Mazda Rotary Club

General => General Technical => Topic started by: Jim_rx7 on March 25, 2007, 03:08:16 PM

Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: Jim_rx7 on March 25, 2007, 03:08:16 PM
My fuel cap cover will not open!!

The little black bit which moves back and forth when you press the lever was sticking once opened, so you couldn\'t close the cap without pulling the little bit out with some pliers.

Today I took the nut off the front of it, greased it up etc and it seeme to be working. Tested it once and it opened and let it close again. Tested it a second time and it wouldn\'t open!!

You can hear a noise at the cap area as if it\'s trying to move, but it won\'t. I don\'t know if I\'ve maybe tightened the nut up too far and it is moving, but simply can\'t move far enough to release the cap (because tightening the nut pulled it out to far and now it can\'t travel far enough back to release the cap?).

Anyway... I\'m stumped. Pulling the lever isn\'t opening it up. The cable is still attached etc as you can hear it moving at the cap area. Is there any way to get access to the back of it??

Help!! :(  I need to put petrol in!!! lol
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: McCARTHY on March 25, 2007, 03:33:54 PM
You could lift the carpet on the driver side and pull the cable by hand?

This is a tuff one otherwise. I had this once and basically part of the cap release mechansim had broken I had to quite forcfully break the cover off to fix it. It didn\'t cost much to re-place but its one of thise things that if you just pull it it will break.

try pulling the cable by hand first just go under the carpet as i said that way you can rule out a dodgey lever?

Sorry can\'t be more help.
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: Jim_rx7 on March 25, 2007, 03:39:47 PM
The carpet in the boot? Or in the drivers footwell area?

I could just yank the cover off, but it would snap the little bit that moves back and forth.
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: Jim_rx7 on March 25, 2007, 04:38:25 PM
Well the panic\'s over! Phew!! .... lol

If you look in the this pic....

(http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/586/imageupload10799830ia1.jpg)

.....the little plastic bit had somehow came out of where it\'s supposed to live. I put it back in and viola, it worked again.

Only thing is the little plastic bit which releases the petrol cap still sticks.

(http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/4474/imageupload8756175iu2.jpg)

It only does it if I push the lever to release it too far. You can release it without having to push it all the way tho.

So phew... panic over! I can now go and put petrol in the car... and go for a wee drive! :)
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: Adie Moore on March 25, 2007, 05:25:11 PM
yeah, mine does that same thing, so now i watch in the pasanger wing mirrow, so as soon as i see it pop open, i stop pushing the leaver. just another little querk that makes these cars loveable.:2Confused
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: Jim_rx7 on March 25, 2007, 05:26:21 PM
I tried greasing it up etc, but it still sticks. Oh well... :)
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: iaint on March 25, 2007, 10:50:13 PM
I suspect it\'s sticking somewhere along the length of the cable.  Mine does it too, guessing it\'s a very common issue!!
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: interloper393 on March 25, 2007, 11:14:07 PM
try wd40, thinner so will soak in better m8
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: Ricco_04 on March 25, 2007, 11:15:29 PM
I had the little plastic bit on mine stick so I couldn\'t close the filler cover - I know you said you greased it up but I used WD40 on mine and pressed it a few times and redid a few times.  There was a bit of oily muck that came out so there could be some crud in there which is making it stick?

Could be wrong but it may help :)
Title: Emergency help required please!?!?!!!
Post by: Jim_rx7 on March 25, 2007, 11:47:17 PM
I\'ll try some wd40! :)