Ford's Easy Fuel system is deterrent to fuel thieves

Ford's Easy Fuel system which prevents the expensive mistake of misfuelling is also proving a deterrent to petrol and diesel thieves.

The escalating value of fuel has led to thefts from vehicles increasing in the past year.

While Ford Easy Fuel - fitted as standard to top-selling models including Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus and Ford Mondeo - was designed to make refuelling simple and error-free, but it also makes syphoning extremely difficult.

The technology behind Easy Fuel adds extra layers of security behind the external fuel filler opening, which is anyway secured as part of the vehicle's central locking, to inhibit forced entry and syphoning.

Easy Fuel's spring-loaded flap is held closed by two latches that can only be released by a standard-size fuel nozzle. When the proper nozzle is inserted into the filler neck of the system, the latches release and the nozzle pushes the spring-loaded flap to the open position. When the nozzle is removed, the flap is automatically and firmly closed by the spring.

Easy Fuel also has a patented inhibitor designed to prevent improper fuelling and syphoning. If a nozzle or foreign tube of a different size - a diesel nozzle or plastic hose - is placed in the filler neck of a petrol-powered vehicle, the latches won't release. For a diesel-powered vehicle, the inhibitor will keep out the smaller nozzles.