Piccolo Nero e Bella said:

no one in their right mind would leave the cap dangling against the paintwork - would they?

Click to expand...

yes!!, driving back in the company van a few years ago, the guy in the passenger side filled up, we drove off and there was this knocking sound from his side when on the motorway. It was the filler cap banging the side of the van.

Some people do, until they notice the hook..

I guess it's to stop the lock falling onto the floor if it gets knocked off the hook.. but sometimes I wonder if it's just there to stop the lock going AWOL while the car is being built, since the key will be in the ignition and it's easier for the production line workers to to just stick the cap in the filler neck and leave it open/unlocked until they get to put a bit of gas in it..?

Ralf S.

Well I for one would like to thank @missitalia21 for asking this question. Recently hired a 500, when I went to fill it up, the fuel cap was rattling around loose in the filler! So whoever had the car before us couldn't figure it out either.
After struggling with it on the forecourt getting confused I decided to also give up, knowing I'd find the answer on here.
They've managed to make something so simple seem so complicated. Must be progress

I've never had an issue with it. If you remove the key while the cap is off that'll lock the cap and you won't be able to put it back on till you put the key in and unlock the cap again.

I seem to remember posting something on this subject around ten years ago.

Yes... here it is.

Someone needs to design a label with an iconic representation of how to do this that can be stuck to the inside of the fuel flap. It would save a lot of grief and embarrassment on the forecourt.

jrkitching said:

Someone needs to design a label with an iconic representation of how to do this that can be stuck to the inside of the fuel flap.

Click to expand...

A bit like the first time I filled up in the mk1 audi A3. Searching the car for the release button (I've had a few with the level/button in odd places). The cap was flush and wouldn't open by fingernail. You could hear the locking pin when you locked and unlocked the car, so I know it wasn't locked. I was a good 5-10 minutes and had to go in and explain so it didn't appear dodgy.

Luckily another audi came in, and had the walk of shame asking how does the fuel cap open. You just push in where the hinge side is at the front and it pops open.

It is confusing, esp. because Fiat uses different methods on different cars.
In the Ducato, you turn the cap WITH the key. In the 500, you turn the key first, then the cap.
Do people still steal fuel these days ??? I feel these locking caps are a major nuisance. Probably some stupid EU regulation again...

So thanks for the trick above with the screw to lock the mechanism - I will try that one. Sound like an easy solution to my griefs