Is it bad to not have a fuel filler cap?

SlyReaper · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:21

I seem to have lost mine.

Dogbreath · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:25

Very bad. You risk contamination of the fuel in your tank from water and general crud, with a full tank you are likely to slosh fuel out of the filler whilst cornering, and of course with all the lovely fuel vapours coming out of the filler you have a fire risk.

SlyReaper · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:28

Where can I buy a replacement? Are all fuel filler caps standard fitting?

Nothing seems to have slopped out of the tank, and of course there is an outer cover.

loltim · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:31

SlyReaper said:
Where can I buy a replacement? Are all fuel filler caps standard fitting?

Nothing seems to have slopped out of the tank, and of course there is an outer cover.

You could try going back to the petrol station. Maybe someone's handed it in.

But yea, you can get a new one from your dealer, or ebay etc. They aren't generic fitment.

MeAnBoY · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:31

Cling film tbh

Dogbreath · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:31

A dealer is the only place you'll get a new one. If it's not a locking cap you might have some luck at a breakers or scrap yard.

SlyReaper · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:44

Hmm my car is 16 years old, will a dealer really have one of these lying around?

mjt · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:52

how do you lose a fuel filler cap? unless someone stole it..

aren't they normally attached to the car with a cable anyway?

SlyReaper · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:57

I normally put it on top of the car when filling up. I must have forgotten to put it back in place afterwards. And I have never seen a filler cap attached to any car with a cable.

Fr0dders · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:58

mine on the vectra isnt

neither was the one on the picasso.

whitecrook · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:59

you can get generic fit all covers in halfrauds. but try and find a proper one soon. A scroppy will have one. Mine is a locking but I don't have a key to lock it anyway..

mjt · 6 Sep 2009 at 01:05

weird, must be annoying not having it attached..

bmws even have a little holder for the fuel filler cap on the inside of the outer flap

bullit in head · 6 Sep 2009 at 01:16

my clio has a hook to hang it with and a strap

the galaxy has a teather and two slits so you can perch it on the filler flap

bullit

lewism · 6 Sep 2009 at 01:18

what car is it? at that age there will be one in a scrapyard.

MikeHunt79 · 6 Sep 2009 at 01:32

so you drive off with no filler cap? Did you lose your keys also?

Gilbretto · 6 Sep 2009 at 01:33

mjt said:
weird, must be annoying not having it attached..

bmws even have a little holder for the fuel filler cap on the inside of the outer flap

As does my Celica. :eek:

shauncr91 · 6 Sep 2009 at 01:40

How on earth can you lose it :confused:

Lopéz · 6 Sep 2009 at 06:24

SlyReaper said:
I seem to have lost mine.

Yes, it's very bad. The fact that you need to ask this makes me worry. You need to replace this now.

SlyReaper said:
Where can I buy a replacement? Are all fuel filler caps standard fitting?

They are not - you need one to match your car. Ebay is your best bet, you'll probably get one with a matching key.
For now you can buy a universal push fit one from Halfords or any other motor factor, they're about a fiver.
Go and get one today, Halfords are open on Sundays.

mjt said:
aren't they normally attached to the car with a cable anyway?

On some cars, yes. It's by no means common or the norm though.

MikeHunt79 said:
so you drive off with no filler cap? Did you lose your keys also?

Most locking caps aren't like the one on the 205 (which HAS to have a key to open/close it) Most can just be screwed on without needing the key.

shauncr91 said:
How on earth can you lose it

What a stupid question. The same as you lose your wallet, your phone, your keys, anything else that people tend to lose - forget to pick it up/take it with you/forget where you put it after last using it.

mattyprice4004 · 6 Sep 2009 at 07:40

I bought one that was actually quite good from some motorway services after losing mine - proper tight lock and did the job for months on end, until I found a filler cap that fitted mine on the floor up the road from my house (it wasn't my original however

)

miniyazz · 6 Sep 2009 at 09:05

lewism said:
what car is it? at that age there will be one in a scrapyard.

Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it. They tend to only keep cars that are less than 10 years old or even younger than that. So if there is one it'll most likely have been sitting there for >6 years, so it really depends how common the car was at the time whether or not they'll have it.