Why is the fuel door not opening on the VW Golf?
By
Vroomouk
To address the “VW golf mk6 fuel cap won’t open” issue with utmost clarity, we will be explaining the various reasons behind the malfunctioning of the fuel cap on the VW Golf. However, one of the most common reasons behind a fuel door not opening is rusting and damage of the fuel door actuators.
The fuel cap stuck or won’t open is extremely common in vehicles. As technology has advanced, the generic latch mechanism for actuating the fuel door on a vehicle is replaced by the latch actuator. The latch actuator is a sensor that actuates when the car locks or unlocks. The locking and unlocking of the car actuate a metal pin present inside the fuel tank flap. This metal pin is responsible for locking and unlocking the fuel flap.
The fuel door actuator is used in the VW Golf Mk6 as well. Therefore, there are chances that the fuel door on the VW Golf Mk6 isn’t opening due to the fault in the actuation system. There can be different faults in the actuation system, leading to a door flap that isn’t opening. The reasons are mentioned below.
Why is the fuel door not opening on the VW Golf?
The reasons behind the VW Golf mk6 fuel cap not opening are:-
- Exterior dent near the fuel door
- Damaged fuel door hinge
- Damaged Fuel Door actuator
- Faulty Fuel door Fuses
Exterior dent near the fuel door
One of the common reasons behind the fuel door not opening on a VW Golf Mk6 is the presence of a dent around the fuel flap. A dent near the fuel door actuator can misalign the locks on the fuel flap or even break the actuator because the actuator is delicate and lightweight. Thus a locking mechanism of the fuel flap gets damaged due to a dent present near it. Therefore, due to the dent, the actuator won’t work effectively and hence in such a situation, the fuel flap won’t open.
Damaged fuel door hinge
The fuel door is operated with the help of a hinge. The hinge responsible for the opening and closing of the fuel door is attached between the lid and the car body with the help of bolts. The hinge is exposed to water and moisture and can get easily rusted.
Rusting of the fuel door hinge reduces its strength. Moreover, with rusting, the operation of the hinge becomes rough, and as the rusting increases, the hinge gets completely jammed. Thus, if the fuel door hinge gets stuck, or the pin or the bushings get loose or stiff, the fuel door might not open.
Damaged Fuel Door actuator
A fuel door actuator is a device that consists of a sensor. When the unlock or lock button is pressed on the key fob, the actuator reads the signal and locks or unlock the fuel door in VW Golf. However, since the actuator is exposed to weather conditions such as rain and snow, there are chances that the actuator will get damaged due to short circuit.
If the fuel door actuator gets damaged, the fuel door won’t open on pressing it. Therefore, in such a case, you need to get the fuel door actuator replaced with a new one. The procedure to replace the fuel door actuator is easy, but it requires some essential tools.
Faulty Fuel door Fuses
The fuel door in the VW Golf is operated with the help of a fuel door actuator. The fuel door actuator is operated with the help of an electric motor. A fuse is attached to the circuit to prevent it from catching fire in the event of excess voltage supply. The fuse consists of a thin wire which breaks when the motor gets overloaded. The breaking of the wire in the switch prevents the car from catching fire. Thus once the fuse breaks, the fuel door won’t open even when the driver presses the fuel flap.
Conclusion
The fuel door on any vehicle is an essential component because even if the car is in perfect condition to run but if the fuel door doesn’t open, you won’t be able to fill fuel in the vehicle and hence the car won’t run once the tank gets empty. Therefore, if the fuel door in your VW Golf Mk6 isn’t opening, then there can be several reasons and these reasons need to be addressed with utmost priority.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs): VW Golf mk6 fuel cap won’t open
Does Fuel Expire?
If petrol is stored in an airtight container at 20 degrees celsius, it can stay up in the container for at least six months. However, if the temperature rises, the quantity of petrol can reduce drastically.
What is the capacity of the fuel tank?
The fuel tank capacity in most vehicles is between 35-45 liters. However, the vehicles can have bigger tanks as well. Therefore, the size of the tank depends on the size of the vehicle.
Can the petrol freeze?
Petrol can certainly freeze, but the freezing point of petrol is way below. For example, the freezing point of petrol is -272.2 degrees celsius.
What happens when the fuel is damaged?
If the fuel is damaged, then it can cause damage to the pistons in your engine during the ignition process. Thus the damage to the engine piston causes the start of the vehicle a difficult task.
