This matter of OEM gas caps

[BillinNM]

This is how ignorant I am. The check engine light came on for the first time at 119,000 miles on my 2018 Ram crewcab Tradesman with the Pentastar. I went to a nearby O'Reilly and they ran the code machine and came up with P0456, "minor evaporative leak" -- likely the gas cap, which i promptly reefed down as best I could. The light stayed on so I took it to a trusted auto shop and they ran the reset process and cleared the code. I asked if gas cap gaskets tend to fail and the tech looked at mine and said, yup, hard as a rock and he advised -- though he said it pained him -- to go to the dealer and order an OEM cap, as the aftermarket caps often have problems of their own. So I walk into our dealer's parts department and tell them what I need and they ask, is it a Dodge or a Ram. Huh? Then they had to 'splain to this pilgrim that Dodge and Ram are separate entities, and that a Dodge gas cap might not fit a Ram. News to me. So I go get the VIN number, noticing that my "Dodge" truck says RAM 1500 right there on the front of the truck. Another Duh moment. How could I have missed this for the last seven years? So yes, it is a Ram, and we order the Ram OEM gas cap. The kicker? The cap for a Dodge was $6.05. The Ram cap was $46.87.

 

[Adamcr68]

This is how ignorant I am. The check engine light came on for the first time at 119,000 miles on my 2018 Ram crewcab Tradesman with the Pentastar. I went to a nearby O'Reilly and they ran the code machine and came up with P0456, "minor evaporative leak" -- likely the gas cap, which i promptly reefed down as best I could. The light stayed on so I took it to a trusted auto shop and they ran the reset process and cleared the code. I asked if gas cap gaskets tend to fail and the tech looked at mine and said, yup, hard as a rock and he advised -- though he said it pained him -- to go to the dealer and order an OEM cap, as the aftermarket caps often have problems of their own. So I walk into our dealer's parts department and tell them what I need and they ask, is it a Dodge or a Ram. Huh? Then they had to 'splain to this pilgrim that Dodge and Ram are separate entities, and that a Dodge gas cap might not fit a Ram. News to me. So I go get the VIN number, noticing that my "Dodge" truck says RAM 1500 right there on the front of the truck. Another Duh moment. How could I have missed this for the last seven years? So yes, it is a Ram, and we order the Ram OEM gas cap. The kicker? The cap for a Dodge was $6.05. The Ram cap was $46.87.

We all have those moments, so just to pile on, when you say vin number, you’re saying number twice.
The “n” in vin is number.
Glad you got it fixed, the gas cap warning light is for entire emissions system, at least on my 15’, after I bought a new cap to fix mine and the a part that sits on top of the tank I found a vent hose disconnected that was the problem.
If I had just looked first it would’ve been a free fix, I just tell myself the cap would needed to be replaced eventually and now I have the part if I need it in future, but because I already have it I never need it.

 

[mtofell]

The “n” in vin is number.

Wonder if OP had to go get the gas cap money out of the ATM machine?

 

[stenerson]

I had to replace mine a year ago. Aftermarket autozone about 12 bucks. No problem yet.

 

[BenchTest]

And you'll probably find out that code will come back 952 more times. It'll either be the gas cap or not. Or one of the 3 miles of emissions related hoses, solenoids, valves, blah blah on the system. I went down that road with the cap for a while. Bought an aftermarket, code recurred, so I convinced myself "oh, it's because it's aftermarket". Bought the $93,000 OEM cap, installed, cleared the code, came back a few months later. Then got another code that equated to whatever... It will stay cleared for a while then recur in some form or fashion. How many of you know that there is a filter on the filler neck up inside the fender well that collects dust/crud and blocks proper tank venting? Hmmm, yup, there is. Those will get plugged with years of crud and guess what....

 

[BenchTest]

Wonder if OP had to go get the gas cap money out of the ATM machine?

BAHAHA...that's personal to me. Having worked in banking automation for years, specializing in ATM deployment/service/upgrades, I heard "ATM Machine" all the time and it made me and my guys cringe every time. It triggered the response of "Yes, the Automated Teller Machine Machine is right around the corner, corner". Acronyms can be crippling to some.

 

[mtofell]

BAHAHA...that's personal to me. Having worked in banking automation for years, specializing in ATM deployment/service/upgrades, I heard "ATM Machine" all the time and it made me and my guys cringe every time. It triggered the response of "Yes, the Automated Teller Machine Machine is right around the corner, corner". Acronyms can be crippling to some.

And I'm not trying to jab at OP at all.... we've all done it. I can't count how many times I've said, "VIN Number" or "ATM Machine".

Here's one that plagues my industry..... "hot water heater"

 

[BenchTest]

And I'm not trying to jab at OP at all.... we've all done it. I can't count how many times I've said, "VIN Number" or "ATM Machine".

Here's one that plagues my industry..... "hot water heater"

Was just having this discussion with a friend recently. "My hot water heater is flaking out..." yeah, it went downhill quickly.

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

As an aside, if you have the time, some sandpaper or emry cloth rubbed around the lip of the filler neck where the gas cap fits will knock off any accumulated debris and a little Vaseline on the gas cap seal will allow the cap to seal and typically buy you several months if not more.

I've been in a dodge or a ram since 1987, bought 1 gas cap. Learned the above have not bought 1 since

 

[BenchTest]

As an aside, if you have the time, some sandpaper or emry cloth rubbed around the lip of the filler neck where the gas cap fits will knock off any accumulated debris and a little Vaseline on the gas cap seal will allow the cap to seal and typically buy you several months if not more.

I've been in a dodge or a ram since 1987, bought 1 gas cap. Learned the above have not bought 1 since

I do similar on my vehicles. ScotchBrite pad and lithium grease. Same concept, different ingredients. Good plan!

 

[tap4154]

If anyone needs a locking cap, I've been using this one on my 2018 1500 since February 2020. No issues at all

Amazon.com: Stant Flex Fuel Regular Locking Fuel Cap, yellow : Automotive

Buy Stant Flex Fuel Regular Locking Fuel Cap, yellow: Fuel Tank Caps - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

a.co

 

[Wild one]

If anyone needs a locking cap, I've been using this one on my 2018 1500 since February 2020. No issues at all

Amazon.com: Stant Flex Fuel Regular Locking Fuel Cap, yellow : Automotive

Buy Stant Flex Fuel Regular Locking Fuel Cap, yellow: Fuel Tank Caps - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

a.co

Try siphoning fuel out of your tank

 

[tap4154]

Try siphoning fuel out of your tank

I get it... you don't like locking gas caps, you don't like shutters on radiators, and you want to change your transmission fluid every year. That's fine for you. It's a big world, and we can all have our viewpoints. By the way, the locking cap doesn't just stop siphoning, it could stop someone dumping something nefarious into the tank, or just stealing it because they need a cap.

 

[Dean2]

Try siphoning fuel out of your tank

Around here, the bad guys just use a hole saw through the tank. Ruins the tank but they get 5 gallons of free gas, buttwads. That said, a lot of guys around here have locking gas caps to keep people from putting crap into the tank. Water, sand and sugar were quite common for a few years. They called it a prank, but it is not the least bit funny and it is expensive to fix.

tap - i see we were posting at the same time.

 

[Wild one]

I get it... you don't like locking gas caps, you don't like shutters on radiators, and you want to change your transmission fluid every year. That's fine for you. It's a big world, and we can all have our viewpoints. By the way, the locking cap doesn't just stop siphoning, it could stop someone dumping something nefarious into the tank, or just stealing it because they need a cap.

Quit p!$$ing people off,and you won't have any issues with somebody pouring crap into your tank

 

[Wild one]

Around here, the bad guys just use a hole saw through the tank. Ruins the tank but they get 5 gallons of free gas, buttwads. That said, a lot of guys around here have locking gas caps to keep people from putting crap into the tank. Water, sand and sugar were quite common for a few years. They called it a prank, but it is not the least bit funny and it is expensive to fix.

tap - i see we were posting at the same time.

Edmonton has some whacked people up there,as in 65 years i've never had any issues with stuff being poured into my tank

 

[StateOfMind]

Everyone here calls all facial tissue "kleenex", and flying discs "frisbee". Saying VIN number is part of the lexicon. We know what the OP is saying, why give the bloke a hard time?

 

[Bj Binette]

And to top it off, my 5th gen doesn't even require a gas cap .
Speaking of which, are the any caps out there that would fit? I'd still rather have one.

 

[Ocelot]

And to top it off, my 5th gen doesn't even require a gas cap .
Speaking of which, are the any caps out there that would fit? I'd still rather have one.

Same with my 5th gen, no cap. I was going to see if there was a locking fuel door but haven't gotten around to it yet. When I bought the truck, I was surprised there wasn't a latch inside the truck to open the fuel door especially since there isn't any gas cap, just the push-in seal for the gas pump nozzle.

 

[mikeru]

And to top it off, my 5th gen doesn't even require a gas cap .
Speaking of which, are the any caps out there that would fit? I'd still rather have one.

You could check with Benny at @AllMoparParts.com to see if there's a Mopar solution. Otherwise, here's a popular locking cap for gasoline fueled 5th gen 1500's...

19-24 Ram 1500 DT SERIES Locking Fuel Filler Dust Cap (GAS ONLY)

Locking fuel filler cap for gasoline engine Ram 1500 trucks. Includes 1 key.

www.genosgarage.com