Gas Cap issues

FGrella

07 ST1300 ABS
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
24
Location
MB South Carolina
STOC #
7596
Anybody having any issues with there gas cap not popping open?
I only have 1800 miles but it seems to be sticking.
I hit it with some WD40 but I am not sure if its just a vaccum issue
 
I applied WD-40 for the lock mechanism because it was feeling a bit "notchy" and it worked well. I also opened it up and applied some to the locking "feet" under the cap. I haven't had any issues since - never what I could detect as a vacuum seal.
 
all you need to do is to remove and tighten the bolts holding the gas cap down. they are located at 12, 5 and 7 o'clock. i had to do that recently and mine went back to working perfectly.
 
Yep, here too. Less than two months old, and has done this several times. I don't think I'll tinker with it this early (shouldn't expect to either). But the tips here may be needed someday. Thanks.:07biker:
 
What Randy and Terry suggested in that order, although instead of WD-40, I used one of the silicone sprays you get in an auto shop and that took care of the problem I had. In my case, it was the feet under the cap that were sticky.

Good luck.

John
 
John Anthony said:
What Randy and Terry suggested in that order, although instead of WD-40, I used one of the silicone sprays you get in an auto shop and that took care of the problem I had. In my case, it was the feet under the cap that were sticky.

Good luck.

John
Click to expand...

+1

Lube both the gasket and the two feet.

I already have one bent key.
 
You've probably already thought of it, but while you're lubing the gas cap, take care of the rest of your locks on the ST. BTW, when my lock stuck, I couldn't get it opened unless I fiddled with it for 30 seconds or so. Unsettling when you're at a gas station 1,500 miles away from home. :(

John
 
Put periodic cleaning and lubrication of back side of the gas cap on your maintenance list. It will always work like brand new.

Ray
 
Mine has been sticking too, lubing the latches helped for a couple months but ultimatley it began sticking as bad as before. The most permanent fix is loosening and readjusting the ring around the fuel cap, in conjunction with proper lube.

However, if you don't have access to a 5mm allen wrench to loosen the 3 allen screws and you must get the cap open, then the following worked for me for months: I found that if I turned the key to unlatch the cap and then pressed the cap closed, repeating two or three times in a row, that it was much easier to open with only a very slight upwards pull on the key. It sounds odd, and YMMV, but it worked on mine until I had the chance to loosen and adjust the gas cap ring (allen screws). I do suspect that the side that you put your finger on to press the cap closed matters because you're helping the cap to slide ever so slightly on it's hinge...for example mine worked by pressing it closed on it's right side, repeatedly. :shrug1:
 
RideTN said:
all you need to do is to remove and tighten the bolts holding the gas cap down. they are located at 12, 5 and 7 o'clock. i had to do that recently and mine went back to working perfectly.
Click to expand...

+1 on RideTN's solution

THISSsssss is the deal -- 10 minutes with the correct allen bit

As I reinstalled the cap assemblyI experimented with slightly varying final tensions on the three bolts...

No real discoveries or new recipes... but it works like new!
 
Dang! just got all cleaned up from installing the MCL Riser bars..... I guess something to try tomorrow... or 15 minutes from now LOL!
 
Hey, guess what? That's another thing the allen wrench supplied in the toolkit will fit.

Mine started sticking a couple weeks ago and had to loosen those bolts, works fine now.
 
Here is an old, but useful bit of info that may explain the "why":
(Thanks to Bill of **********)

The gas cap is secured to the tank by 3 screws, located at top, lower right and lower left. The other 4 screws, located left and right of the top screw, secure the cap to the outer ring.
The problem is the tank does not present a level platform, in that the lower right mount is too low, causing the cap assembly to be twisted when all mounting screws are tightened equally.
Loosen the screw at 5 o'clock and observe that the closing problem is absent.
Apply some blue thread lock to the screw at 5 o'clock and tighten 1/4 turn beyond the point that the screw contacts the frame.
Otherwise, if you require all crews to be tightened equally, I found it took about a .020 inches shim to raise the level of the pedestal at 5 o'clock, to be equal in height too the other two pedestals and allow all 3 mounting screw to be tightened equally.
Regards, Bill
 
Some time back my cap was sticking as well and I tried all the sugestions here but the sticky cap would return. One day I noticed some shiny spots on the cap between the latch and the rubber gasket. Assuming the cap was rubbing in these spots, I lightly filed these places and the sticky cap has not returned. Good luck with yours.:biker:

Doyle
 
I used "dry lube", it comes in a gold aerosol can, sprays on like Silicon or wd40 but drys out and leaves behind a lubricant. Works wonders-WD-40 & silicon did not last for me.
 
+1 on the dry lube. Doesn't attacted dirt like wd. Don't forget the underside ring portion that moves up and down.

If you bent an oem key, chuck it. A broken pc of key in a lock will ruin your day.
 
I'm occasionally having kind of the opposite problem. The cap pops open normally, but won't latch sometimes when I try to close it. I can push down real hard, but the little fingers don't deploy and the key won't release. When I let up on pressing the cap, it is still unlatched. Usually 2 or 3 tries and it will finally latch, but I'm worried I'm going to get stuck somewhere eventually. Same problem, different manifestation??
 
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