Gas lid refused to open

[Old Cop]

Well, it's my first real road trip in the G8 and what happens at my first stop to get fuel, the lid will not open. Thankfully I had not ran down to fumes and OnStar was able to get me to a GM dealer 14 miles away. Pull in to the service area and the lid is open. Thinking it was just a one time problem I take off several miles down the road I stop to fuel again. Same thing, I had to force the cap open this time. I noticed a pin that apparently is suppose to retract in normal operations but it wasn't. Drove to Vance Air Forced Base after 11 hours in the G8 exited the car and tried to open the lid again, locked. Had dinner with my son came out and it opens. Apparently if you let it sit for a length of time the pin retracts. I'm going to see a GM dealer in Enid before I head back to Indiana. Anyone had similar problems?

FYI 23 mpg cruising at 80 with a/c.

OldCop

[kirkatwork]

You didn't have the car locked did you?

[Patrick G]

The pin engages when you lock the doors, disengages when you unlock them. See if cycling your key fob lock/unlock does anything. If not, you're due to have it serviced at the dealer.

[GM_Fan]

Your car must be unlocked to open your gas cover lid


I have had one instance when the fuel cover lid was locked unexplained to me. A couple lock-unlock pushes on the key fob and it came open.

[Old Cop]

I may have had it locked, probably did, duh! Operator error is my guess. Thanks for the quick responses, probably saved me a trip to the dealer. I'll let the group know, thanks again folks.

Old Cop

[Panzer Leader]

Unless you have a warrant, the Fuel door does not have to open

[Blkg8gt]

unlock the car?http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing001.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)I made that mistake

[Old Cop]

Good one Panzer Leader, I forgot to knock and announce.

Well, it's operator error alright. I'm thankful I didn't damage anything.

You guys saved me an embarassing trip to the dealer, thanks again and thanks Charlie for the great online resource!

OldCop

[00 Trans Ram]

Also, it will not open while in gear. Must be in park.

[jnak]

I think most of us have done that once. My wife likes to lock the car when I get out to fuel up. Now she knows, but at first I kept having to knock on the window to get her to unlock the car.

[OmahaGTP]

First time I pumped gas, I looked all over my driver side for a lever. A good solid 5 minutes. Opened up the manual, glanced around, I wasn't in a great mood so I didn't find what I was looking for.

Walked up to the gas lid... kind of stared at it. Thought to myself "well this is effing great... can't get gas and I'm at a damn gas station."

Then I poked it, and I laughed.

[99-LS1-SS]

First time I pumped gas, I looked all over my driver side for a lever. A good solid 5 minutes. Opened up the manual, glanced around, I wasn't in a great mood so I didn't find what I was looking for.

Walked up to the gas lid... kind of stared at it. Thought to myself "well this is effing great... can't get gas and I'm at a damn gas station."

Then I poked it, and I laughed.

I did the exact same thing! Damn I felt like an idiot. lol

Just to prove that I wasn't retarded, when I got home I asked my wife to come out and open the gas cap to see how long it took her...........it took her about 3 second.....:hang:

[wnt2gofst]

My wife did the same thing. Couldnt figure how to open it. Called me and ask me how. Said it was broke and woudlnt open. She called me back as i was on way to gas station and said she got it. Said she just had doors locked, then she figured out to just push on it

[616 of 933]

i did it to. Was like WTF i got the book out to do it.

[dukeofpg]

I have to keep putting gas in every couple hundred miles. I don't understand. I put $30 in and a few days later it is ready for more.

[-Ray-]

I think most of us have done that once. My wife likes to lock the car when I get out to fuel up. Now she knows, but at first I kept having to knock on the window to get her to unlock the car.

Nice. LOL

[polo]

This kid the works next to where I work got a rental car that had the same kind of locking gas cap. (it was some kind of SUV). He couldn't figure out how to get it open, so he took a screwdriver and tried to pry it open. He still couldn't get it open, and I saw him outside messing with it, so I went out there and showed him how to open it. He didn't do too much damage to it with the screwdriver (just a few scratches), but what a dumbass!

[SRG963]

BTW, It won't shut with the doors locked either :)

[FormerHPB]

This kid the works next to where I work got a rental car that had the same kind of locking gas cap. (it was some kind of SUV). He couldn't figure out how to get it open, so he took a screwdriver and tried to pry it open. He still couldn't get it open, and I saw him outside messing with it, so I went out there and showed him how to open it. He didn't do too much damage to it with the screwdriver (just a few scratches), but what a dumbass!

I think some idiot at the dealer did that with my car. Had a chip on the gas door and scratch on the quarter panel. Called the dealer and they say, "Are you sure you dind't park it anywhere where someone might have tried to pry it open?" LOL! So I had to go drop my car off for them to fix. Got an awful loaner. They wanted to stick me with a chevy HHR. Holy crap is taht car a POS. 80 miles on the thing but the directional chime was so annoying. Would drive me nuts if I had to hear that all the time. I ended up with a Chevy Traverse. I don't know what ever happened to dealers giving you comparable vehicles as a loaner...

[HoldenMan21]

Did the same thing ! lol !

[Punisher]

when I first baught the car the salesman couldnt figure it out either until we unlocked the car to look for a button or lever and thats when we got the door to open....never had a car with this feature...the salesman felt pretty stupid

[Blown396]

I did this same thing the other day when I was alone and had to pay cash. :) Although, I didnt force it open. I just figured Id try unarming the car and Pop! The gas door flew open. I usually have someone with me when filling up and never need to lock up the car. When I did do this I was in a little bit of a panic because I was near empty. Nice feature, though.

[darkan]

Happened to me with my first fill-up, too. I busted out the owner's manual right in front of the pump.
Made me feel dumb, but this is the only car I've ever had that didn't have a little handle to pull to open the fuel door.

[supercharger]

Pretty smart idea if you ask me. Just makes us look stupid one time.

Funny story...a friend of mine in NY has one of those tubular steel cargo things that flip down onto the tailgate of a pick up truck. He lowers it into position then tells me its a pain in the ass to unlatch. I watch him forcefully push each tailgate latch in to release the thing...then tell him to lower it again. I then reach under the tailgate and pull on the release handle, which of course releases the cargo thingy. The thing that is even funnier is his best bud Paul was doing the same shit with his truck..LOL, their both like "You GOT to be kidding me!!" Considering I've never owned a truck and it was my first time seeing the cargo thing in use, I decided right then I needed to find some smarter friends :)

[Old Cop]

After all this time I went back to look at what few post I've made and found this one, good laughs! I'm about to become a regular as I recently married off the youngest son to a beautiful lass from Michigan! Mom, says okay we can start saving for your mods and a month later I severely sprain my knee. Will have an MRI very soon, I hope! All the years of dodging bullets and punches and I hurt myself climbing up onto a truck!

Mods are coming, maggie down the line!

OldCop