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Help! My gas filler door is being problematic

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by priusrecon, May 20, 2015.

  1. priusrecon

    priusrecon Member

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    Noticed this when I first bought it, have been living with it, but am getting sick of it.

    The leading edge of my gas filler door tries to gouge into the side of the car whenever I have to open it to refuel. To open it, I have to pull hard on it, away from the car to prevent it from grinding the paint off the inside of the filler well. In looking at the hinge, it seems Toyota mounted it too far back inside the fuel door for it to open properly without the front edge gouging.

    I can't find the way to separate the door from the body, it seems riveted on through that stamped yoke piece.
    I don't see the way to adjust it either.
    For now, I've pulled (bent) the interior yoke thing that holds the hinge wire, out to try to minimize the gouging, but that way my filler door sticks out from the side of my car when it's closed.

    Anybody know how to fix this?

    I usually like Toyotas, but I've seen some real knuckleheaded design flaws in the Prius here....
     
    #1 priusrecon, May 20, 2015
  2. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Well first off, is this a used car? After an accident in that area, gas doors are a PITA.

    Most commonly (on every vehicle, not just Prius or Toyota) the door just stops ejecting properly so you have to pull up on the lever while pulling the cap up and away from the body. This works fine if you have a 15ft arm span...
     
    #2 2k1Toaster, May 21, 2015
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    For that problem, I know two solutions that work....

    One...
    1. Pull up to pump, get out, walk around car
    2. Stick driver's license, credit card, or library card in gap around filler door
    3. Walk back to driver seat, pull fuel door lever, listen for sound of card hitting pavement
    4. Put card back in wallet and fill tank
    Or, two....
    1. Spray some light lube on fuel door hinges
    For some reason, I've been letting myself get annoyed with (one) for ages, without ever getting around to trying (two) until just now when your post inspired me to actually do something about the problem.

    (Two) works really well. I've had this can of Tef-Lube stashed in the tub of random basement stuff that's been hauled with me in every move for about 25 years. It doesn't spray very vigorously any more, but a couple squirts on the fuel door hinges and flapping the door back and forth a few times, and it now pops back open again at least as well as it did when I bought the car. I guess it's ok to do that much work every dozen years or 200+ k miles....

    While I was out there, I also sprayed the door hinges on the three other doors (I replaced the top hinge on the driver's door recently, probably because I should have sprayed it earlier).

    A light lubricant like this is probably the ticket, because neither the door hinges nor the fuel-door hinges really give you any access to apply a thicker grease and get it to go anywhere that matters.

    Another lubricant I have never owned, but have often seen recommended, is Boeshield.

    -Chap
     
    #3 ChapmanF, May 21, 2015
  4. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Why not take it to a body shop to adjust it?
     
    #4 orenji, May 21, 2015
  5. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    That's not a design flaw as we would have been flooded with complaints. Any body work listed in the service records?
     
    #5 JimN, May 21, 2015
  6. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Your car is 10 years old according to your profile.

    How long have you had it?
     
    #6 ETC(SS), May 21, 2015
  7. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

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    obviously the po bent it somehow. you need to compare it to an unbent fuel door hinge to see how it should be shaped.
     
    #7 69shovlhed, May 22, 2015
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