What are the reasons why the 2014 Tiguan gas door won’t open?
By
Vroomouk
In this article, we will be addressing the “2014 Tiguan gas door won’t open” problem. The jamming of the fuel door on a VW Tiguan can be extremely frustrating for the driver because, with a stuck gas door, a person won’t be able to fill fuel in the vehicle. Hence, it becomes essential to throw light on the different causes behind the faulty gas door on the 2014 Tiguan.
The fuel door on a budget vehicle is based on the latch and striker mechanism principle. However, in higher-priced vehicles such as the VW Tiguan, the latch and striker mechanism, operated by a cable, is replaced by a fuel door actuator. As a result, the fuel door on the VW Tiguan is opened in perfect working conditions by pressing the fuel door flap. But The fitment of the fuel door actuator on the VW Tiguan brings new problems which prevent the fuel door from opening when needed.
One of the main reasons behind the faulty fuel door is negligence in maintenance. When the vehicle goes for periodic maintenance, the technician focuses more on the important mechanical components than the fuel door. Thus the accumulation of the dust and debris that damages the fuel door isn’t being cleaned; hence the fuel door suffers from fault. The different faults which a fuel door actuator might face are mentioned below.
What are the reasons why the 2014 Tiguan gas door won’t open?
- Blown Fuse in the fuel door actuator circuit.
- Damaged Hinge
- Faulty wiring
- Faulty Fuel door actuator.
These are some of the main reasons behind the malfunctioning of the fuel door on a VW Tiguan.
Causes of fuel door fault in the 2014 VW Tiguan.
Faulty Fuel Door Actuator
The fuel door actuator is an electronic device. The purpose of the fuel door actuator is to actuate the locking pin, which ensures the movement of the door pin when the lock or unlock button on the key fob is pressed. The fuel door actuator senses the pressing of the lock and unlocks the button by using sensors that are present in it.
The fuel door actuator can suffer damages due to several reasons because the actuator is placed just above the mudguard. First, if there are holes in the mudguard, the water can enter the fuel door actuator and damage the electronic circuit. Thus once the electrical circuit gets damaged, there are chances that the fuel door won’t open.
Damaged Hinge
The fuel door is operated using a spring or a hinge in the VW Tiguan. Thus when the driver presses the flap of the fuel door, the spring mechanism actuates and opens the fuel door, then pops out from the latch. However, the spring or the Hinge that opens the Tiguan fuel door might be damaged.
The damage in the fuel door spring or Hinge can be caused due to a dent near the flap. Another reason behind the non-functionality of the fuel door hinge or spring can be rusting. Since the component is water, there are chances that the spring might get rusted, and eventually, due to rusting, the spring breaks. In such a situation, the fuel door won’t open.
Thus for the proper functioning of the fuel door and prevention of spring from breaking down, you need to lubricate the spring at regular intervals continuously. You can use WD40 motor oil or silicone-based grease to lubricate the fuel door.
Blown Fuse
The other reason behind the inoperable fuel door on a Tiguan can be blown, Fuse. In Tiguan, the fuel door is connected to an electric motor, and when the car unlock button is pressed, the fuel door gets unlocked. Then, when the driver presses the fuel flap, the motor starts to work, and the flap opens.
Since there is an electrical circuit involved in the operation of the fuel door, a fuse is also present in the circuit to protect the circuit from getting damaged during overload. Suppose a situation where the circuit gets more than the required current. Then, in that case, the Fuse of the fuel door will get short, and the circuit won’t work. Therefore, even when the driver presses the fuel flap, the fuel door won’t open. In such a case, to fix the fuel door, you need to change the Fuse of the circuit, and the circuit will start to work again.
Faulty wiring
Since an electrical motor is present for the operation of the fuel door, wires to provide power to the motor are obvious. Unfortunately, the wires that transfer the electricity to the motor to actuate the fuel door can get damaged.
The common damages observed in a wire are cuts along the surface of the insulation. Thus, the water can seep through and cause short circuits due to these cuts in the wires. Therefore once the wire gets short circuit, only wire replacement can bring the system back into its operational state.
Conclusion
This article successfully addressed the “2014 Tiguan gas door won’t open” problem. The problem of faulty fuel doors in Tiguan is quite serious because you won’t be able to open the fuel door with the faulty fuel door on the vehicle. Thus, it is essential to know the causes of the problem to perform some troubleshooting methods by yourself for opening the fuel door.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs): 2014 Tiguan gas door won’t open
How does a Fuel Door work on the vehicle?
The fuel door on some vehicles consists of a fuel door actuator or a release. In the case of the fuel door actuator, you need to press the fuel door to open it. While in the case of release, you need to lift the release lever to open the fuel door.
How do the car manufacturers decide which side to put the fuel cap on?
In the USA, there are no norms that specify that the fuel inlet should be on a particular side. However, generally, manufacturers worldwide put the fuel tank on the left side.
Why won’t the fuel door close?
One of the main reasons behind the fuel door not closing is the damage in the hing of the vehicle. The Hinge of the vehicle can get bent or rusted, which causes the fuel door not to open.
What is the fuel door called?
The fuel door on many vehicles is also known as the fuel filler. Moreover, it is also known as a gas hole in some vehicles.
