Thinking about getting a new car in the next couple months? Before you spring for the latest model, you might want to know what you’re getting into. This mechanic called out car manufacturers on TikTok after he found a small change that proved particularly annoying.
Philadelphia mechanic Coleman1autocare (@coleman1autocare) turned to TikTok after he came across a Ford model with no gas cap. “Do us a favor: Stop giving us [expletive] we didn’t [expletive] ask for,” he said.
Most drivers have to open their gas tank’s door, screw off the gas cap, and fill up their car. But with this Ford model, drivers simply open the lid and plug in their pump. That’s it. “Like, nobody said we was tired of twisting gas caps,” Coleman1autocare explained. “Nobody asked for this. Like, who asked for this?”
(His quotes have been edited to remove the relentless cursing.)
The benefits of no gas caps on new Fords
In theory, removing the gas cap from a Ford frees up time at the pump. Why bother fiddling with the cap if the tank’s mouth is already covered by a protective door? Not to mention, cars can be very sensitive with their caps. Drivers of all kinds shared their experiences with “check engine” warnings on Coleman1autocare’s TikTok, suggesting a capless car can prevent headaches when you’re in the driver’s seat.
“The caps [were] kind of a nuisance, if it wasn’t tight enough it would cause the check engine light to come on,” TikTok user @legalhooker365 wrote, “so I guess they was tryna avoid that.”
The downside to gas cap-free new cars
But others were quick to describe the various problems that a car can experience if it doesn’t have a gas cap. For example, putting additives in the gas tank can require some extra equipment under the new system, and “funnels” and “gas cans” have to be redesigned to play nice with capless tanks, as TikTok user @Injury99 said. Not to mention, a gas cap provides protection for your tank and fuel during inclement weather. With just a gas tank door, new car owners are sacrificing maintenance for convenience.
“Once that door seal gets worn, water drips in, right into the mouth,” Sergiio_dtip (@sergiio_dtip) commented. “I put a cap on mines now.”
Others explained how a capless gas tank provides its own fair share of nuisances, ones that counter a quick and easy plug in at the pump. “The only thing I hate is that it’s hard to shake the last drops of gas,” commenter TS (@ts8r88) said. “So it ends up dripping on my paint sometimes.”
Viewers sound off
While a capless gas tank will prevent those pesky “check engine” false positives, don’t expect your capless car to have an error-free dashboard. “Yea this is how my Ford Fusion is and I don’t like it,” TikTok user TikTok user MarciAna (@marcianaslimlady) commented, to which fellow driver Tasha (@cashnprizes86) replied: “Mine constantly says ‘check fuel fill inlet’ in summer then goes away when it’s cold again.”
@coleman1autocare We didn’t ask for this 😂😭 #phillymobilemechanic #mobilemechanic #mechanicsoftiktok #philadelphia #philly #ford ♬ original sound – Coleman1autocare
Sometimes the old ways truly are the best. Besides, if you’re really having a problem with your gas cap, that’s what your parents are for. Might as well call them up and ask how to screw the cap on right. Trust me, they know.
The Daily Dot reached out to Coleman1autocare and Ford for comment.
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