Hi all, new member here with a question about the inner fuel cap on a 2021 Fabia mk3. Recently after filling up I found that the cap once screwed into place and 'clicked' in (the 'click' it does when screwed fully round in a clockwise motion) didn't want to stay clicked in and kept rotating back slightly 'unclicking' itself. I faffed about with it for a bit in case the bit of elastic that holds it on when unscrewed was interfering and eventually it clicked and stayed. Today I've filled up and come to relace the cap and it just won't stay clicked in - it still feels fairly secure, but everytime I turn it clockwise and get the click, it turns itself anticlockwise slightly and unclicks. I've faffed about with it for ages and it just won't stay. I'm not sure if I need to get hold of a new one, but obviously will need to drive the car for a brief period of time before I can do that. So I'm wondering, is it risky to do so (I had visions of the cap working its way off if I drive over a bump!) is there anything I could do to mitigate this, and if I do need a new one, could anyone reccommend a reputable place which sells replacements please. Thanks in advance 😊

Hi, welcome.

You could get a torch and have a good look inside the cap and it's threads to see if there is anything in there causing this, difficult to see anything black against a black bit of plastic but you might see, and check all the threads inside look OK. Again you could also check the thread a top rim of the filler pipe.

Also you could try a little lubricant inside the cap , blow and wipe any residue out. Personally I also recommend GT85 as it's a longer lasting lubricant and also a penetrating release fluid (read the instructions, hold upright and shake the can well before use). - https://gt85.co.uk/

I suspect you may need to replace the fuel cap and if so for such a part I would just get it from a Dealership, otherwise you could try (note I've not used any of these for parts) -

Fisher Brothers, Skoda - https://skodapartsdirect.co.uk/

7zap - https://skoda.7zap.com/en/europe/

Škoda Parts - https://www.skoda-parts.com/online-store.html

LLL Parts - https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/skoda/CZ/FAB

HTH.

Edited 27 December, 202527 Dec by nta16

2 hours ago, nta16 said:

Hi, welcome.

You could get a torch and have a good look inside the cap and it's threads to see if there is anything in there causing this, difficult to see anything black against a black bit of plastic but you might see, and check all the threads inside look OK. Again you could also check the thread a top rim of the filler pipe.

Also you could try a little lubricant inside the cap , blow and wipe any residue out. Personally I also recommend GT85 as it's a longer lasting lubricant and also a penetrating release fluid (read the instructions, hold upright and shake the can well before use). - https://gt85.co.uk/

I suspect you may need to replace the fuel cap and if so for such a part I would just get it from a Dealership, otherwise you could try (note I've not used any of these for parts) -

Fisher Brothers, Skoda - https://skodapartsdirect.co.uk/

7zap - https://skoda.7zap.com/en/europe/

Škoda Parts - https://www.skoda-parts.com/online-store.html

LLL Parts - https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/skoda/CZ/FAB

HTH.

Many thanks Nigel for your reply that's really helpful, I'll have a good look at it and see if there's anything going on + try the lubricant idea then if that doesn't work, replace it 👍🏻

Just an observation. If the fuel cap is not air-tight then you may get an engine warning light turn on. If you have an OBD reader then the code is P0441 (Incorrect Purge Flow); sometimes you might also get P04F0 (High Pressure Purge Line Performance). The car is still driveable with these codes, but it won't pass the MOT with an engine check light on. Changing the fuel cap is an obvious first step for fixing this issue.

Well, my wife has a 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI and its fuel cap does not spring back when closed.

My older daughter has a 2019 SEAT Leon Cupra and its fuel cap does spring back slightly when closed.

So on that simple sample of 2 cars of differing ages, it just could be that VW Group did make a change to the design of these fuel caps at some point in time so early ones do not spring back and later ones do spring back slightly after being closed.

Edited 22 May22 May by rum4mo

Or some are more faulty than others. Credit where credit is due, we've never had a problem with the screw on fuel cap or the flap door or its mechanism but I do clean the flap inside and out and do clean the area of the fuel tank pipe thingy (can't think what it's called, black wunderbar fantastic-plastic of course) they can get a surprsing amount of debis there as I found with the SEAT Arona loan car, I almost needed a trowel for that.