Being conscious that my coupe needed to be fired up and run, and was also getting low on fuel I thought I would kill 3 birds with one stone and take her on the shopping run last night.

Shopping done, and boot full I headed for the local Shell parked up and went to unlock the fuel cap. Now the cap has sometimes been a bit tricky to unlock, taking an attempt or three. Yesterday TRS spat her dummy out and would not unlock.

Five minutes of patient fumbling, smiling like a loon at people lined up to use the pumps.

At ten minutes the grin had become a grimace. Numb fingers setting in.

At fifteen minutes I'd tried every type of variation of putting key in, wriggling, hovering the key just off the bottom of the barrel, pushing the barrel down I could think of. Keys had been rubbed by my fingers in case it was bent/had some grain of dirt on it. I was worried I could feel the blue transponder part starting to wobble in the key a bit-something I didn't want happening.

Twenty minutes in saw me close to the edge of giving up. I'd started using the key in both ignition and boot lock, just in some kind of mental serendipity plea to TRS that she would unlock. Increased the rubbing and staring at the key, like that would help. Strangely with coupes the low tech solutions usually work. I think they tease you.

At twenty three minutes or there about...just as my will was on breaking point and I was considering driving off and dealing with her in the cold light of day the lock swished open like it had been put together yesterday.

One tank of super later - and with frozen goods wilting she let me fire her up and back on the road again like the whole thing had been my fault...

The 23 minutes or so of fooling around- apart from making my king prawns look a bit questionably darker- gave me lots of time to reflect on her less then perfect paint finish. And her original ride height suspension re-fresh is maybe too high for her. Something I kind of accepted at FCSS's 10th anniversary event as she soared above all the other coupes by about 15mm or maybe 20mm. But she does not scrap the road to my home anymore.

So - here I am on the forum, heading to the "how to section" to remind myself how to strip the cap off-as its years since I did it to replace the spring inside her. Another list on the chores to do this morning.


Its a far cry from my hopes to do the route napoleon in her. Coupes....got to love them!

MM

Try waving your hands over the lock saying "abra catabra"

I save that for the A/C Joe lol!

The two screws holing the barrel in place were loose- I've gone the lazy route of tightening them back up some to see if that sorts it.

If not then its a strip out, check and re grease.

MM

Sounds like it's time to give the lock barrel a clean and re-lube with some fresh grease.
Very easy to do, top tip, block the top of the fuel pipe with some tissue before removing the screws

That sounds like the voice of experience

Tch typical coop behaviour!

While we're on filler caps should the recess around the petrol cap hold water or should it drain away. A couple of times now when I've been filling up this recess is brimful of water looking scarily close to spilling over into the fuel tank

It should drain away, there is a drain hole in it which does get blocked. Use a tissue for that too - dry it out and then spot the hole and clean it out.

Mine plays up even more so when it starts getting frosty/freezing. I put a squirt of GT85 or alike in the lock and it seems to help or I just don't lock it.

Mine stopped locking after it was cleaned. I just leave it unlocked.

Cheers Joe and all,

Yep its made me think about the inherent down sides of keeping it locked rather then unlocked. My coupe does not live on the street, so the risk of fuel theft is zilch.

Risk of being stuck at the Shell forecourt....

Regards

MM

Thanks for that. There was indeed a drain hole. I think Nello must have had a little flower arrangement growing in there over the summer