A locking gas-cap?

[Ben_Who]

I had to buy a new car when my old one threw its bit on Saturday. Coincidentally, I'd been car shopping just a few weeks before, though like a dummy I'd decided not to buy at the time, so I had all the research done. I went to a dealership and picked out an '09 Versa, though I probably shouldn't be buying anything when I'm in a bad mood, and car dealerships unleash my inner bastard at the best of times.

The dealership fills the tanks of their new cars before the customers drive them off the lot. Pretty nice of them; I don't remember other dealerships doing so. They detailed the car and rolled it off to their on-site tanks to fill it up.

After about half an hour, I noticed they'd been gone an awfully long time. (You're never bored with a cell phone and a Peter David book.) Just as I was about to ask how long it takes to fill a 13.5 gallon tank, the salesperson returned, and explained. The car's last owner had fitted it - unnecessarily, given the design of the pipe and the placement of the latch - with a locking gas cap, and not provided them with a key. And they'd been trying to get the damn thing off. And they hadn't gotten it off yet. Not only that, they'd had to send out to their parts dealer down the road for a new gas cap. So the car wasn't going to move for at least another half-hour anyway.

Are bad days contagious?

[NecessaryCatharsis]

I guess the bright side was that you were in a climate controlled car dealership while someone else sorted it for you, and not out in the rain at a gas station, with a car with no gas, no way to get a key, and on your way to being late for work?

Hope once the gas cap is sorted you enjoy your new vehicle.

[dalesys]

...Are bad days contagious?

Yes.

And sometimes contiguous.

[Ben_Who]

Yeah, it took so long to get through all the paperwork - I swear there wasn't this much last time I bought a car. I could have adopted a baby with fewer signatures. A lot of it was "And your signature on this form means you signed this form" type stuff. I had to sign at least three things delineating deals, special offers, options, and extras that they WEREN'T giving me. ("This form says you've waived our Special E-Z Wax Anti-Rust Coating, this form says you've read the special offer for our Hotcaps Custom Hubcap Cleaning and Polishing Service...") I am now scared to buy a house.

Anywho, by the time I shoveled all that manure, AND by the time they snapped that gas cap off and replaced it with a real one, I was able to "enjoy" the car for the seventeen-minute drive to work, and that was about it. I didn't even have time to call my insurer, much less have it plated.

Still, that sound system is pretty choice...

[Crossbow]

I used to have a car with a locking gas cap. However, that was a 19+74 Pontiac Ventura that was sold during the Gas Crunch (not to me). Locking gas caps were pretty much standard for that dealer. The fill line was behind the rear license plate, and had no lock, so it was kind of necessary.

Modern cars? Yeah, there's no point.

[raudf]

Dunno about the 2009, but the 2010's gas flap can only be opened from inside the cabin of the car. So, either someone was jimmying the flap or the owner was very paranoid. Or stupid and left the doors unlocked?

And yes, bad days can just get worse, as experience tells me.

[TheSHAD0W]

Doh.

Removing most locking gas caps is fairly easy... Drill a hole through the top of the cap into its body, and leave the bit in there as you rotate the cap to lock the two pieces together.

[Seanette]

Wouldn't that dump drill shavings into the fuel system? Seems to me like that would be bad.

[Racket_Man]

My "new" delivery car had a locking gas cap outer flap. Since the car is OLD the system uses a piston built into the body to move a rod in and out depending on if the doors or locked or unlocked. It quickly got to be a royal pain to try and make the rod retract to the unlocked position.

I defeated the flap lock by slightly bending the metal bracket on the flap so the rod would not engage.

[Javarod]

Be glad you're not the one who had to deal with this, i once had to drill the lock out of a metal locking gas cap for a friend on his 77 Cougar. Did i mention that there were only fumes in the tank? Yes, i'm either stupid or crazy, but i'm still here, so i'm definitely lucky.

Oh, and i had a locking cap on my Sedona, since gas theft was a constant problem in Phoenix, and at least on the base model, the fuel door doesn't lock or use a latch or anything.

Wouldn't that dump drill shavings into the fuel system? Seems to me like that would be bad.

Not if you don't drill all the way through, and even if you do, those are big enough to get caught by the fuel filter, though you'll quickly need a new one.

[greek_jester]

With fuel theft being a big thing in the recession for those of us without garages, I was very glad for my locking fuel cap (which came as standard with the car).


Of course, the bonus is that since the key needed to open it is the same as the key that turns the ignition, I can never again drive off without my fuel cap

[Ben_Who]

The "check engine" light in the new car came on; I had an old car where that could mean anything from "Your car is about to disintegrate into component parts" to "check your windshield washer fluid," so I'm a little concerned. However, I'm almost positive it's related to that gas cap. My last car had a gas cap sensor that told you whether it was tight or not (it registered escaping fumes.) I replaced the cap, but the light was off and on for the life of the car. (The new cap didn't seem to fit all that well either.)

That car was a piece of shit.

Anywho, I've got all kinds of warranties on the new car, so I'll just ask them to plug it in and see what sensor is saying howdy; I'd bet a twelve-pack of Pepsico's finest Mountain Dew that it's the gas cap. Hey, I ain't gotta pay for it.

[notalwaysright]

However, I'm almost positive it's related to that gas cap. My last car had a gas cap sensor that told you whether it was tight or not (it registered escaping fumes.) I replaced the cap, but the light was off and on for the life of the car. (The new cap didn't seem to fit all that well either.)

My old car once failed the emissions test because the gas cap didn't seal properly. Now I live in a county which does not require those tests. However my current car (can't justify the word "new") seemingly never turns on its check engine light. Oh wait. It did, as my car was breaking down. Thanks, super helpful!

[Sapphire Silk]

The car's last owner had fitted it - unnecessarily, given the design of the pipe and the placement of the latch - with a locking gas cap, and not provided them with a key.

Well, in partial defense of the previous owner, I had to do that once. The cap wasn't connected with a cable (or the cable broke, don't remember), and I forgot to put it on after gassing up the car. Didn't notice until I looked in the side mirror and noticed the door was still open.

When I stopped at Auto Place for a new cap, the only one I could find that fit my make and model had a lock on it.

Though, I remembered to give the key to the dealer when I traded it in for my current vehicle (four years ago, so I know Ben's car isn't mine )

[protege]

Drill a hole through the top of the cap into its body, and leave the bit in there as you rotate the cap to lock the two pieces together.

I've heard that a more destructive approach...is to jam a screwdriver into the slot and whack it with a hammer.