What Is A Fuel Cap And Why Is It Important?
If you have a gas-powered Subaru, it has a fuel cap. Despite its simple appearance and function, it's an important component of your Subaru's fuel system. Read on to find out why.
What Is A Fuel Cap?
A fuel cap is a cap that covers the opening to the fuel tank. If you fill up your own gas, you'll know what it looks like. It's the cap you need to remove before pumping gas into your Subaru.
There are several different fuel cap designs. Your fuel cap may be tethered to the vehicle, for example. Or it may come with a lock. Ultimately, the fuel cap covers the opening to the fuel tank.
What Does A Fuel Cap Do?
A fuel cap has a simple function: to cover the opening to the fuel tank. In doing this, the fuel cap serves several important purposes:
- To keep fuel from spilling out of the tank.
- To keep fumes and fuel from evaporating out of the tank.
- To prevent the fuel pump from sucking in air from outside of the sealed fuel system.
- To keep dirt, debris, and moisture out of the fuel tank.
In short, a fuel cap keeps the fuel tank and fuel system safe. It also keeps the environment outside of the vehicle safe.
What Happens When Your Fuel Cap Fails
Image Credit: NASIOC
If your fuel cap fails, it's best to replace it right away. We've discussed replacing a Subaru fuel cap before in our blog. Read this article for more details. It's best to replace your fuel cap ASAP because a failed fuel cap can cause some damage. For instance:
- Fumes and gas will evaporate from the fuel tank and pollute the environment. It will also decrease your vehicle's fuel economy.
- Gas can leak out of the fuel tank when you turn too sharply, hit something, or brake too hard.
- Dirt, moisture, and debris can enter the fuel tank and contaminate the gas.
- The fuel system can fail. Most commonly, the dirt, moisture, and debris contaminating the gas can kill the fuel pump.
In short, a failed fuel cap can lead to an expensive repair bill. For this reason, it's important to have a functional fuel cap in place at all times.
It's best to get an OEM replacement fuel cap. This guarantees that your new fuel cap will stay on and seal well. You don't have that same guarantee with an aftermarket fuel cap.
You can get an OEM replacement fuel cap from us at wholesale pricing. All you need to do is look up your Subaru model in our catalog of OEM Subaru fuel caps here. Please contact us if you need help finding the right part number for your car.