Gas leaking from the cap area of the gas tank

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P0442 Ford Evaporative Emission System Leak Detected Small Leak

Change gas cap.

You probably have a ground wire not making contact to ground on the front tank sending unit. OR the sending unit itself inside the tank is faulty. Either way, when a gas guage goes to full all the time (empty or full), this indicates that NO ground is available for the sending unit.

replace front fuel pump because gauge is made into fuel pump and not serviceable. Or poor boy way of getting by would be fill front tank with gas reset mileage drive normal for a day. refill again with gas note gallons used and mileage driven for average miles per gallon. front tank should be around 17 gallons multiply by mile per gallon you figured

Thanks for choosing FixYa and welcome. You may need to purchase a new cap first. You need to go to that same area and look under the vehicle. Check out all your gas lines, some run to the tank and the others come from the tank to the front of the vehicle. You may have a leak. Check the gas tank also and make sure nothing is punctured. You could have a clogged fuel filter if you haven't changed it in awhile. It needs changed between 30,000-50,000, give or take in that range.

The bad gas cap is related to the evaporative emissions what happens is the gas that is not used in the engine return to the tank via the 2nd hose. The tank is pressurized very lightly by this and a sensor detects whether or not the air escapes. So if the cap is loose or there is a leak in a hose the code will set. Since you also have a leak I would start there first. The straps most likely are not cutting the tank the epa would have a fit. Most likely the the gas is coming from above the tank and working its way down the straps. Lowering the fuel tank requirs raising the car quite high. If you are able to inspect the area and reach it I think the leak would be in the gas lines above the tank. Or from the filler tubes when you fill with gas. If you can see the gas leak but are unable to reach it take it to a shop. This may fix the light if not a shop with a (smoke machine) will pump smoke into the system and search for air leaks that way. Good luck .

If you have ANY DAMP SURFACE AT ALL on that Tank You DO Have a Leak and it Must be Found,
The Steal Fuel Lines around the tank Get Rusty and Leak You must ELIMINATE Any POSSIBLE Leak, as this can Turn into A Tragidy.

your tank vents are blocked.

A FORD EQUIPED WITH DUAL TANKS THIS YEAR MODEL HAS CHECK VALVES IN THE FUEL PUMPS .THE FUEL RUNS FROM THE REAR TANK WHEN IT IS POWERED ON TO A TEE AND INTO THE SAME LINE AS THE FRONT PUMP . THE PROBLEM IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FRONT FUEL PUMP THERE IS A CHECK VALVE ON THE FOOT AND IT IS NOT WORKING.WHILE THE TRUCK IS RUNNING WITH THE REAR FUEL PUMP ON IT IS PUMPING FUEL INTO THE FRONT TANK . IT WILL RUN OUT OF THE NECK WHEN IT IS FULL.THE FIX IS SIMPLE REPLACE THE FRONT FUEL PUMP. THEY DONT MAKE A CHECK VALVE REPLACEMENT I CHECKED I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS YOU.

could be an exhaust leak, or a bad gas cap.  gas caps have a vent that allows air to escape from the tank safely, if you notice a depressurizing sound when you take the gas cap off it should be replaced, it's possible that the air is building up in the tank and leaking out somewhere it shouldn't be, in which case this is very unsafe so please be careful if you must drive it this way.