1997 Ford Ranger

DURING FUELING OF VEHICLE A STRONG SMELL OF GAS WAS OCCURRING AT EACH FUELING. I FIRST NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE MOISTURE UNDER THE TRUCK AND BEING IN A HIGH TEMP/HUMIDITY ENVIRONMENT THOUGHT IT WAS AC CONDENSATION. RECENTLY WHILE NOT RUNNING THE AC NOTICED THE LEAKAGE AND CRAWLED UNDER THE TRUCK AND SMELL THE LIQUID. IT WAS GAS. I AM VERY CONCERNED SINCE THE LEAK IS VERY CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND AS WELL AS BEING AN ENVIRONMENTAL (EPA) HAZARD. IT IS AMAZING THE ECM MODULE FUEL EVAPORATIVE EMISSION SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT THE DEFECT IN THE CLOSED LOOP EMISSION SYSTEM AND SET AN EMISSION ERROR FAULT CODE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY GALLONS OF FUEL LEAKED DUE TO THIS CONDITIONS. IT IS IMPORTANT WE HAVE 'NO OZONE ACTION DAYS' WHERE REFUELING IS RESTRICTED BUT ALLOW KNOWN DEFECTS. AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE WHICH FORD MODELS /YEARS USED THIS LESS THAN ROBUST FUEL SUPPLY CONNECTION SYSTEMS. IF A PROPER DESIGN FMEA AND SHA (SAFETY HAZARD ANALYSIS) WERE CONDUCTED FOR THE FUEL SUPPLY TUBE AND ITS MATING CONNECTIONS. THIS CONDITION SHOULD REPORTED FOR A RECALL FOR THE POTENTIAL SAFETY, EMISSIONS ISSUES (HEALTH,OZONE) AND DETERMINE WHY THE ECM DOES NOT DETECT A EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS LEAK CONDITION. *NM

ON JAN 5, 2006 WHILE RE-FUELING MY 1997 FORD RANGE AT MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE A LADY ON THE NEXT FUEL PUMP TOLD ME THAT I WAS LEAKING SOMETHING FROM UNDER MY VEHICLE. I STOPPED PUMPING FUEL TO SEE WHAT IS WAS BUT THE LEEK STOP. I THEN CONTINUE TO REFUEL MY VEHICLE AND THE LEEK STARTED ONCE AGAIN IN LARGE QUANITIES. AFTER REFUELING I WENT TO THE SERVICE CENTER AT MACDILL AIR FORCE AND GOT THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE SERVICE PERSON TOLD ME THAT FUEL FILLER LINE TO THE GAS TANK HAD MULTIPLE CRACKS AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

1997 FORD RANGER REEKS FUEL DURING FILLING AT PUMP. STOPS WHEN FILLING STOPS. CHECKED FUEL FILL LINE AND TANK, FOUND LARGE CRACK IN FILL LINE ABOVE HOSE CLAMP. TANK AND LINE HAVE NEVER BEEN REMOVED BEFORE. THIS TYPE OF HOSE SHOULDN'T BE SPLITTING. CONTACTED SEVERAL AUTO STORES ONLY AVAILABLE AT DEALER. COST $200+ IN MY AREA. *JB

I HAVE BEEN SMELLING GAS FROM BETWEEN THE CAB AND BED OF THE TRUCK, A 1997 FORD RANGER 2.3L. I PULLED THE BED OFF THE FRAME AND FOUND THE GAS FILLER NECK SPLIT AT BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM AT THE HOSE CLAMPS. THE SPLITS ARE SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE GAS TO LEAK FROM THE FUEL TANK AS WELL AS FUMES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *JB

SAFETY DEFECT: THE GASOLINE REFILL HOSE TO THE GAS TANK IS CRACKED AT BOTH ENDS. RECENTLY, I TOTALLY FILLED THE GAS TANK, AND GASOLINE SPILLED UNDER THE HOT VEHICLE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I DISCOVERED THAT 3 CRACKS IN THE REFUEL HOSE CAUSED THE SPILL. MY TRUCK IS A 1997 FORD RANGER; HOWEVER, EVEN AFTER 8 YEARS THIS HOSE SHOULD NOT HAVE SUCH LARGE CRACKS. MY FORD RANGER IS TYPICAL, AND I WOULD SUSPECT THAT OTHERS HAVE THIS SAME DEFECT BUT PERHAPS IN A MORE MODERATE WAY. I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE CRACKS AT BOTH ENDS AND THEY ARE LOCATED AT THE CONNECTION POINT TO THE GAS TANK AND THE EXTERNAL GAS INPUT PORT. NOTE: THE GASOLINE SPILL STOPPED AFTER REFUELING AND AFTER THE GASOLINE INSIDE THE HOSE HAD SPILLED TO THE GROUND. I HAVE NOT YET REPLACED THE HOSE. *NM