Today, at fill-up, tha fuel cap of my MkII '12 felt on the ground... because the rubber cord keeping it attached is severed. I don't know how it happened. Maybe last time I refilled, the service guy pinched it into the filler flap.

Does anybody know which is the simplest/cheapest way to fix it? Do I have to buy a new cap altogether? Or an entire new car? (I hope not. Mine, after 8 years is almost as new but diesels are worth less than a penny, today).

If it was me, i'd just replace it with a shoe lace/string.

That is just the broken leash, and not the car that needs replace by a shoe lace / string...

I removed the rubber/pladtic attachment so that if I ever dropped it, it would reduce the chances of it hitting the bodywork.

 

I placed the fuel cap on the fuel flap as per the manual.

 

This image is from a Google search:

 

 

I usually put the cap on the flap too. The cord is an extra safety to avoid dropping it (as it happened today) and possibly breaking it (not nice).

Replacing with a string... Yes, but a plastic one. Can you imagine a woven/leather string drenched in diesel? 😝

I think I may have confused myself!

 

When I bought my car there was a lot of misfuelling stories in the press at the time.

 

I bought one of these in Halfords for about £20. The fuel cap stays attached to the device, so there is no need to place it on the fuel flap and you have to remove the cord anyway. It was in regular use for nearly 10 years right up until I sold the car. The only thing I did was place a folded up paper towel on the ledge of the  fuel flap area to catch any drips.

 

No one seems to sell them now, but if you're interested there is one currently under bidding on eBay at £1.27…

 

 

I had one of those on my Citroen Xantia a while back. I stopped using it as the residual diesel in the nozzle from the previous use ran down the car when I put the nozzle into the socket to unlock the cap. I still have the device in my garage in it's original box but I have not fitted it to my Octavia.

ford started putting something like that into the fuel fillers of their vehicles a while back. 

a petrol nozzle shouldnt fit or work. 

our fleet allegedly has these on them, and yet i did a test one day on the Connect i use, curiosity like - i got the petrol nozzle in... i didnt start pumping though.

 

i have heard a couple of other staff around the country have managed to get petrol into the diesel connects though...

The tether on my fuel cap also snapped a while ago, but I haven't fuelled up for almost 2 months so I had forgotten about it!

 

I'd be interested in replacing it if possible and easy...

I've spotted the replacement tether on AliExpress, no idea how easy it is to replace.

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/4000127832526.html?pid=808_0000_0105&spm=a2g0n.search-amp.list.4000127832526&aff_trace_key=cedf2239e7be474d9451977d2e43ce30-1589834916228-05102-faAFfIR&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=245amp-IiIrx_cE30vyE8lZ8yzCXA1589834940413&browser_id=739bc2b4a42749a48e94e179273a9793&is_c=N

Replacing the tether is fiddly, involving removing and replacing the two rubber locating pins.

 

For 50p less you could have a whole tank cap with tether already fitted:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000599566648.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000014.15.494e2799aEpOwH&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.14976.157518.0&scm_id=1007.14976.157518.0&scm-url=1007.14976.157518.0&pvid=23e881e6-914a-423e-9f4b-9535c6ea1625&_t=gps-id:pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller,scm-url:1007.14976.157518.0,pvid:23e881e6-914a-423e-9f4b-9535c6ea1625,tpp_buckets:668%230%23131923%232_668%23808%237756%23220_668%23888%233325%234_4976%230%23157518%230_4976%232711%237538%23602_668%232846%238115%23807_668%232717%237566%23893

 

Yes, my cord broke a year or two back as well.  The Febi Bilstein and Vaico complete assemby is only about £6 online. And the fuel cap seal can get perished as well so probably not so bad a complete UK  supplied replacement. Only save a few pounds for the aliexpress one and it seems to be pattern so quality? Who knows until you get it.

Good news, it's very easy to remove. The car end of the cord can simply be pulled off the retainer by stretching it, and the cap end can be removed by pushing out two small plastic pins.

I bought one of these, it only took a few minutes to fit. I put it in some warm water and it stretched over the cap easily.

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33003566538.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.56b64c4duvSwcC

On 19/05/2020 at 21:58, slow_nick said:

Good news, it's very easy to remove. The car end of the cord can simply be pulled off the retainer by stretching it, and the cap end can be removed by pushing out two small plastic pins.

Where is the two plastic pins to remove the cap end?, iv'e had a look and can't see any as i need to change mine as it is broke any chance of some piccys please.

On 22/05/2020 at 19:45, adokS12 said:

Where is the two plastic pins to remove the cap end?, iv'e had a look and can't see any as i need to change mine as it is broke any chance of some piccys please.

 

Drilled new hole and attached plastic string with big knot at fuel cap end and loop on the other - works perfectly.