The thread about petrol caps
Discussion
This seems to have vanished, but about a week ago some kind soul was advising on how to unstick my petrol filler cap (07 DB9) which had refused to ping up. I printed the info out, and it mentions a 30 Torx bit, removing an assembly and sticking some d/s tape in the bottom edge of bracket and about the cap rubbing on the outer edge of the recess.
So today, in a gap between showers, I went out to investigate. The car must have known I was coming because this time the cap pinged up quite happily. So I stick my head in and look for places to stick a 30 Torx bit...
Nowhere to stick a 30 Torx bit. And the gap around the edge is fine. There are two springs which between them would seem designed to ping the cap up, one wire (you can just see the end of it in the photo) and one a flat type further back in the hinge. So I fired a spot of spray grease onto the wire one, the flat one being too back to do anything with, and anyway the flap was operating normally. Is my filler arrangement a different design?
If my car ever starts playing Buddy Holly loudly, I hope I'm not inside
So today, in a gap between showers, I went out to investigate. The car must have known I was coming because this time the cap pinged up quite happily. So I stick my head in and look for places to stick a 30 Torx bit...
Nowhere to stick a 30 Torx bit. And the gap around the edge is fine. There are two springs which between them would seem designed to ping the cap up, one wire (you can just see the end of it in the photo) and one a flat type further back in the hinge. So I fired a spot of spray grease onto the wire one, the flat one being too back to do anything with, and anyway the flap was operating normally. Is my filler arrangement a different design?
If my car ever starts playing Buddy Holly loudly, I hope I'm not inside
Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 11th January 16:46
It was graze01 on page 159 of this https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing//topic.asp?h=0...
KernowShep said:
It was graze01 on page 159 of this https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing//topic.asp?h=0...
Well done! But it seems my car has magically repaired itself and improved its design as well 
kevin_cambs_uk said:
I have had this a few times, it makes me smile every time it does pop open! I feel blessed !
That’s the thing I have learned about ownership, every day you get in the car you have no idea what it’s going to do!
Glad it's not just me! Every trip is an adventure (or a risk depending on your glass half-full/empty outlook). But, it's an Aston, and people looking at it don't know the malevolent beast lurking within. Get thee behind me Satan.That’s the thing I have learned about ownership, every day you get in the car you have no idea what it’s going to do!
Picked mine up from dealer today following annual.service and "done our best to realign your cap and so far its opening everytime we try it, but any problems just bring it back"
So fingers crossed instead of opening on the button about 20% of the time Im.now hoping it's maybe 80% of the time.
Any Aston owner knows hoping for a 100% reliable petrol cap would be over ambitious
So fingers crossed instead of opening on the button about 20% of the time Im.now hoping it's maybe 80% of the time.
Any Aston owner knows hoping for a 100% reliable petrol cap would be over ambitious
Longy00000 said:
Picked mine up from dealer today following annual.service and "done our best to realign your cap and so far its opening everytime we try it, but any problems just bring it back"
So fingers crossed instead of opening on the button about 20% of the time Im.now hoping it's maybe 80% of the time.
Any Aston owner knows hoping for a 100% reliable petrol cap would be over ambitious
I can understand how the mechanism can fail or jam for one reason or another, but not how it can be intermittent, other than something expanding due to temperature. They can make a V12 engine with a bazillion moving parts at 6,000 rpm, but not a simple flap that only has to go 'ker-poing' every week or two...So fingers crossed instead of opening on the button about 20% of the time Im.now hoping it's maybe 80% of the time.
Any Aston owner knows hoping for a 100% reliable petrol cap would be over ambitious
I'm still waiting for the busted indicator bulb to repair itself. I thought it had today, but the warning came on after a couple of minutes, bugger.
Now Simpo don't get carried away. Petrol caps are very complex and it's quite fun rummaging about in the boot to pull the emergency release while flicking the cap up with your thumb nail as everyone watches cos this bloody lovely and bloody noisy Aston Martin just pulled up in a covert way..NOT
It's almost like they designed it this way...........
It's almost like they designed it this way...........
Worth noting the Volante has a different design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoi54qqA1KE&ab...
That's the one with the two Torx jobbies.
That's the one with the two Torx jobbies.
Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 11th January 22:43
Simpo Two said:
Worth noting the Volante has a different design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoi54qqA1KE&ab...
Yeah but does it work ???? ( I've no idea whether it's better or worse)Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 11th January 22:27
It is funny how its such a simple but crap design and fails so often. I like to think of it as a fun feature of ownership
I might teach you to suck eggs, but I found that on my Vantage, when the cap does not open via the button, you just have to push it down a little, basically above the closing mechanism on the right side. Then the button will work again.
Temperature is somewhat important anyway, I think the cap tend to stick during winter. I also used to good old technique of spraying WD40 on the closing mechanism, normally this ensure normal operations for months.
Temperature is somewhat important anyway, I think the cap tend to stick during winter. I also used to good old technique of spraying WD40 on the closing mechanism, normally this ensure normal operations for months.
EVR said:
I might teach you to suck eggs, but I found that on my Vantage, when the cap does not open via the button, you just have to push it down a little, basically above the closing mechanism on the right side. Then the button will work again.
Temperature is somewhat important anyway, I think the cap tend to stick during winter. I also used to good old technique of spraying WD40 on the closing mechanism, normally this ensure normal operations for months.
I'm pretty sure I joggled it about in all directions when it was stuck. The ray of good news is that there's always somebody about at a petrol station to help with what will become known as the 'Aston Martin Two Man Petrol Flap Lift'...!Temperature is somewhat important anyway, I think the cap tend to stick during winter. I also used to good old technique of spraying WD40 on the closing mechanism, normally this ensure normal operations for months.
It really just needs a stronger spring, like the boot needs stronger or better-placed struts.
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