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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Explorer / November 2004Explorer 2000 EB Fuel Cap Light
On my Ford Explorer 2000 EB's dash board, the fuel cap warning light comes on when I start the engine then goes out (just as other warning lights on the dash) BUT, it does not turn on if the fuel cap is NOT capped back on the fuel inlet. During the last week twice I forgot to cap the fuel inlet after fueling, there was no warning light on the dash, I discovered my mistake after reaching the destination, about 50 miles of highway driving.. Where is the sensor for this light and where should I start looking to return it to normal function ? Thanks in advance. Matt This sounds like a gnarly problem.... leaving the fuel cap off would constitute a gross EVAP system leak and should trigger the CEL if left unatended. At any rate, it will likely require some emissions systems diagnostics to find the cause. I'd suggest having the PCM scanned for codes and choosing the appropriate diagnostic routine for your findings. FWIW... I see no mention of a fuel cap warning light in the WSM until 2002.... Perhaps your owners manual might shed some light on the subject. > On my Ford Explorer 2000 EB's dash board, the fuel cap warning light comes > on [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Matt I looked through the manual before posting, the manual only says that if fuel cap is not replaced or if it is not properly replaced, the fuel cap warning light will be lit and in due course of time will also trigger the CEL, and that once the problem is corrected, the CEL should go out after a period of normal driving. It also says in bold that it may take the system a LONG time to detect a missing or mis-applied cap. [My Thought] The fuel cap warning light should come on sooner than CEL, so that the vehicle operator could correct the problem before it triggers CEL. On gross inspection, I do not see any electrical connection to the cap or the fuel inlet where a sensor could have been. Matt =========================================================== 'This sounds like a gnarly problem.... leaving the fuel cap off would 'constitute a gross EVAP system leak and should trigger the CEL if left 'unatended. At any rate, it will likely require some emissions systems 'diagnostics to find the cause. I'd suggest having the PCM scanned for codes 'and choosing the appropriate diagnostic routine for your findings. ' 'FWIW... I see no mention of a fuel cap warning light in the WSM until '2002.... Perhaps your owners manual might shed some light on the subject. ' ' '"Kugar" <One@NoSpam.com> wrote in message 'news:8aoiq01bkh9b9g7t1flmme9evflihavk8q@4ax.com... '> On my Ford Explorer 2000 EB's dash board, the fuel cap warning light comes '> on '> when I start the engine then goes out (just as other warning lights on the '> dash) '> '> BUT, it does not turn on if the fuel cap is NOT capped back on the fuel '> inlet. '> '> During the last week twice I forgot to cap the fuel inlet after fueling, '> there '> was no warning light on the dash, I discovered my mistake after reaching '> the '> destination, about 50 miles of highway driving.. '> '> Where is the sensor for this light and where should I start looking to '> return it '> to normal function ? '> '> Thanks in advance. '> '> Matt ' The fuel tank pressure sensor is located right in the tank..... some may be part of the fuel pump module itself but most that I have seen are a stand alone sensor somewhere at the top of the tank in the "air dome" area. I should have mentioned that the length of time required to set the fuel cap light and/or the CEL can vary greatly with climate. It needs to be warm enough to generate vapours from the fuel to pressurise the fuel system. Where I live, we only have two or three months out of the year where the EVAP monitor can complete. You are quite right.... the fuel cap light will come on before the CEL. The fuel cap light should illuminate as soon as the condition is seen and (IIRC) the CEL needs to see the condition on two or three consecutive drive cycles. No system is 100% perfect, least of all the EVAP monitoring system. If you live where it is cold, the EVAP can't prove out and the light just wont work... >I looked through the manual before posting, the manual only says that if >fuel [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] > '> Matt > ' I am in PA, the average temperature around the time that I had the fuel cap off was 50-55 F, the length of time that the cap remained off was about 45 minutes non stop highway driving. In your experience would it be normal for the EVAP system not to trigger the fuel cap warning light in the above said circumstances? Thanks Matt ========================================================== 'The fuel tank pressure sensor is located right in the tank..... some may be 'part of the fuel pump module itself but most that I have seen are a stand 'alone sensor somewhere at the top of the tank in the "air dome" area. ' 'I should have mentioned that the length of time required to set the fuel cap 'light and/or the CEL can vary greatly with climate. It needs to be warm 'enough to generate vapours from the fuel to pressurise the fuel system. 'Where I live, we only have two or three months out of the year where the 'EVAP monitor can complete. ' 'You are quite right.... the fuel cap light will come on before the CEL. The 'fuel cap light should illuminate as soon as the condition is seen and (IIRC) 'the CEL needs to see the condition on two or three consecutive drive cycles. 'No system is 100% perfect, least of all the EVAP monitoring system. If you 'live where it is cold, the EVAP can't prove out and the light just wont 'work... ' ' '"Kugar" <One@NoSpam.com> wrote in message 'news:feujq0d6vg5585pbg4vlovf3p7iuk626fl@4ax.com... '>I looked through the manual before posting, the manual only says that if '>fuel '> cap is not replaced or if it is not properly replaced, the fuel cap '> warning '> light will be lit and in due course of time will also trigger the CEL, and '> that '> once the problem is corrected, the CEL should go out after a period of '> normal '> driving. '> '> It also says in bold that it may take the system a LONG time to detect a '> missing '> or mis-applied cap. '> '> [My Thought] The fuel cap warning light should come on sooner than CEL, so '> that '> the vehicle operator could correct the problem before it triggers CEL. '> '> On gross inspection, I do not see any electrical connection to the cap or '> the '> fuel inlet where a sensor could have been. '> '> Matt '> '> =========================================================== Yes, it is possible... remember that the light is there not so much as to alert you to a missing fuel cap as it is to warn you that you have an evaporative emissions problem and the fuel cap is the most likely cause. IOW, the light is not a baby sitter like the "check gage" light..... it's purpose is to try and avoid an unneccesary visit to a service facility. >I am in PA, the average temperature around the time that I had the fuel cap >off [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] > '> > '> =========================================================== |
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