Help! Key just broke in fuel cap

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
richardjeaton

richardjeaton

New Member
Posts
198
Location
Wetherby, Leeds, West Yorkshire
I just went to fill up with fuel and the flipping key broke in the fuel filler cap lock :mad: Any ideas on how to remove it? Was just going to drill it out but worried about bits dropping inside fuel tank...

Any ideas appreciated asap as I need to be out and about in an hour, grrrrr!!!
 
Leave it until you've got more time.
Then try and fish it out with a bent paper clip.
Can you get the cap off? if so try shocking it out by banging. You might get enough to get some pliers on it.
Shame to destroy the cap for the sake of a key.
 
Shifty1962 said:
L
Then try and fish it out with a bent paper clip.
Click to expand...

i'd like to see that trick !

you'll need a pair of VERY flat (.5mm) long nose pliers to slide into the keyhole over the broken bit, remembering you'll probably have to twist it anti clockwise to get the cap unlocked

BUT before you do this - make sure the cap is warm as it being frozen wasn't probably the cause of you snapping the key
 
richardjeaton said:
Unfortunately I can't get the cap off which is my biggest worry right now as I need to use the Landy and there's no fuel in it :( The drill is looming :eek:
Click to expand...

has yer doris got a pair of eyebrow tweezers ?

all you need is something very thin but strong that you can slide down over the broken key - and then (assuming you find some tweezers) use a pliers to help turn it

if you do start drilling at least take the fuel feed tube off where it joins the tank so the debris won't drop into it
 
Sean said:
i'd like to see that trick !

you'll need a pair of VERY flat (.5mm) long nose pliers to slide into the keyhole over the broken bit, remembering you'll probably have to twist it anti clockwise to get the cap unlocked

BUT before you do this - make sure the cap is warm as it being frozen wasn't probably the cause of you snapping the key
Click to expand...
Paper clip with a 1mm hook in it goes down along the teeth of the broken bit and hooks on the first one. Gentle pulling and out it pops. Used to work as a locksmith when I left school. Done it loads of times. Of course if you have the correct picks its a piece of piddle but not everyone has these hence the paper clip.
 
Shifty1962 said:
Paper clip with a 1mm hook in it goes down along the teeth of the broken bit and hooks on the first one. Gentle pulling and out it pops. Used to work as a locksmith when I left school. Done it loads of times. Of course if you have the correct picks its a piece of piddle but not everyone has these hence the paper clip.
Click to expand...

but - what usually happens is peeps put the key in, turn it, they can't get the cap off cos it's frozen, so they force it again - and then it snaps, so before you can withdraw the remnants of the key it would have to be turned back again

think i'll make meself a little spring steel device along the lines of what you said, might come in handy one day
 
just put the head of the key back in the lock and turn it to unlock, just cause its in two parts dont mean its not goin to work
and it will be easier to get broken bit out
 
Mine nearly went yesterday! Not just the key, but the cap itself!
At the garage, needing fuel, they had nothing to help, as all their pipes were frozen!
Just kept my hands over it, until it thawed, took a while! lol

Me, is gonna make a nice thermal fuel cap protector!!
 
Cheers for the ideas, I managed to make my journey there and back with the fuel I had left so I didn't have to resort to violence (not yet anyway!).

At least I now have time to sort it tomorrow morning without being in a mad rush. Well, I'll just be in a rush to go out playing in the snow again... has anybody heard of "towboarding" :D
 
Up here in the frozen North, I recently dispensed with my locking fuel cap because it was frozen solid every time I went to get fuel and I had to mess around in the petrol station trying to get it to defrost. I bought a non locking fuel cap (exactly the same but with no lock gubbins) from the bay and haven't looked back. The locking one will go back on once it gets a bit warmer...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Fuel gauge and fuel light issue
Replies
4
Views
321
Acdadefender1
A
styleruk
Key question
Replies
3
Views
501
tottot
tottot
C
Series 3 passenger side fuel tank
Replies
7
Views
1K
steve2286w
steve2286w
J
Fuel slosh?
Replies
13
Views
1K
yfo866
yfo866
stumpyj
Fuel Line worn through
Replies
2
Views
582
stumpyj
stumpyj
Back
Top