If you’re reading this, then you’ve most likely lost your gas cap or know someone who has. You might panic when this happens, but it isn’t immediately as dangerous you think.
Most people say you can’t drive without a gas cap, but they’re wrong. There are temporary solutions to this problem highlighted below.
But a word of advice: PLEASE REPLACE YOUR GAS CAP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO DRIVE WITHOUT ONE.
Can You Drive Without a Gas Cap?
Your car can be driven safely without having a gas cap. This does not harm your vehicle immediately, as most modern cars have a flapper valve that stops fuel from spilling out.
In recent years, car manufacturers have gone to great lengths to make cars safer. Cars made after 1996 all have the flapper valve installed to stop fuel spillage. Newer cars tend to have their gas caps attached to the filler opening but not all cars have this.
These attachments ensure you do not lose your gas caps. Adding this simple solution clearly shows that people do lose their gas caps quite often.
Missing such a simple component will not affect the drivability of your vehicle.
It is however not advisable to drive without one. It is designed to do very simple tasks, which are:
- Keep fuel from spilling out of the tank
- Help maintain fuel system pressure by being airtight after filling up with gas.
- Prevent external dirt and moisture from getting into the fuel tank.
Without the gas cap, these simple functions cannot be performed, which may lead to some issues in the future.
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What Can You Temporarily Use Instead of a Gas Cap?
A temporary gas cap from another piece of equipment with a similar size gas cap should help. An aluminum foil sealed with the help of a rubber band and even a thick cloth or rag used to block the gas opening. All these are temporary solutions meant to supplement your gas cap until you can get a new one.
If you end up losing your gas cap, it isn’t the end of the world. These temporary fixes will help perform the task of your factory gas cap. They do not replace your gas cap and can never be as good as a proper one.
But they should be done properly in order to be effective in protecting your fuel tank from the elements.
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How Long Can You Drive Without a Gas Cap?
You can drive as long as you want without a gas cap, but this is not advisable. Most cars are designed to run normally even when it is missing. If you find out you’ve lost it after filling up, you can still continue your journey without any hiccups.
Your car can be driven without one for a while without immediate harm to the engine. But you do need to replace it as soon as you can. Personally, I’ve seen a lot of cab drivers who’ve lost their caps and still drive fine.
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Is the Check Engine Light Because of a Missing Gas Cap?
Some cars are designed to display a check engine light if the gas cap is missing. Other vehicles will display the fuel light or gas cap light to enable you to check on your fuel tank. This is used as a safety measure in case you didn’t realize that your cap missing.
Recently, cars have been equipped with gas cap lights, which illuminate when the gas cap is left open. These cars also tend to have tethers that attach the gas cap to the gas opening.
For those cars that do not have the missing cap light, your check engine light may come on to show something is wrong.
What Problems Can a Missing Gas Cap Cause?
A missing gas cap can lead to a myriad of issues if ignored.
- Fuel efficiency could decrease as a result.
- You expose yourself to fire hazards due to vapor from the tank.
- Debris or moisture could get into your tank
- Performance may be reduced
When a tank is left open, vapor escapes, which reduces the amount of fuel you have left. This could in turn decrease your fuel economy by 1-2%. The longer this happens, the more your fuel economy suffers.
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Fire is a real risk here as it can easily be attracted by the vapor from your fuel tank. The flapper valve prevents fuel spillage and not evaporation. Close contact with fire could lead to an explosion.
Moisture and external debris can also get into your fuel tank. Since the gas opening is no longer sealed, water from rain can slip past the metal cover into your tank.
Water and fuel do not go together and may cause some rusting issues and degrade your fuel tank from the inside. This doesn’t happen immediately, of course, but if it manages to stay there, it is inevitable. If water or any particles get into your engine via the fuel tank, it will cause engine failure.
Some modern cars go into a limp mode/safe mode if this issue is detected and protects the car. Power may be reduced but this helps make sure little/no damage is done to your car.
During emissions testing, your car is most likely to fail as it isn’t operating in its optimum state.
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How Much Does it Cost to Replace a Gas Cap?
Prices for gas caps range from $10-$60 at AutoZone for cheap cars and $100-$1000 for high-end cars at a dealership. Once bought they are very easy to replace as you just put it back on, a child can do it.
Most gas caps are almost the same size, between 55-57 mm and 58-60 mm in diameter. So you would be able to find a gas cap for your car’s local parts store.
You can also go to a dealer closest to you, and they would most likely have one in stock for you. Prices would be similar to those at the auto parts store for normal cars.
If you happen to own an expensive car, then you might spend way more. You won’t find these at your auto parts store, as they’re only available at dealerships.
An example of an expensive gas cap is the Lamborghini branded aluminum gas cap which if lost cost $800. The reason for this is the material it’s made of and the fact that you can’t get one unless you place an order for it.
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What are the Signs of a Bad Gas Cap, and When Should I Replace It?
A loosely fitted gas cap is one of the easiest signs used to determine if it is bad or not. When you cover it and have some play or your check engine/gas cap light is on then your cap may be bad.
Gas caps just like any other part of a car do need to be replaced when they get old or worn. They are designed to last up to 100,000+ miles, but they do get old and do need to be replaced.
Every cap has a rubber fitted underneath, which helps with sealing your fuel tank. As they get older these rubber fitters may become hard and brittle which may cause breakage. At this stage, they may not seal your tank effectively.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, the check engine light/gas cap light may also come on to indicate that something is wrong. At this point, it should be changed, as this is also part of maintaining your vehicle.
In conclusion, this may be a very small component compared to other parts of your vehicle, but it plays a vital role. And as part of maintaining your vehicle’s longevity, it should be replaced when lost or gone bad.
