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With the 2013 Grand Sport. Wanted to check the water lever in the coolant surge tank tonight. Turned the cap counter clock wise, tight at first then went loose for a few turns and started to tighten up again, it would click and hard to turn again but it wasn't coming off. Didn't want to force it yet. The car only had 468 miles when I got it can't imagine it was ever unscrewed before.
Does it sound like the cap was cross threaded at some point? Thanks.
Sounds like it is hung up on the seals.
I think if you squeeze in on the sides on the cap, you'll be ale to get it off. Reinstall with a little grease on the two O-ring seals and the openings.
I don't think it is cross threaded though.
GL
Think "safety" pill bottle: instead of pulling up, push down, turn counter clockwise. I'm guessing here.... But as I recall, some metal rad caps used to be that way.
It's a common problem. Some of those suckers just don't want to let go. I've read plenty of threads on this, because one of mine was always finicky; but it pretty much boils down to: fiddle with it till it comes off.
No reason to pull the cap, unless you need to add more 50/50 dexcool.
On the front of the tank towards the head light is a line on the front of the tank. The tank is full when the fluid is to that line (tank about half way full). If you over fill the tank, then the extra fluid when the fluid gets up to temp is just going to get burped out (will end up with you playing where is the fluid leaking from under the car game).
As for removing the cap, unscrew and pull it up. As noted, the O ring seal will want to stick on the seal lip, so you have to pull the cap up(not going to come off like a coke bottle cap unscrewed).
Out of interest myself and to try to answer your question. I went out and removed the cap on my 11 GS. First I tried turning it CC just to be sure it was tight. Then with slight pressure down I turned It CCW. It took a bit of turning round& round but it did just come right off. There was no popping / creaking and the seal looks great.
After reading this thread I went to check the cap on my 2012 base. The cap started to unscrew normally then got tighter and tighter. It would go back on completely with no problem but would not unscrew completely until lots of torque (by hand only). Finally it made a fairly loud clicking sound and the top threaded part of the cap came off but the inside part with the seals stayed in the tank opening. I can see the 3 tabs on the threaded cap part that used to lock onto the top of the part still in the tank opening. Tried carefully prying the part out of the tank opening until the plastic started cracking. Tried warming the engine up to operating temp hoping the pressure would drive the part out of the tank. No luck. Guess I'll buy a new cap and destructively remove the old one after the new one is in hand..........and it will have some silicone grease on it as suggested on this forum. Glad I didn't need some coolant on the road......
Thanks again for all the answers. Sorry, abc8cub, for maybe causing you to get a new cap. Mad Max I'll try that next. I hate to really force it so as a friend of mine that owns a repair shop, he doesn't want to touch it, told me take it back to the dealer service department and let them take it off or break it and have to replace it.
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22
It sounds much too difficult. Get it to the dealer and let them get it off. I'd stop by without an appointment and ask the service manage to help out. I'm sure they'll get it off. Good luck
try wearing a leather glove on your hand to get a better grip
Originally Posted by RED84CF
Thanks again for all the answers. Sorry, abc8cub, for maybe causing you to get a new cap. Mad Max I'll try that next. I hate to really force it so as a friend of mine that owns a repair shop, he doesn't want to touch it, told me take it back to the dealer service department and let them take it off or break it and have to replace it.
sorry, just double checked mine and you don't have to push it down to open, I must have bee confused with another car...however, in your case you might have to push and turn at the same time to get it off (remember Murphy's Law: if it jams force it, if it breaks, it needed replacing anyways).
Originally Posted by RED84CF
Thanks again for all the answers. Sorry, abc8cub, for maybe causing you to get a new cap. Mad Max I'll try that next. I hate to really force it so as a friend of mine that owns a repair shop, he doesn't want to touch it, told me take it back to the dealer service department and let them take it off or break it and have to replace it.
Although my cap broke, I am grateful to the forum members for bringing this issue up. It will be a lot easier to fix in my garage than out on the road. The experience and information on the forum is priceless (Compared to getting it the hard way!)
I have a 13 GS. Just went to the garage, pulled the cover back, opened the hood and removed the expansion tank cap. No problem at all. Put some dielectric grease on the o-ring and put the cap back on. I did not over tighten it. Just snug. I did notice that the cap, being a pressure cap, has to be pressed down slightly to be able to engage the threads. I repeated the removal and replacement of the cap three times, no issues. I did not have any clicking sounds during the entire process.
First Problem
