FAQ: Fuel Door Release Problems

You can hear it try to disengage when you hit the button. All it does is click. Anyone know how to get the door open?

Thanks!!
james

pull the release in the trunk

This actually just happened to mine.. when I get the chance, i'm going to pull the release mechanism out, because only the little nipple at the end works, not the entire thing,,

Mine does the same thing now and then too, like Matthew said you can "pull the release in the trunk", or, since my release cable was not accessible for a while, I was able to get it open by tapping on the door while someone else was pushing the button.

this happened to me too....I adjusted (bent) the catch a bit and it now works again, but I have to hit the release button several times before it pops....some fine tuning (bending) should get it working on the first hit

Ya you just have to play with it aliitle bit, and try using a little silicone spray and that should get it worrking like new again, I know thats what I usually do with mine, because it just seems to gunk up sometimes.

If you go inside the door there is a little spring that loses it's springyness after 10 years. Pry it back out with a screwdriver and it will work again for a few months, but you can't buy it separately. I bought a new gas door to get a new spring...

I hoped this thread would fix my problem. Well, it appears I may have a bad relay and will have to use the manual release till I fix it.

that happened to mine also? should I just spray it with wd 40

Chicken wrote:

this happened to me too....I adjusted (bent) the catch a bit and it now works again, but I have to hit the release button several times before it pops....some fine tuning (bending) should get it working on the first hit

Yep. That's what I did too. It works fine now. Every once in a while I'll have to hit it twice.

Quote :

I hoped this thread would fix my problem. Well, it appears I may have a bad relay and will have to use the manual release till I fix it.

If it's clicking...your relay is working.

RhinoFLA wrote:

This actually just happened to mine.. when I get the chance, i'm going to pull the release mechanism out, because only the little nipple at the end works, not the entire thing,,

I haven't looked at it in a while, but I think that's all that does work. At least on mine.

So i sprayed mine down and cleaned it works great

for some reason now my fuel door release button on the driver door doesn't make that clicking sound. I think it might be because of the cold, it was working perfectly like two days ago but since we dropped to 25 it stopped working, any insight?

I think the relay might also be out cuz the button no longer does anything, not even a click like most other people

What happens when you pull the release in the trunk? Does the door spring open?

When you are washing the car, consider using a sponge or some such with a spray-on cleaner (like Simple Green, or teh Castrol stuff in teh purple bottle/can) to wash the gunk off the gas door hinge, then use WD-40 or lubri-plate (a spray on lube that clots up in the air and stays where you spray it) to re-lube the hinge. If your hinge is rusty you may want to use some steel wool to clean it off, then when it's dry apply a rust converter (makes it a black primer in a day or so) and then schmeer it with axle grease (squeeze some from your grease gun) or spray with the lithium stuff used on garage door hardware.

Albertj

ya it springs open when i pulled the release in the trunk, so its the switch that isn't working

I have this same problem. Door clicks with I hit the button so it's just binding somewhere. Will try a little more bending of the tab that sits against the rubber stopper in the door. I'm guessing that piece gets bent the wrong way over time so that it sticks. Will also clean everything in there with WD-40.

DEMonte1997 wrote:

I have this same problem. Door clicks with I hit the button so it's just binding somewhere. Will try a little more bending of the tab that sits against the rubber stopper in the door. I'm guessing that piece gets bent the wrong way over time so that it sticks. Will also clean everything in there with WD-40.

Open it up and get someone else to hit the button. The solenoid that opens the plunger might be sticking or worn. Maybe get replacement from Ed Morad if that is the case.

Albertj

And this morning I must have pulled the gas tank cover release in the trunk too hard and now it won't close... how hard is that fix? (95 Riv sc) (I don't know why my Signature won't show)

I suspect grime in the gas door area, the release is just a small plastic pin that gets retracted by a cable. The cable is frozen or the pin is stuck closed. There is also an 'emergency release' cable in the trunk, right behind the gas door. Make sure nothing is pulling on that.

In your user prefs you need to 'enable' your sig. Go to your Profile page, click on the Preferences section and "Always Attach My Signature"

All else fails use a slightly bent platic card like a debit card and insert were the latch and the lid meet and presto

All I had to do to mine when it wouldn't open was:
#1 Open it manually
#2 Clean and lube with WD-40

That was several months ago and no problem yet.

Have added lubing the mechanism to my Preventive Maintenance items.