I tried searching for topics covering this issue but there are none. So I'm posting. Please help.

As the subject indicates, just recently I tried buying gas, only to discover that the fuel tank door will no longer open when I pull the little lever which resides on the floor next to the driver-side door. This was embarrassing, and could have been rather catastrophic had I driven in on fumes. I made a brief attempt to pry the fuel tank door open with my key, but it would not release easily (I felt like I might break something), I put a little dent in the paint, and my key almost bent.

Am I going to have to force the fuel tank door open from now on, whenever I need to buy gas? Would that break something? Is there an easy fix for this? Argh. ;p

 

Does the fuel release lever feel easier to pull then usual? Sounds like the cable may have broken.

As for a fix, I am not sure besides replacing the cable and I dont know how to do that. Sorry Good luck though! And welcome to our forum!

 

Pulling the lever feels no different. I hadn't known it used a cable, but if that's the case, it doesn't feel like it's broken.

 

Disclaimer: I've never had that problem, so I'm basically making this up...

Peel back the carpet/trim stuff in the trunk so you can see where the cable goes into the latch. I bet there's a way to disconnect the cable; pull it out. It looks like the latch pin is actually attached to the end of the cable (#5).

 

Yes JimBlake is correct, you can peel back the trunk liner and see the cable plunger where it hooks into the gas lid housing.

 

What climate do you live in? Did you get your car washed recently? I live in MN and washed my car, the next day I went to get gas and had the same problem, figured out that water seeped around the plunger and froze.

If it's not that, after peeling the carpet back it's fairly easy to see whats up with the plunger.

 

Totally forgot about that. That has happened a few times to me recently.

What I do, is I push the gas lid in on the top, bottom and right a few times. If you hear ice crunching well then you know what your problem is! I felt like an idiot at the gas station before because I was pushing in my gas lid, pullingmy gas release lever, then sticking my key in there to pry it open. After about 5 minutes, I got it.

 

I think like the others say that the cable is the issue but maybe this will give a quick way to check it out. I had a '94 Mitsu 3000GT and I had the same problem. What I had to do was take an old credit card bend it in half to make my own little spring tab. I would then put the two folded ends in the fuel door and then I would pull the lever and it would pop open. I suppose I could have found a new spring or tab but I was lazy.
Just a thought to check out.