4 Areas To Check When Your Volvo Gas Door Won’t Open!
It’s a catastrophe almost when your Volvo gas door won’t open. Perhaps you need to make an urgent trip somewhere or it’s out of fuel in the middle of the road. Whatever the scenario, not being able to access the fuel door is unexpected. but you need to calm down and figure out what went wrong.
Usually, a Volvo gas door won’t open if there’s something going on within the keyless entry system. Fuse or relay related problems can also lead to electrical interruptions, hence preventing access to the fuel door. Electrical glitches and damaged lever or cable are also pretty common reasons.
A manual override might temporarily fix the issue. But you should also find more.
Volvo Gas Door Won’t Open Due To These Issues
Let’s go in depth on each of the issues that could make the gas door inaccessible for a Volvo vehicle.
1. Problems With the Locking Mechanism
Some reported that their Volvo XC40 fuel door wouldn’t open when issues with their locking mechanism occurred out of nowhere. Due to wear and tear or electronic glitches, the problem can appear. It can also be from obstruction.
If your Volvo xc90 gas door won’t open, consider inspecting the keyless entry system. Perhaps some irregularities within the system are causing the gas door to not open. It could happen when you troubleshoot one or more xc90 door lock problems just recently.
Try Locking & Unlocking All Doors
Make sure you lock all the doors of your Volvo using a keyless remote or key fob. And the right after, unlock them. This way you are toggling the locks and it may trigger the gas door.
2. Fuse & Relay Related Problems
This issue can be traced back to problems with the fuse and relay-related components. A blown fuse will cause the electrical circuit to get interrupted. The fuse is responsible for unlocking the gas door particularly.
Blown fuses are a protective measure against overload for the electrical system to avoid any damage to the circuit by cutting the connection. It can arise from short circuits and even power surges.
The relay has the role of controlling the electrical signal to the gas door mechanism. So, a defective relay can also prevent the gas door from opening despite signals being sent.
If your 2018 Volvo XC60 fuel door won’t open and this could be it. Wear and tear over time, mechanical defects, and electrical faults could make a relay malfunction.
Another rare culprit of the situation is the airlock in the fuel tank. It is reportedly a reason behind the prevention of the Volvo xc60 gas cap release.
Finding what causes the airlock in the fuel tank is the first step to take in this case.
Airlock in fuel tanks is a result of leaking fuel lines, low fuel levels, and air bubbles. It can also appear after a fuel filter replacement where the priming step was not done properly. The most certain reason for an airlock in the fuel tank is running out of fuel.
Check Fuse Box & Replace Gas Door Associated Fuse
The fuse is responsible for operating the door switch needs inspection. You should change it with the same amp rating fuse.
Replace Faulty Relay
If a relay is behind the trouble, simply replace the faulty component with a new one. You will find replacement pieces in local stores.
Repair Fuel Line Leaks & Use Right Amount Of Fuel
Airlock-related problems need identifying the exact cause behind them. If there’s a fuel shortage, you need to use the right levels.
Look for leaks in the fuel line and replace it or patch the part if possible. Though, replacement sounds like a more permanent fix. Also, make sure you prime the fuel filter properly to avoid air bubbles in the fuel tank.
3. Damaged Lever or Release Cable
You should check if the lever on the gas door is bent or damaged in some way. It can accumulate wear and tear or build up leading the lever to not function properly. As a result, the release mechanism is malfunctioning.
There’s a particular release cable that connects the lever to the gas door. If this component is damaged or loose, the gas door will be jammed.
Dislodge Hindrance or Straighten the Bend for Lever
Say if the lever has some sort of obstruction not allowing it to function the gas door correctly. You can try applying gentle pressure on it. At the same time, let someone else use the operate button.
Such action will make any obstruction dislodge and the gas door should start working again. In case of any bent, the steps are the same but you need to straighten the lever with the pressure to reform it.
However, this may not work if the lever is already damaged completely. Then a replacement would be necessary.
Replace The Release Cable
To restore the connection between the gas door and the lever, replace the faulty release cable with a new one. It can be a tricky process, so I would suggest hiring a professional for that.
4. Electrical Glitches
Many dealing with a situation where their Volvo s60 fuel door won’t open often share that electrical glitches were responsible for the problem. This can include many types of glitches.
First and foremost, it can be a sensor-related issue. For example, the issue of v70 starting and dying due to camshaft sensor malfunction. The faulty sensor can result in more issues including the fuel door not opening.
It is also possible that some wiring problems exist. Or even software glitches disrupt the signal to the gas door, just like how it can cause Volvo GPS to not work.
Reset The Associated Electronic Component
If you figure out a damaged sensor is hampering the operation of an electrical unit, it requires immediate attention to fix the problem. Also, any loose or broken wires will require reconnecting or changing for the unit to revive.
A software glitch requires updating and an expert from the service center should help you with it.
A Quick Fix To Try As Temporary Resort
If no matter what, you are not able to release the gas door, but there’s an emergency, consider this temporary fix. You can use a manual override mechanism.
This should be available in the trunk and it comes with a manual release cord. Some models have it in the cargo area, behind a panel. You can use this cord to access the gas area before implementing a permanent solution.
Wrapping Up
And there you have information on which components to inspect when a Volvo gas door won’t open. I understand this is an inconvenience that disrupts important travel plans.
Quick resolution to the issue is the key at the moment. If you are still confused, don’t delay calling in an expert who can help you detect the underlying problems responsible and prevent it from exacerbating. I will see you in my next guide where I cover a very interesting maintenance-related topic, the “book time for maintenance” message that Volvo often pops up. If you are getting this message along with the gas door problem, don’t forget to check it out!
