Fuel Cap Warning Light

[VOATMJ1]

I have a 2000 XSport 4x4, and on the instrument cluster, there is a warning light that says, "Check Fuel Cap." (Not to be confused with the lettering that tells you which side the fuel cap is on) According to the owners manuel, this light comes on when the fuel cap is not properly on and or missing. (Someting about fuel pressure). I have never seen this light come on and have driven the vehicle (as a test only) with the fuel cap completely off, to see if it would come on..it did not. Does anyone else have this warning light, and does it actually work? The vehicle warranty will be up in about 3000 more miles, and I am trying to get EVERYTHING working that is suppose to work while still under factory warranty. My Ford dealer denied the existence of such a warning light, until I got a flashlight and showed it to him, as well as the owners manuel. He then claimed it takes 3 days of not having the fuel cap on for it to illuminate. At this point I would not trust him to tell me what time it is!! Thanks.

 

[Robert]

When you first start your Explorer, your PCM will run a series of tests on your charcoal canister. One of the tests it will run is to close your canister vent valve (CVV) and apply a vacuum to your fuel hoses. If it doesn't maintain vacuum for a predetermined amount of time, it will fail the test. If this test fails twice in a row with a minimum of 8 hours between each test, it will set a P0455 code (evaporative emission control system leak detected (gross leak)). Since most of the time this code means that your gas cap is loose or faulty, Ford wisened up and put a "Check Fuel Cap" light instead of using the "Check Engine Light" that my '97 uses. I'm not sure when Ford put the light on the Explorer but I do remember seeing it on a '00 Focus rental car. I would say probably 2000 or 2001 for the Explorer. Anyway, if you leave your cap off for two complete drivecycles with a day in between it should set off your Check Fuel Cap light.

 

[VOATMJ1]

Thank-You for indepth and detailed answer. Now I FINALLY understand what this light does. I wonder why my Ford dealer could not explain this like you did? I appreciate you taking the time and explaining this for me!

 

[Robert]

You're welcome. Your dealer can't explain it like this because they have probably 20 different models that they see over a wide range of years. Unfortunately they are to quick to say something as fact when infact they don't really know the answer. Since they are in the position of "authority" on the subject they aren't questioned very often. They do their position no justice when they say something is fact when they aren't really sure. I would feel a lot better about my local dealer if the Service Advisor was up front with the fact that he wasn't really sure than I would be if I found out after the fact that he fed me a line of BS. You know what the most common reply is from a Service Advisor that doesn't know the real answer to a problem? "It is just a characteristic of your particular vehicle, they all do it". Anytime I hear that I know the person saying it doesn't have a clue about what he's talking about.

 

[FordSploderXLT]

My 95 X has the same light, never seen it on though. Always wondered what it would take to get it to come on though....

 

[gijoecam]

Originally posted by Robert
You know what the most common reply is from a Service Advisor that doesn't know the real answer to a problem? "It is just a characteristic of your particular vehicle, they all do it". Anytime I hear that I know the person saying it doesn't have a clue about what he's talking about.

Been there, buddy!

Advisor: "That hammering in the headliner over your head is a functional operating characteristic of your sunroof."

Me: "Really? Ford made 475,000 Explorers last year, and you mean to tell me that EVERY SINGLE ONE WITH A SUNROOF MAKES THAT NOISE?!?!?! I don't THINK so!"

Advisor: "uuuuh... well, we can't seem to find anything wrong, so, uuuuh, you can call Ford's Customer Service Line. I think we have the number around here somewhere..."

Turned out they forgot to install a piece of foam rubber between the inner roof brace and the outer roof panel (just as I suspected and told them the FIRST time it was in!). rote a letter to the service manager, and finally convinced them to drop the headliner and take it for a spin. (This was the 4th time it had been in with that problem, mind you)

I love that line! "functional operating characteristic"

 

[yob_yeknom]

Originally posted by FordSploderXLT
My 95 X has the same light, never seen it on though. Always wondered what it would take to get it to come on though....

Your light is a fuel reset light, not a check fuel cap light. It lights up after a collision if the fuel pump cutoff was triggered so you will know to reset it.

 

[VOATMJ1]

That may be the case on your '97 model, but my 2000 model has the words "Check Fuel Cap" which lights up when the fuel cap is not correctly placed according to my owners manuel.

Apparantly after 3-4 cycles of the key on and off while driving, if the fuel cap is not correctly on, this warning light will illuminate. I purposly left my fuel cap completly off, and after the 3 third time that day of starting, the light came on.

 

[yob_yeknom]

I was referring to a '95, as stated in the quote in my post. And yes, the '95 is the same as my '97.

 

[VOATMJ1]

Your right. OOPS!!

 

[yob_yeknom]