Gas-loving spider prompts Mazda recall in U.S

[Dimmauk]

Gas-loving spider prompts Mazda recall in U.S.
Reuters

– Fri Mar 4, 4:03 am ET

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) – A spider that likes the smell of gasoline so much it chooses to build its webs in car emission systems was behind the recall of thousands of Mazda cars in the United States this week.

Mazda Motor Corp said on Thursday it was recalling 52,000 cars after the National Highway Safety Commission said the spider webs may restrict a vent line, which could cause the emissions control system to increase pressure in the fuel tank.

The build-up of webs in the emission systems could lead to fuel tank cracks and possible leaks.

The culprit is the Yellow Sac spider, which makes the Mazda6 model of Mazda cars its home because it is lured inside by the smell of the fuel. The Mazda6 is known as the Atenza in Japan.

"While it's very rare, this spider's distinguishing characteristic is that it likes the smell of gasoline, caused by the hydrogen oxide," said automotive journalist Mitsuhiro Kunisawa.

"Once it smells the gasoline from outside, it will go inside. In the United States, it's a relatively common type of spider."

The affected model, the Mazda6, has two pipes coming out from its gas tank, which is extremely rare and means that the smell of gasoline is strong enough to draw the spider in but not strong enough to kill it, Kunisawa said.

He added that there was no similar problem with any other Mazda car.

As part of the recall, dealers will install a spring to prevent spiders such as the Yellow Sac from entering the vent line.

(Reporting by Reuters Television in Tokyo and John Crawley in Washington; editing by Elaine Lies)

Spider pic!

Spoiler: show

http://entomology.unl.edu/images/spi...anthium_m1.jpg

[Takedown3]

this is one reason to buy american

[AoE]

this is one reason to buy american

admin: Link removed due to new policy

[izembo]

you do realize mazda is mostly owned by an american company...?

[Takedown3]

'mostly owned by an american company' doesn't make it any less japenese

[Velgadess]

not any more

Amidst the world financial crisis in the fall of 2008, reports emerged that Ford was contemplating a sale of its stake in Mazda as a way of streamlining its asset base.[6] BusinessWeek explained the alliance between Ford and Mazda has been a very successful one, with Mazda saving perhaps $90 million a year in development costs and Ford "several times" that, and that a sale of its stake in Mazda would be a desperate measure.[7] On November 18, 2008, Ford announced that it would be selling a 20% stake in Mazda, bringing its stake to 13.4%, and surrendering control of the company.[8][9] The following day, Mazda announced that, as part of the deal, it was buying back 6.8% of its shares from Ford.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda

[Kerberoz]

Spiders are Fucking Awesome.

Also "hydrogen oxide". Wut.

[Heavencloud]

Spiders are Fucking Awesome.

Also "hydrogen oxide". Wut.

Apparently the automotive journalist didn't pass chemistry

[Niiro]

"Water" is just so blasé.

[drglass4]

Side note: Ford Fusions (and like models of Mercury and Lincoln) are made in Mexico. That is all. Nothing is domestic anymore.

Sweet spider though lol

[Khamsin]

"Water" is just so blasé.

Water would be dihydrogen oxide or something, this should just be hydroxide. Assuming they mean OH-.

[izembo]

dihydrogen monoxide is water

[Restrat]

OH- is just 'hydroxide'