What Happens When Gas Cap Is Loose?Tips To Keep A Working Gas Cap
You can find that many other people call the gas cap as a fuel filler cap. It is often the same thing so do not be confused when you hear someone referring to it with a new name. It is a simple, but essential part of the car when it comes to securing the cover of the fuel tank. The work of the gas cap is also to ensure that you do not end up with dust, dirt, or debris getting into the gas tank. We all know how that can be disastrous when it happens. So, what happens when the gas cap is loose?
The gas cap can also be great to keep the vehicle’s evaporative emission system working correctly. This means that the car is always to capture and reuse the fuel vapors that might be in the tank. Without the gas cap, you will end up losing these gases.
This is a question that many people would have on their mind. We get to see the effects of a loose gas cap later in the article.
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Contents
What is a gas cap on a car?
What happens when the gas cap is loose
As suggested earlier, it is an important part of the fuel tank that keeps it sealed. It is always important to have the right gas cap to ensure that it fits appropriately in place. There is no doubt that with time you might not have the best seal as before, that is when the gas cap becomes loose. As much as it might not always be a danger, you have to ensure that you get it working correctly again.
What happens when the gas cap is loose
1. It becomes hard to tighten the gas cap
One thing you should expect is that the cap does not stretch properly. As part of the design, the manufacturer always makes the gas cap to click the moment it has been tightened properly. When you are tightening, and this does not happen, then you can be sure it is loose. You might also find that the cap keeps popping loose again when tightened.
2. Having the fuel smell from the car
It is common that you will end up having the issue of fuel smell in the car with the cap being loose. With the seals damaged or worn, the smell can be felt in the car or even outside. This is because the fuel vapors are being allowed to escape from the tank.
What happens when the gas cap is loose
Not all people would love having the smell of gasoline when driving the car. It might also generally feel unsafe for many people. Well, it is time to change the gas cap if it becomes too loose.
3. Check if the engine light is turned on
Why does a check engine light come on with the loose gas cap? Well, there is a chance that you are going to ask yourself about this scenario. Having an illuminated check engine light is possible. Since the gas cap is part of the vehicle’s evaporative emissions, it can lead to the problem with the car if the system has any issue. The reason is that this error will set off the check engine light of the vehicle. This is in reaction to the car computer detecting a leak.
Once the gas cap is replaced, you should be able to eliminate the check engine light by having the error codes cleared at your local mechanic. You should now be good to keep using the car without worrying about the loose gas cap.
If you had the question of how important is it to have a gas cap, now you know the answer. It is important that you always have a tight seal with the gas cap. It will give you the best performance that you have always wanted with your car.
