Toyota Nation Forum banner

Gas door won't open

125K views 27 replies 18 participants last post by  allserene 
#1 ·
I have a 2014.5 Camry SE. I pulled into gas station earlier and my gas door won't open when I pull the release next to the trunk release on the side of the driver's seat. I tried sticking a pen in the opening created when the release is fully pulled, leaving it at a ~45 degree angle. The gas door still would not open. Pressing on it from different angles and on different parts of the door did not open it either - with or without the pen inserted. I can slightly bend the right bottom corner open but not enough to get much leverage.

Any thoughts on how to fix this? None of my local Austin Toyota service centers were open at 5:30pm on a Saturday. I was hoping to go drive for a rideshare company later tonight and make some money but my gas light is on.

Help!
 
#2 ·
Mine did this and had to have a guy open it while holding the lever to release it.


then I found the "spring" that was supposed to open it and adjusted it, been fine ever since.


Marc, see what I mean about the Camry being a shitbox?!?!
 
#6 ·
Very odd failure for a late model Camry with a relatively simple two point connection cable system?

Definitely need a helper to hold gas release full up and someone to manipulate the the gas door with non marring tools.

If the door pop spring is broke it should open easily. maybe try a magnet?

If the cable is broke (really doubt that) you won't feel any resistance actuating the lever.

You can pull back the trunk lining on the left side and actually see and feel the cable and plastic housing, and look for an anomaly there?

Mine takes less that 1/8 th of an inch lift to release door, well before 45 degree max travel limit of release lever.

Nevertheless, locking gas doors is a pretty silly conception as all you need is a big flathead screwdriver to pop the door open causing more damage than letting the Hillary supporters siphon your gas.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I got a VW as a rental car once. took me 15 minutes to open the gas cap. Turned out you had to unlock the doors to open the gas door. stupidest design i have ever seen. My issue with those locking doors is i rather have someone siphon gas out of my tank than rip that door off and do the same thing. Its not going to keep anyone out of your tank. and they are usually painted the color of your car which makes replacing it even more of a hassle.

Down here in houston if you put a locking gas cap on your car they just drill a hole n the bottom of the gas tank. Ill take them siphoning through the fill tube any day over that stuff.
 
#9 ·
Unfortunately, the helper did not improve the situation. When she was pulling the gas door release, I could still not open the door.

I ended up having to use a thin rigid putty knife to jimmy it open. I don't know what it's called but I'm guessing the button or whatever on the right side is spring loaded and is supposed to retract when the gas door release is pulled. It is not doing that.

Any ideas on how I need to fix that?
 

Attachments

#15 ·
I'll get at it via the trunk tonight. No sense taking it in to the dealer if they're going to charge me. Not to mention the time I'd have to waste scheduling it, waiting around there, etc. I'd rather take care of it myself.

Thanks for everyone's help! I'll report back...

FYI, this guy's video, while not for a 2014, shows what I'll be looking for -
 
#17 ·
my guess is that the cable was stretched out
because the lever was continuously pulled on too hard.

It may just be as simple as adjusting the nut
to allow the release pin to retract inward more.

Good luck... I think that video gets you in the ball park.
 
#19 ·
I never followed up on my original post here and it may help some other folks dealing with this issue...

It ended up being a problem with the gas door lever. There is a cable that runs from that gas door lever mounted on the floor, next to the front driver seat and the trunk release lever, all the way back to the gas door. When you pull the lever, the gas door opens...

There is a ball at the end of that metal cable and it is supposed to be securely seated in the lever's mechanism. Well the plastic housing that was previously securing the ball had broken, so when I was pulling the lever, it wasn't doing a damn thing because there was no tension in the cable!

I only discovered this by unbolting the lever assembly/mechanism that was mounted to the floor just to take a look and try to figure out how the system worked.

I managed to find a replacement gas door lever at a junk yard for ~$15. Shout out to LKQ Pick Your Part! It was this part:


It's item 77306 on this diagram:
 
#20 ·
My 2013 Camry LE was running on fumes during a Dallas ice storm first few days of Feb 2022 where a number of gas stations were closed, electricity out, out of gas. I pulled into a station that was two miles from home with 0 miles range showing. Pulled the gas door release and door did not open. Didn't want to risk running completely out driving home as auto club was running 6 hours response time, and may have had to tow it. Called a neighbor to take me home to research this -- looked on Toyotanation first. Went back with some tools - my friend took me back to the gas station but couldn't stay. Opened the door with a wooden ice cream stick while pulling the door release -- with an old wire. The part of the door that the locking pin mates with was bent -- and it's very flimsy for such a critical function - and was keeping the door shut with more force than the spring on the hinge side could pop it open when the release was pulled. Having to bend metal and spread out a spring by trial and error to make the gas door release work so that it is possible to put fuel in the car is a stunning design and safety flaw.

That, along with the outside driver door handle snapping off, and the front bumper cover coming off six months after I bought it. Toyota said it is collision damage that my insurance will pay for. Insurance company (Allstate) will not pay for it as the car was not in a collision,and it seems to be a defective design. I have spent over $1,000 of my own money with 4 different shops -- - weld on new tabs, superglue velcro to the pieces, glue the pieces together,, etc... each fix lasts about a year. Makes me sick every time I look at it.
Cable Gas Audio equipment Wire Automotive exterior

Automotive parking light Automotive lighting Hood Motor vehicle Vehicle
 
#22 ·
While trying to figure out why the fuel door wouldn't open on my 2013 Camry LE - it was a weak spring and the latch needed to be bent a little to not close so tight - I found this item on the floor next to the gas door release , thought at first it might be a tension adjuster for the cable that had fallen off. Is this something from my car?
Coin Cosmetics Nickel Money handling Font
Coin Cosmetics Nickel Money handling Font
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top