No, this doesn’t have to do with a high-grain diet. I normally run my car right to empty, until I’m terrified I’ll run out of gas on the highway. I do this every time. On the way to work this week, running late of course, I coasted into the gas station on fumes. Pulled the switch to open the gas filler door, walked around to pump gas, and the door wasn’t open. Okay, tried it again. I should point out this is an electronic switch. I guess Volkswagen engineers really trusted their electronics. It didn’t open. What to do? Car’s out of gas, I can’t put gas in it, and I’m late for work. Such a little thing as a filler cap switch disables the entire car. I tried variations for five minutes: ignition on, key in but ignition off, foot on brake, doors closed, doors open. Somehow it finally opened. As I drove to work, steam shooting from my ears, I thought, “I need to take this to the dealer and have them fix it.” It’s still under warranty, so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Have I called the dealership? Of course not! I’ve got a full tank of gas, what am I worried about?
I’ll end the week with something that’s made me laugh each time I’ve heard it. Though this is a YouTube clip, it’s audio only. Enjoy—it’s worth nine minutes of your time for a good laugh.
Writer, architect, father, husband.
Peter, I'm sure you've learned your lesson and all, but don't do this. Your fuel pump is lubricated by the fuel in your tank and letting it run really low is hard on the pump, and letting it run out is really really bad. You could burn it out completely and have to get it replaced.Regarding the fuel flap issue, you may find this helpful:http://www.newbeetle.org/forums/questions-issues-concerns-problems-new-beetle/27899-fuel-door-wont-open.htmlTo sum up: the easiest solution, if oiling doesn't work because it really is the switch is to remove the little latch pin. Get a locking gas cap if siphoning is a concern. But if it's under warranty, shouldn't be a big deal for them to fix it. 🙂