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A spider which wove a web inside a car's engine has prompted Mazda to recall 52 000 vehicles across the United States to outfit them with special arachnid screens.
The problem was discovered in October 2009 when a dealer found a spider's web in a canister vent line when a customer brought a Mazda 6 in for repairs after it started leaking fuel.
The dealer investigated further and it was determined that the web had blocked the vent and caused "excessive vacuum" in the fuel tank which "eventually resulted in a crack in the fuel tank through repetitive negative pressure stress", Mazda said in filings with safety regulators.
Dealers will inspect all the vehicles for cracks, clean out the vents, install a "spring to prohibit spider intrusion" and re-program the powertrain control module to avoid a build up of pressure in the tank.
If any webs or damage are found, the canister and fuel tank will be replaced.
The problem was discovered in October 2009 when a dealer found a spider's web in a canister vent line when a customer brought a Mazda 6 in for repairs after it started leaking fuel.
The dealer investigated further and it was determined that the web had blocked the vent and caused "excessive vacuum" in the fuel tank which "eventually resulted in a crack in the fuel tank through repetitive negative pressure stress", Mazda said in filings with safety regulators.
Dealers will inspect all the vehicles for cracks, clean out the vents, install a "spring to prohibit spider intrusion" and re-program the powertrain control module to avoid a build up of pressure in the tank.
If any webs or damage are found, the canister and fuel tank will be replaced.
