Eleventh

My C7 is currently stuck at a gas station, the fuel filler door will not open [UPDATE: I pried off the gas door, over-rode the electric lock, which had failed in the locked position, and refueled the car. Pictures of the process in a later post on this thread.] . I've successfully refueled the car previously, this is the first time the lock has failed to unlock.

I know where to push to get the door to open.

I have verified the car is unlocked. Putting my ear on the fuel door while pushing the unlock button on the drivers door, I can hear what sounds like a solenoid trying to unlock the fuel door. It clicks once for each time I unlock the door.

I'm out of fuel, so my only safe alternative sounds like I'll need to tow it to a dealer for warranty work on the lock.

Anyone have a picture of the locking mechanism, I'm half desparate to jam a big screwdriver in there and pry the thing open, so I can drive the car.

I'll take any suggestions.

1955nomad

Have door open and try it

RicK T

Assuming it's like the C6, there should be an emergency release cable in the hatch area, above the left rear wheel well. It will have a plastic t-handle on it, similar to the emergency driver's door release and close to it but more outboard by the fender.

Eleventh

I have tried this. I've tried opening it while cycling the door open button on the driver door (with the door open, my arms aren't long enough to do that with the door closed).

Sadly, it's not like the C7.

KenHorse

Have driver's door unlocked and open and hit the unlock button on your FOB

eboggs_jkvl

Locate the fuel door. The fuel door is unlocked when the vehicle is unlocked. Locking the vehicle locks the fuel door. With Passive Locking, the driver door must be opened first before the fuel door will unlock. Push on the rearward edge of the fuel door to open.


(Like you would on some combination padlocks. You shove the lock shank into the lock and it pops open. Same with the fuel door.)


Noted from page 9-53 & 54 of the owner's manual.



Elmer

RicK T

That is sad.

Seems odd. Oh well. Thanks for the insight.

Eleventh

Per my original post, I know how to open the fuel door when it is properly functioning. The electronic lock mechanism has clearly failed, in the locked position.

I 'manually overrode' the gas door. As soon as I figure out how to post pictures, I'll show what failed and how to overcome it.

KenHorse

Did you try the FOB unlock idea? I mentioned it because I've had this happen to me a couple of times too

Eleventh

Tried that too. Unlocked car with FOB, verified that it was unlocked by looking for the light to go out on the passenger side door lock, still no joy. Per the original post, I can hear the fuel door trying to unlock itself (it 'clicks') but doesn't actually unlock, everytime you hit unlock on the FOB or one of the doors.

I did take a video of myself properly following the procedure to open the door and it not working. In case they try to give me any problems on the warranty claim after I come in with the gas door ripped off.

1955nomad

did you try to pull the fuse want to see the video

KenHorse

Maybe I'm not reading it correctly but...did you try the FOB unlock button AGAIN even though the doors were already unlocked? And you did actually press the fuel door latch to release it, right?

millpond

Try using the unlock Fob button while gently pushing on the fuel door at the same time...May take some load off the locking mechanism.

Glen e

Set the car in settings for unlock all,doors...then unlock for inside

Door SHOULD open......

3 Z06ZR1

Sounds like he knows this and it is failing to work.

Eleventh

Okay, so here's how to fuel your car when the electronic lock fails.

First, verify that you have actually tried to open the fuel door correctly. Car must be recently unlocked. Passive unlock is not sufficient. Use the FOB, press unlock, open the driver door, push unlock on the driver door, verify the red light is off on the door lock button, try to open fuel door, by pushing the back half of the door in, then releasing, it should spring open.

None of that worked for me. When unlocking or locking, I was able to hear that fuel door was 'clicking', a weak noise that didn't sound substantial enough to unlock the door.

Unlike C6, there is no manual release inside the cabin. Ignore OnStar when they tell you to go looking for one.



I'm going to show how to override the fuel lock. I'm sure someone is going to complain that I'm enabling criminals. But anyone that isn't concerned about damaging your car would figure out the same thing in about 30 seconds.

here we go...

1. Pry off the fuel door.

I was just trying to get a peak at the locking mechanism by prying first the top, then the bottom of the door to see in. I used a wooden chopstick to peak in, that leverage was enough to rip off the door.

Here is the fuel door hinge, with the door ripped off.

Attachment 48139351

2. Release the electronic lock 'bolt' by pushing it to the right

Here is the a close up of the door.

Attachment 48139352

the rubberized circle in the upper right is the manual spring latch. (This is the one you push it once it locks, push it again it unlocks). It has the tab labeled with a 'D' just to the left of it. I've forgotten already, but I think if you fiddled with that , it'd release the manual lock.

Below the manual latch, running horizontally, the black cylinder is the 'bolt' for the electronic lock. it can be pushed towards the right, until it is flush with the side of the fuel filler housing. This is what has failed. When the car is unlocked, it should be retracted, allowing the door to open when the manual latch is triggered. Here it is still extended, despite the car being unlocked.

You can push this bolt to the right by jamming something into the front and then pushing sideways, or coming in head on from the left.

3. Door can swing open (make sure you push in to release the manual latch).

Here is the view with the door open.

Attachment 48139353

You can see the electronic lock is engaged.

Here is the door hinge end on.

Attachment 48139354

You can see the wedge that pushes in the electronic lock bolt if it is engaged before the door is shut. My problem is that the bolt wasn't retracting when unlocked, so the door is blocked from opening by the bolt through this hole.

Here is the door hinge from the top. You can see how the fuel door slides on.

Attachment 48139355

It doesn't look like I've done any damage to the door, it should be able to slide back on, once I get the lock fixed.

Attachment 48139356


I do not have a theory for what caused the electronic lock actuator to fail. I note that the bolt requires a lot of force to push it in, more than I would expect is normal. So I expect something in that bolt mechanism failed. The alternate expectation is that the door hinge was misaligned, causing the bolt to bind on the hole that it slides into ; but then the lock should work with the door now open, it doesn't.

So the good news is that I was able to fuel the car and get it home. I'll need to decide if I take it to the dealer, I dread them ripping apart the whole right side panel to fix this on a car with less than 1500 miles. Part of me wants to just hack saw off the bolt and go without a locking gas cap.


I'd love someone on the forum with a C7 to check two things for me:
a) When you normally open your fuel door, the lock is retracted, right? (It doesn't stick out as shown in the picture).
b) With the fuel door open, if you lock your car, the lock both should extend. Right? (it's safe to close the fuel door over the extended bolt, but why push luck, just unlock the car again).


keywords:
Corvette C7 Stingray fuel door won't unlock
fuel door stuck

*C7*

Yes, I just checked mine and it works as you described.

level6

Thanks "Eleventh" for spending the time to document all this. Sorry to hear of you ordeal. Is this problem unique? "KenHorse" said his was flirting with going full-mode lock-up problem?

vettesniper

The plunger moves with very little pressure applied when in the extended locked position. Very easy to push the door closed if it locks while the door is open. If yours is hard to move then something is definitely binding somewhere.

It's just a simple solenoid plunger, your dealer should be able to handle this easily as it will be a remove and replace operation. From what I've experienced this whole car is assembled with push clips and fasteners! Everything seems to just pop off once you figure out where to pry...

Good Luck!

ByByBMW

This is the second occurrence of a fuel door that failed closed/locked. I wonder if GM saved $0.57 cents here by not putting in a manual release? jk, kind of.

Not something I would ever have looked for but from now on, I will look for a manual release on every new car I purchase.