Stupid question? Filler cap

Technical Area Body, Interior & Styling
2

Ok, silly question time, please be merciful with the stupid answers

 

When I pull the release for my fuel filler cap it doesn’t pop up meaning it’s either a two person operation or I can just about reach both the cap to press on it and pull the lever with the top down.

 

Should the cap be spring loaded in any way? Any ideas on how to achieve this? maybe an existing spring has gone AWOL?

Help!

 

Thanks in advance

 

Pete

3

Have you tried a bit of lubricant on the hinges and mechanism?

4

Hi!  If the release is inside the car it’s a one-person operation.  Do as Ma5da suggests and try some WD40.  Good luck!

5
6

Not sure which MK you have but I’ve had a similar issue on my MK3. I have a chrome filler cap in place of the OEM one. I ended up with a liberal application of lubricant I picked up on the Circuite Historiqe rally last year ( I knew it could come in handy one day  ) worked the flap a few times and works as intended now! Mine has some rubber “spacers” which I think we’re sticking to the underside on the main bodywork, all good now. IIRC, there is a little bit of spring steel on the filler cap ( where the hinge is ) which is under  compression when closed, you could try bending it slightly to increase the spring effect?

Barrie

7

Appreciate all the answers.
The cap on mine is an ever so pretty chrome one and there’s no issue with stiffness (oh er mrs) but there is no spring  involved.
Might need to look at pulling it in bits and seeing what I can cram in from out of my bodging box???

8

With the cap open, look inside at the open edge of the chrome surround, and there’s a small rubber stop which prevents the flap from going to far. This is the cause of stickiness, often mentioned on miata.net. I cured mine temporarily by sticking some self adhesive tape over it, but treatment with a good rubber restorer would do the job better. Resolved that one, now despite fitting an opener ram on the boot lid, it sticks on the rubber seal, so it needs a lift with a finger to operate. Which proves I need a a quantity of restorer to finish the job.

  • I’m a cheapskate! Oiling the filler cap hinge may cure it, but sooner or later it will stick on the rubber stop.
9

Ambobeer, there is no such thing as a stupid question - it’s only stupid when you don’t ask. The knowledge base here is second to none so… ask away as someone else will have wished they had asked.

 

Enjoy your car.

 

John