A dumb little story...broken fuel door -_-

zaimer

I'll make this as short as possible . The other day I stopped at the gas station on my way home to fill up. I usually have to fiddle around with the pump because it likes to shut off before the tank is full. I ended up spilling a little down the side. No big deal, I'll wash it off when I get home. I get home, lock the car, and go into the house to get some stuff to wash the gas off. I went out to clean the fuel cap off but I couldn't get the door open. I figured oh, this is nothing too unusual..I rent cars frequently and I've had several instances where the fuel door doesn't like to pop open. So I gave the fuel door a little lift after it wouldn't pop open a few times. It opened very easily but a piece of plastic fell out (locking mechanism). . I know in my previous Z (350z), the fuel door had a lock that was released from inside the car. I had no idea the 370z's also had a fuel door lock.

Is this an easy/inexpensive fix? It's not really a big deal and obviously won't stop a fuel thief but I don't like the idea of it not being there

Akurei

You have to unlock the whole car with your unlock remote button and your fuel door will open as well. If the car is fully locked, you will press the fuel door and nothing will happen

JARblue

Check out this link for a diagram. By your description, I can't tell exactly what piece fell out. The "bumper" (78810D) maybe?

780 Rear Fender & Fitting :: Body(Side & Rear) :: Genuine Nissan Parts :: 370Z Parts (Z34) 2009-2013 :: Nissan Parts, NISMO and Nissan Accessories - Courtesyparts.com

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JARblue

And yeah... the fuel door locks with the rest of the car. Push down at the edge of the door towards the rear of the car and a little up toward the taillight. If it doesn't pop up right away, your car is most likely locked.

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zaimer

Yes, I know that now! . No longer have to worry about it because I broke the locking pin off.

Drex

just stop pumping when the pump shuts off. that way you won't get spillage.

if you think the tank isn't full, it probably is. many people have an issue with the fuel gauge showing the tank is not full right after a fill up.

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2011 Nissan 370z | 6MT | Magnetic Black | Sport Package

zaimer

Hard to tell by the diagram, but I think you are right about the part number. My fuel door no longer locks..I broke the locking pin off. It's a little plastic piece about the circumference of a pencil and maybe 3/4-1 inch in length?

kenchan

unless you dd your Z, i would just let it be. who cares if it locks or not really if your car is garaged during the week and only park at the gas pump on weekends like mine.

JARblue

Yup that's it. It's a push button locking mechanism. What I'm not sure about is whether that $3 bumper piece is just a plastic cover for the locking mechanism or actually includes the mechanism. I don't see anything else that could be a separate locking mechanism, but it might be worth running by a dealer to see what they say. You can probably order the part directly from them - it'll be more than $3, but probably cheaper than if you have to pay shipping for one.

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JARblue

No reason to top off.

If you're relying on the instrument panel to give you fuel level info, it is notorious for being inaccurate in the Z. Just FYI.

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black_sedan

hope you kept the plastic piece. I broke the same thing and have been meaning to super glue the plastic piece. Can anyone take a pic of the inside of their fuel door so I know which way to reglue it?

JARblue

Is it white plastic? Not sure the information I gave you earlier is correct. See the attached photo. I think the bumper is the upper rubber piece in the photo. The locking pin is the white piece below it. Locking the car causes the white pin to project out and keeps the fuel door locked.

Here is a photo of my fuel door locking mechanism. I understand that you can access it from behind by remove a couple of panels inside the hatch.

Attached Images

IMG_1704.JPG (514.7 KB, 71 views)

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black_sedan

Thank you Sir...

I actually broke mine on purpose. I was stranded in a parking lot due to the infamous steering lock recall. When I finally got the car started, I headed straight for the Nissan dealer which was almost 20 miles away. My car was already pretty empty and I didnt want to chance getting stranded at a gas station so I forced the gas door open breaking the tab. The gas door actually locks when the engine is on.

Good thing is I can now fill the car with the engine running. Bad thing, someone can siphon my gas easier.

zaimer

Yes, it is a white plastic. It is definitely the locking pin that broke off. I'll have to check it out sometime and see if I can take it apart. It almost looks like you are able to untwist the housing of the locking pin from the fuel door? I thought about trying to glue the piece back on...and see how long that lasts

macaddict111

Any luck on this, guys? I opened my filler door a couple days ago and found it broken off, too. Not sure how it happened, but I DD this in Las Vegas, where I park it in shady downtown areas quite often. Definitely want to replace it. Did anybody figure out exactly what the part number is? It looks like it's going to be a pain to replace too. Has anybody done that yet?

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