I just did a little internet reading. I had no idea. A forum I landed on said that (some?) manufacturers provide a special funnel for capless systems in case you run out of gas and need to pour some in from a can...the funnel pushes past the check-valves. Lots of trust to keep out dirt & water.
I have a funnel supplied with car I don't think I would have bought the car if I still worked full time in the city.
I just bought a car last year because living in the country, I've got to have reliable transportation. I found that my 130,000+ mile truck was constraining, and we don't have Enterprise out here. Living outside of DC, I mostly owned cash-on-the-barrel-head beaters because my commutes and shopping were such short trips, and I could readily rent a car for trips. Plus most of the newer cars have Direct Inject engines, which are not really designed for continuous short drives.
@Beth Gallagher Then, there is still a "gas hole" where you insert a fuel pump nozzle.......therefore, an automatically-opening cap must allow access. Can it not be seen? Or, the little "door" which opens to access the fill-hole, actually serves as a gas cap, having the necessary sealing mechanism to prevent escape of fumes. That must be it. Why do this? Danged if I see reason to...... Frank
From what I read, there are two hinged gates or seals down the filler tube. That's why some manufacturers provide a special funnel for use if you run out of gas. I read stories of people trying to put in gas from a can and it spilled all over the place, because the nozzle on the can was not long enough (or designed properly) to get past the second flap...if I understand it correctly. I wonder if you gotta be extra careful to shove the nozzle all the way in when filling up at the pump. I have never heard of this.
Regarding capless gas filler tanks today. To me the gaudiness takes away from the beauty of the vehicle. https://www.carprousa.com/Capless-Gas-Tanks-Pros-and-Cons/a/5
@John Brunner, the ones that I've seen didn't have a door attached. I could've been mistaken but I've seen it more than once or twice.
Yes, they do. You don't see the gas cap (or lack of) until you open the filler door. ETA... Here's my gas filler; open and closed.
Well, I just checked to see if there was enough 'give' to change the battery terminals and it's not. It looks like to be done the cables would also have to be changed. There was a covering over the cables so I couldn't even tell where to disconnect them. So I'll have to have it done by a mechanic.
The first photo is what I have been seeing. My thought was 'Uh oh, they lost the cover.' and they probably did.
Well, we always learn through the process, huh? The mechanic will likely replace the entire cables...end-to-end. With winter coming, it will give you peace of mind to have this done.
Now if there are extending cables, I know I'm taking the Jeep to a mechanic and let them do the work.