Broken Fuel Door Latch Fix – How to Solve the Problem?

The gas door is an important part of your car that protects your gas cap from any unauthorized use. In many modern cars, the gas door just opens after you press on it and it clicks. But many vehicles still have the protected gas door latch that can be opened from the interior only. This one is preferred for many drivers who don't want someone else to come in contact with the gas cap.

Your gas door latch may be broken because of improper use or just age problems. To repair it, you will most likely need to replace the latch. But before you do this, it's important to understand which exact part of the latch is broken. Sometimes, it's not about the latch itself, but just about the loop that changes the position of the door.

Here's what I will cover in this article:

• Reasons the gas door latch may be broken.
• Checking the loop and the door position.
• How to take the gas door latch off the car?
• Can you repair or just replace the gas door latch?
• Can you drive with a broken latch on the fuel door?

Let's get started!

What are the reasons the gas door latch is broken?

First of all, you need to specify which exactly part of the fuel door is not working properly. This may be the loop, the lock, or the spring. This may also be the element that pops the door open when you press it. Whatever the problem is, the reason for this is more or less the same every time.

Here, I will list the most common reasons for the problems with the gas door components:

• just natural wear and tear - this is quite possible when your car is over 150K miles and you use this door pretty often;
• incorrect use - if your gas door needs pressing to pop open, you may be pressing it too hard and may not care about its health;
• metal wire issue - quite often you may find that the metal wire that connects the gas door with the lever in your car that opens it may brake;
• the latch wear and tear - this happens to any car, it's just hard to tell you when it's going to happen on your model;
• the loop is out of its place - if your gas door seems to hang down a little or change its position, you need to check the loop;
• some plastic element is broken - it's not uncommon for plastic parts of the latch or the door itself to get broken;
• something disturbs the door from closing correctly, so it gets broken because of too much power you use for closing it.

These are just the most common things that can affect the work of the gas door latch. Sometimes, it's exactly the latch to repair, but, in some cases, you will have to look at other possible culprits of the problem.

A good inspection is important before you take something off the car. It's easy to damage the paint or some plastic element when you are disassembling the gas door lock, so you need to do something when you are totally sure that you are dealing with the actual problem.

Check the loop of the gas door first

If your fuel door opens and closes incorrectly and you understand that there is a problem with its position, you should start by checking the loop. It's usually made of plastic and has several thin parts that can crack and remain unnoticed. It's hard to notice hair-size cracks in black plastic!

So, you may want to take off the door itself if it's not glued to the plastic base. Then, you need to inspect the issue very carefully and see if there are some cracks or other problems.

If you see any minor problems, it's worth replacing the loop. Fortunately, you can buy the new loop which is not going to cost you a fortune. But installing it may be challenging, in some cars. So, you may want to let professionals do this job. Anyway, the labor is not going to cost you much.

When the loop is not OK, you will notice such symptoms:

• the door doesn't close, the latch just doesn't point to the needed place;
• the door is not in its proper position, you see different gaps on the sides of the door;
• when open, the gas door hangs down a little;
• there is free play in the fuel door when it's open.

It may also mean that some bolt fell off or is just loose. But, in most cases, the plastic loop may be broken and may need replacement.

Checking the door latch

If the loop is OK and the open door seems to be firm enough, the next thing to check is the latch. Of course, if the interior lever doesn't open the fuel door, you should check the wire that connects this lever to the latch.

But if the lever works well, there may be several possible problems:

• the spring is out and doesn't pop the door open, so the lock engages again and you can't access the gas cap to buy some fuel;
• the latch is broken and doesn't hold or doesn't let go the door;
• the latch is loose and works intermittently, you need to use the lever several times to open the fuel door;
• the latch doesn't close and the door is always open.

If the spring is the problem, you can open the door manually. Ask someone to use the lever in the interior of your car and use any thin plastic thing (to avoid paint damage) to open the fuel door. After that, you need to spot the metal spring that should be integrated into the loop. If there is no spring, try to buy one online.

If the problem is with the latch, you may need to replace it. At first look at the part of the latch that is located on the fuel door. This is usually a plastic or metal element that points out and fits directly into the lock. Are there any damages, problems with the shape, etc.? If yes, you may need a new gas door which is bad news because it needs painting if the cover is not detachable.

Repairing the gas door latch

The last possible problem is the latch itself. You can take it off by using plastic tools that are usually used for working with interior plastic panels. The latch is sitting in its place using plastic locks, so it may be challenging to take it out. Just pull it with a plastic tool from different sides and it should come out.

You may easily find the proper fuel door latch online. There are plenty of aftermarket products with good prices, but I still recommend the OEM one. It shouldn't be that expensive and it will serve you for years. Aftermarket latches are unpredictable and can go bad after several weeks of service.

Here's what you should do:

• take off the old latch and look at it - it shouldn't have any visible damage;
• buy the new latch and compare it with the old one - they should be identical;
• insert the new latch into the needed place and press it to let the plastic locks click into the needed gaps;
• check if the latch sits firmly and doesn't have large play;
• carefully try locking the door and see if the second part of the latch points directly into the lock;
• check if the position of the latch or the loop needs adjustment to make the gas door sit directly in its place;
• check if everything opens and closes correctly.

After that, you are good to drive to the gas station and buy some fuel. If everything is installed correctly, you will now be able to use the gas door without any restrictions. If something happens with it in the nearest time, you will want to show it to a professional mechanic. Maybe, there is a little problem with the loop that you didn't notice.

Can you drive with a broken fuel door latch?

You can drive this is not going to cause any serious problems. But ignoring this issue is not recommended. You may end up standing near your car in the gas station and not being able to open the door. With just little fuel in your tank, you will have to make up some barbarian methods to open that door and this may lead to more expensive repairs that include car painting.

Also, if the door doesn't close properly, it will open and then slap on the metal panel of your car at every corner. It means that there is a risk of paint damage, loop damage, and other problems. If you just need to drive several miles with a broken (not closing) latch on the fuel door, open it. This way, it will not slap on the side of your car.

I recommend dealing with this problem right when you notice it. This won't take a lot of time and it's usually a simple DIY solution.

Final thoughts

You should know that there are not so many unimportant things in your car. Even the smallest problem can quickly grow into a serious issue. When it comes to the broken latch on your fuel door, there are several ways to solve this issue without paying hundreds of dollars to the dealership.

I hope this article answers your questions and you can easily repair the gas door on your own. If you experience difficulties, find an independent shop that will do this for you.