Do I need a locking gas cap?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,318
Likes: 0
From: On A Ship, MI
i have a locking gas cap and its paid for its self. last year living in the dorms (gas was about $2.20) my friend and i walked out to the parking lot, discovered every truck and suv had its fill door open and gas caps off with empty tanks!!!! my friends ranger was empty the day before so we were gonna take my ranger to school.. well i had a full tank and NONE of my gas has been stolen i give the credit to the locking cap.
just last week my neighbor had 30 something gal stolen out of his 07 hemi ram! he has a locking gas cap and a new Dimond plate skid plate around his tank! poor guy was leaving for Florida that day and had filled his tank the night before.
As far as the keeping the key for my cap.. 1 of them is on my key ring and a copy is in my truck just not in the cab, i have it wired to the inside of the steak pocket.
just last week my neighbor had 30 something gal stolen out of his 07 hemi ram! he has a locking gas cap and a new Dimond plate skid plate around his tank! poor guy was leaving for Florida that day and had filled his tank the night before.
As far as the keeping the key for my cap.. 1 of them is on my key ring and a copy is in my truck just not in the cab, i have it wired to the inside of the steak pocket.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,242
Likes: 0
From: Kiev, Ukraine
More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 685
Likes: 25
From: East Central Indiana
If you do get a locking gas cap, I recommend getting a certain type.
My 1978 truck has locking caps for both tanks (even though there's only fumes there most of the time, lol). Anyways, they're made of metal and they have little tabs that stick out and catch the ring of the filler tube. Very secure.
I just bought a locking gas cap for my little ranger, and I'm not nearly as impressed. Basically when you "lock" it, the top half of the cap spins freely from the bottom half. When you "unlock" it, it turns as a whole and allows you to tighten/un-tighten it.
The problem is, when it's locked and turns freely, if you pull out on it while turning, it grips the bottom half enough to actually turn it loose... It's still a decent deterrent, but if a thief spends a little time with it, they'll likely get it loose...
P.S. There had better not be any theifs on here...
My 1978 truck has locking caps for both tanks (even though there's only fumes there most of the time, lol). Anyways, they're made of metal and they have little tabs that stick out and catch the ring of the filler tube. Very secure.
I just bought a locking gas cap for my little ranger, and I'm not nearly as impressed. Basically when you "lock" it, the top half of the cap spins freely from the bottom half. When you "unlock" it, it turns as a whole and allows you to tighten/un-tighten it.
The problem is, when it's locked and turns freely, if you pull out on it while turning, it grips the bottom half enough to actually turn it loose... It's still a decent deterrent, but if a thief spends a little time with it, they'll likely get it loose...
P.S. There had better not be any theifs on here...
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,876
Likes: 0
From: Hollister MO
Some one drained my 76 and 68 last summer in the same night, got the tracker next door to! (15 miles out to the gas staion) So I left a new full 5 gal gas can next to the 68 the next night (lb of sugar in it) Two of cars at the crack house down the street don't run any more
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 2
From: central ohio
i know the locking caps where the top half spins while unlocked are easy to defeat, i borrowed a freinds vehicle once and had to put fuel in it, didnt have the key, but found a drywall screw in the cab and a screwdriver. easily went through the plastic and locked the top of the cap to the bottom. most locks merly keep a honest man honest and only slow the true theif a little. ive thought about some sort of a cabinet lock that would keep the fuel-filler door shut, kind of like what toyota had at one point in time. (dont know if they still use it or not)
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
Likes: 111
From: SW Va
My 94 Taurus has a locking fuel filler door, you'd think the dinks at Ford would have added one to the Ranger by now!!!????
Yup a locking fuel filler door or gas cap won't deter a pro, but will likely inconvience a kid, or someone in a hurry bad enough for them to move on to easier pickings.
Yup a locking fuel filler door or gas cap won't deter a pro, but will likely inconvience a kid, or someone in a hurry bad enough for them to move on to easier pickings.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,242
Likes: 0
From: Kiev, Ukraine
Look, ranger has anty-sipon in tank filling neck, but to steal thief can remove filling hose and do it with thin hose. To steal throught filling door is nearly impossible, especially if tank is not full.
Our drivers to make gas/disesl thiefing difficult put gauze below anty-siphon. They remove fuel sender and do it from inside tank. But... thief can drill hole!
Our drivers to make gas/disesl thiefing difficult put gauze below anty-siphon. They remove fuel sender and do it from inside tank. But... thief can drill hole!
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 421
Likes: 0
From: Canyon Lake Texas
i have a locking gas cap and its paid for its self. last year living in the dorms (gas was about $2.20) my friend and i walked out to the parking lot, discovered every truck and suv had its fill door open and gas caps off with empty tanks!!!! my friends ranger was empty the day before so we were gonna take my ranger to school.. well i had a full tank and NONE of my gas has been stolen i give the credit to the locking cap.
just last week my neighbor had 30 something gal stolen out of his 07 hemi ram! he has a locking gas cap and a new Dimond plate skid plate around his tank! poor guy was leaving for Florida that day and had filled his tank the night before.
As far as the keeping the key for my cap.. 1 of them is on my key ring and a copy is in my truck just not in the cab, i have it wired to the inside of the steak pocket.
just last week my neighbor had 30 something gal stolen out of his 07 hemi ram! he has a locking gas cap and a new Dimond plate skid plate around his tank! poor guy was leaving for Florida that day and had filled his tank the night before.
As far as the keeping the key for my cap.. 1 of them is on my key ring and a copy is in my truck just not in the cab, i have it wired to the inside of the steak pocket.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,242
Likes: 0
From: Kiev, Ukraine
Look under any truck and you will see how easy to remove hose and steal gas throught filling neck. No lock helps. Of course you can install metal plates to deny access to filling neck.
but... some exotics. My friend has Opel Vectra-C known in the USA as Saturn Aura with 3.5 DOHC.
Thiefs open hood (how? nothing is brocken), disconnected fuel line, short fuel pump relay and did all with fuel pump. No drop of gas in tank. Absolutelly empty. Engine did not srart!!!
but... some exotics. My friend has Opel Vectra-C known in the USA as Saturn Aura with 3.5 DOHC.
Thiefs open hood (how? nothing is brocken), disconnected fuel line, short fuel pump relay and did all with fuel pump. No drop of gas in tank. Absolutelly empty. Engine did not srart!!!
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
Likes: 111
From: SW Va
Pablo, on my old 78 Mercury Zypher & Toyotas, you could lay on your back, under the front of the vehicle & using wire hook fashioned from a coat hanger, hook & release the hood latch very quickly & easily, so I imagine thats how they got the hood open without breaking anything.
Probably wouldn't be very difficult to open a locked fuel door that way either!!!!
Probably wouldn't be very difficult to open a locked fuel door that way either!!!!
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,242
Likes: 0
From: Kiev, Ukraine
Probably wouldn't be very difficult to open a locked fuel door that way either!!!!
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Aura fuel tank is located under rear seat and it is really imposible to siphon fuel out. Fuel door is locked with central locking system. Very difficult to open.... but thiefs found another way.
__________________________________________________ __________________
Aura fuel tank is located under rear seat and it is really imposible to siphon fuel out. Fuel door is locked with central locking system. Very difficult to open.... but thiefs found another way.
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