I'll probably get laughed at, but...

FEJay · April 1, 2007

Hey, I am new here, and registered because I need some advice.

I have a 2006 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer. I also go to a very large university. Anyway, almost every weekend kids get drunk and do some sort of random vandalism to any number of cars.

I've had friends who have had rear-views smashed, tires slashed, their cars kicked, etc. etc etc.

Anyway, today I noticed that my car's gas door was open. The cap was in-tact, but I am a bit worried now. Normally, I wouldnt care, but I wouldnt put it past someone to have put something in my tank. (as worse random acts have been done to other cars).

Any way I can tell if my tank has been tampered with, or things to look out for? I noticed when I unscrewed the cap, there was just a hole there...I dont know if there was a cover to the hole or not (kind of hard to explain, but other cars I have driven have had a little cover on the hole). Is there supposed to be a hole there?

Sorry if this is a bit of a stupid first post, but I figured a site like this could offer the best advice.

IZwack · April 1, 2007

Dunno if theres any way to tell whether or not some1 put something down the fill tube but I woudld recomment getting a lockable gas cap.

This reminds me of one episode of Mythbusters where they fed the engine everything like sugar, soda and whatever else.. and the engine would not die.

tipdrill · April 1, 2007

drain the tank to be safe

aeaglenfitch · April 1, 2007

you can try to syphen some of it and see if there's something abnormal in there. i think ypu're talking about the little metal flap that flaps up to cover the hole where u stick the nozle. it's probably just stuck open? get an alarm system.

FEJay · April 1, 2007

aeaglenfitch said:
you can try to syphen some of it and see if there's something abnormal in there. i think ypu're talking about the little metal flap that flaps up to cover the hole where u stick the nozle. it's probably just stuck open? get an alarm system.

yeah, I am referring to that flap. I dont see it there, and never paid enough attention to know if there was one there or not. Thats why I asked, because maybe someone else here has a Ford Explorer around 2006 and would know.

Also, any good sites to get lockable gas caps? The one on Ford's site is only for models (sport) up to 2004

FROADER · April 1, 2007

ebizzle...

gas cap

main search page

beenwrong2002 · April 1, 2007

i JUST lost my locking gas cap like a week ago

ive never lost one before...but ive just found another 1 online so its all good...but ya its definently worth having one!

Jmoney715 · April 2, 2007

cool, looks like i need to pick one up as well... never know.

FEJay · April 2, 2007

thanks for all the responses, guys.

Does anyone know fi there is supposed to be a metal flap over the gas-hole, though?

aeaglenfitch · April 3, 2007

yes there should be one there, yours may have gotten stuck open. stick your finger in there and feel around, it wont bite. it's there to keep fumes from pouring out thus intoxicating the driver. i've never seen a car past like 84 without one.

FEJay · April 3, 2007

aeaglenfitch said:
yes there should be one there, yours may have gotten stuck open. stick your finger in there and feel around, it wont bite. it's there to keep fumes from pouring out thus intoxicating the driver. i've never seen a car past like 84 without one.

Thanks for your reply, aeaglenfitch.

I just checked, and there isnt a flap there. All my friends have one too, and you're right...even cars made late 80's-early 90's all have one there.

There is a little bolt (or something like it) sticking out on the upper-side of the cylindar, and I am assuming this is where the flap would/should be.

I had to move the car, and have driven around a bit, and it seems to run fine. However, I am now concerned that maybe the flap broke off and went into the actual tank. I'm now thinking some kids just opened the little door (not the actual gas cap) to just mess around, and the flap broke away from something else, like attendents shoving the pump in too hard.

Are there any serious reprucussions to this? If so, could I just bring it to an auto body shop and getting it removed/fixed? How much would it cost to add another one on.

I searched around the internet, and didnt come up with any results pertaining to this particular scenario.

The car is still fairly new, as it is barely 7 months old. I suppose that it could have been a manufacturing defect, but that seems highly unlikely. Also, the dealership where I got the car from is 3 states away, so I want to know if I can drive 3 hours HWY with the flap potentially in my tank, etc. before I try and go get it fixed there (I assume it would be free under the warranty). There are a few FORD dealerships around the area, but I doubt they would honor my local FORD warranty.

Once again, I greatly appreciate the responses and advice I have recieved thus far, and I would like to apoligize again about the strange wording of the questions and maybe how simple these questions may seem to you guys.

Thanks.

beenwrong2002 · April 3, 2007

FEJay said:
Thanks for your reply, aeaglenfitch.

I just checked, and there isnt a flap there. All my friends have one too, and you're right...even cars made late 80's-early 90's all have one there.

There is a little bolt (or something like it) sticking out on the upper-side of the cylindar, and I am assuming this is where the flap would/should be.

I had to move the car, and have driven around a bit, and it seems to run fine. However, I am now concerned that maybe the flap broke off and went into the actual tank. I'm now thinking some kids just opened the little door (not the actual gas cap) to just mess around, and the flap broke away from something else, like attendents shoving the pump in too hard.

Are there any serious reprucussions to this? If so, could I just bring it to an auto body shop and getting it removed/fixed? How much would it cost to add another one on.

I searched around the internet, and didnt come up with any results pertaining to this particular scenario.

The car is still fairly new, as it is barely 7 months old. I suppose that it could have been a manufacturing defect, but that seems highly unlikely. Also, the dealership where I got the car from is 3 states away, so I want to know if I can drive 3 hours HWY with the flap potentially in my tank, etc. before I try and go get it fixed there (I assume it would be free under the warranty). There are a few FORD dealerships around the area, but I doubt they would honor my local FORD warranty.

Once again, I greatly appreciate the responses and advice I have recieved thus far, and I would like to apoligize again about the strange wording of the questions and maybe how simple these questions may seem to you guys.

Thanks.

if the vehicle is under the manufactures orginal factory warranty, then yes, u can take it to any ford dealership for any warranty work...

aeaglenfitch · April 3, 2007

well as long as it dosnt get sucked into ur fuel system. it's probably too big to get sucked in though it may create blockage though.

to make sure you can get a decent magnet and run it along the tank and see if you can catch the little bugger. haha.. o wait the tank is metal huh?

Burns · April 3, 2007

its to big to get sucked into the system. I would however go and get it fixed.

Orson2000 · April 4, 2007

My 06 EB does not have a flap either. Don't think there is supposed to be one.

K80 · April 4, 2007

aeaglenfitch said:
yes there should be one there, yours may have gotten stuck open. stick your finger in there and feel around, it wont bite. it's there to keep fumes from pouring out thus intoxicating the driver. i've never seen a car past like 84 without one.

Actually it's there to stop things from falling in to the gas tank on accident. The fumes wouldn't matter, as they would only be escaping to the outside of the car....

FEJay said:
Thanks for your reply, aeaglenfitch.

I just checked, and there isnt a flap there. All my friends have one too, and you're right...even cars made late 80's-early 90's all have one there.

There is a little bolt (or something like it) sticking out on the upper-side of the cylindar, and I am assuming this is where the flap would/should be.

I had to move the car, and have driven around a bit, and it seems to run fine. However, I am now concerned that maybe the flap broke off and went into the actual tank. I'm now thinking some kids just opened the little door (not the actual gas cap) to just mess around, and the flap broke away from something else, like attendents shoving the pump in too hard.

Are there any serious reprucussions to this? If so, could I just bring it to an auto body shop and getting it removed/fixed? How much would it cost to add another one on.

I searched around the internet, and didnt come up with any results pertaining to this particular scenario.

The car is still fairly new, as it is barely 7 months old. I suppose that it could have been a manufacturing defect, but that seems highly unlikely. Also, the dealership where I got the car from is 3 states away, so I want to know if I can drive 3 hours HWY with the flap potentially in my tank, etc. before I try and go get it fixed there (I assume it would be free under the warranty). There are a few FORD dealerships around the area, but I doubt they would honor my local FORD warranty.

Once again, I greatly appreciate the responses and advice I have recieved thus far, and I would like to apoligize again about the strange wording of the questions and maybe how simple these questions may seem to you guys.

Thanks.

My best advice...what I would do in your place...is to get a locking gas cap for the future...for the immediate, just drive the car....pretty much no matter what they put in the tank, it's not likely to have any permanent and/or damaging effects....first because gasoline is a pretty bad-ass chemical and anything added to it is not likely to have any stronger reactivity...second because even if there is something in there, the fuel filter will stop it...the fuel sender assembly will stop anything physically larger than a grain of sand, and the motor will vaporize anything else. Pretty much the only thing I can think of that would really screw up your motor by going through it would be a high-corrosive like sulfuric acid or chlorine or anhydrous ammonia....but those would eat your fuel line first....so no worries. Buy a bottle of gas tank water-remover like Chevron with Techron (great ****, btw) for six dollars and 12 cents at Wal*Mart to save the pain-in-the-ass result if they happened to put a gallon or more of water in your tank.

BrooklynBay · April 5, 2007

Welcome to this forum! You could get an OEM locking cap from the Ford dealer for $22. They even have a sliding cover over the area where the key goes into. The fuel pump inside of the tank has a sock style filter to prevent large objects from entering the fuel system. The sending unit has a float, and is the only moving part inside of the gas tank. I don't think that disk could jam it up though.

remembermorrison · April 8, 2007

Since we are talking about gas caps.... WTF is up with Fords retarded gas cap holder design. I have a 2007 Sport Trac and I noticed it has the little grooves to hold it, but it isnt a holder. Also the cap is annoying as hell when you are trying to manuveur a gas soaked pump into your tank. My last car was a BMW 330ci and its design was sick. Yah I am bragging about a gas cap holder, kind of wierd? Its just the little shiat Ford needs to think of, like my interior door handles.

FEJay · April 8, 2007

remembermorrison said:
Its just the little shiat Ford needs to think of, like my interior door handles.

heh, good point...i remember being pretty confused about the design of the interior door handles.

EMG7895 · April 8, 2007

First gens have excellent cap holders, the bumper. In all seriousness just take it to the closest ford dealer and let them deal with it, the flap should not just fall of. If there wasnt one their originally disregard this.

I'll probably get laughed at, but...

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