cap’s additional purpose is something you may not even realize. Gas caps are essential to a car\u2019s fuel efficiency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a gas cap, gas vapors leave the tank and go into the atmosphere. This damages the atmosphere and takes away from the vehicle\u2019s fuel efficiency. The less gas in the tank being used by the vehicle means the vehicle loses its fuel efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be a huge difference for vehicles in their ability to be as fuel-efficient as possible. If your gas cap is damaged or not even in use, a car could lose up to 30 gallons<\/strong> of gas per year, which can translate up to hundreds of dollars a year for people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Gas Cap Evolution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The tiniest of plastic on a vehicle may not seem like a modern marvel, but the evolution of the gas cap has quite a history. The year to keep in mind for big gas cap changes is the year 1970. That year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started to enforce a new vehicle emissions policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EPA had done some studying of ground-level ozone layers and realized that the cause of the damage to the ozone layers was<\/strong> fuel vapors. Therefore, they implemented changes that would directly affect fuel vapors and tried to change the course. Congress implemented the first Clean Air Act. The first Clean Air Act called for a reduction in auto air emissions by 90% by the year 1976.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1971, all licensed vehicles in the United States had to have evaporative controls built into their fuel systems. The first measure: is <\/strong>the gas cap. The cap helped prevent gas from spilling out of the tank. Along with that, cars also started to use charcoal canisters to control vapors and reduce emissions into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As time went on, the fuel vapor controlling measures tightened up, and by the mid-1990s, fuel vapor controls were more than 50 times those in 1971.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another historical point in the gas cap history is the Onboard Diagnostics System (OBD) invention. This system was invented in line with the changing rules about fuel efficiency and gas vapor emissions. The OBD System was built into the cars themselves as a way to track and monitor how well the engine is performing along with other systems in the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1990, the Clean Air Act called for new systems of Onboard Diagnostics called OBD II<\/a>. OBD II was designed to help test the fuel system by pressurizing it or applying a vacuum. Then, it would measure even the slightest changes that could be a sign of leakage and the potential loss of fuel vapors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these new measures were put into place to save the environment, but they also saved people money<\/a>. Earlier, the article mentioned that people with faulty gas caps lose about 30 gallons of gas per year. Over the entire country, though, roughly 17% of vehicles on the road had faulty or missing gas caps at the turn of the century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That figure, calculated by the Chicago Tribune<\/a>, roughly translates to Americans wasting over 9 million barrels of crude oil and losing over $220 million in one year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Different Versions of Gas Caps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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While gas caps all look about the same in modern times, there have been a few subtle changes to the gas cap that are significant. The first and most noticeable is the plastic part of the cap that is inserted into the tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Prongs to Spirals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For older vehicles, their gas caps may look like two plastic prongs. This was a primitive measure to try and keep vapors from being released into the atmosphere. Nowadays, gas caps are more tubular<\/strong>, with spiraling threads<\/strong> to ensure as tight of a seal as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cork & Cloth to Synthetic Sealants<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The sealing materials have also changed with time. Initially, cork or cloth gaskets<\/strong> were used to ensure the seal was fitted with the gas cap. But, because of wear and tear plus chemical reactions, those types of materials tended to default over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In modern times, materials like neoprene or polyurethane<\/strong> are used with better resistance measures to ensure a tight seal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tighter Seals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also changed from previous times is the amount of times you have to turn the gas cap in order for a tight seal to be ensured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously, people would have to turn the cap until the sound of clicking was heard, therefore indicating a tight seal. Now, most modern gas caps require a simple 1\/8 turn to hear one click<\/strong> and ensure a tight seal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Slow Release Feature<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another new feature on gas caps is the slow-release feature. Some gas caps have a warning label on them, stating, \u201copen slowly.\u201d<\/strong> This is to ensure that vapors are released slowly and not in a sudden poof. This is especially important on warmer days because gas is more susceptible to being turned into vapors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gas Cap Keys<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also, versions of gas caps can be locked with a key. These gas caps do not typically come with a new vehicle and are usually replacement gas caps. They work just like any key entry, put the gas cap on, tighten until the clicks sound, and then lock it with the key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cap-Less Gas Caps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For those driving brand new vehicles, usually a 2019 model or newer, you may find that there is not even a cap anymore when you open the gas valve. This is the newest version of the gas cap, the cap-less gas cap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new cap-less gas cap eliminates all the hassles of turning, taking off, and putting on<\/strong> the old gas cap. This can be useful if a person has arthritis and has trouble taking off and putting on a gas cap. It is also helpful in keeping the stench of gas from coming in contact with your skin<\/strong> or clothing and ruining the inside materials in your vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way it works, the cap-less gas cap, is it acts as a trap door. When you put the fuel nozzle into the trap door, the sides swing open, allowing the nozzle to go directly into the gas tank and fuel up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also prevents anyone from attempting to siphon gas<\/strong> out of your vehicle. This is because the cap-less gas cap uses a fuel-filler neck that prevents someone from shoving a garden hose or other plastic pipe into the gas tank and taking out the gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are negatives associated with the cap-less gas cap, though. While there may be less gas smell on your person after filling up, the cap-less gas cap system actually increases the smell of gas inside your vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other negatives involve crisis situations. If there comes a time you need to fill up your tank from a gas canister, you will need to use the specialty-made funnel<\/strong> provided by the vehicle\u2019s seller. This can also create a gas smell in your vehicle after use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other negative situation where a cap-less gas cap may be negative is when you do need to siphon your own vehicle (for fuel for an emergency fire or generator). There is no way to get the fuel out of your own vehicle to use it in other ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When Should You Replace Your Gas Cap?   <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QcK9ejiHBSU<\/a>