Gas Door / Fuel Door fix
02-09-2012, 02:57 PM
#22
Registered User
multiple issues
I found this a little too late I guess. My issue seems to be several things with the door and never put it all together.
When I bought it brand new after a few months I noticed it is a different shade of blue than the sheet metal. Never really cared.
Then after some more time goes by I remember it not opening on the first try and just pushed more than once. When it got worse I cleaned and lightly lubed the solenoid shaft. Better.
Some more time went by and never really noticed that the door was riding kind of low. Also over the last couple of years it seems to be hard to close once in awhile.
In the mean time rust has started to form behind the paint on the quarter panel below the door in the form of little paint bubbles. None of them have broken through yet but some are getting a dark brown center. Size of a pin head.
Last summer I took it to two body shops. $300-$500 estimate. Tells me to get it done before there are holes and I have to spend thousands to replace the whole quarter panel instead of painting it. Second guy tells me that it is becuase the handle on the fuel pump at the gas station touches the car and when the automatic holder most of us use clicks off it makes a small indentation everytime. Nice theory but on the Z this is not the case. No handle I ever use comes close to touching the car.
I did notice when I did this adjustment that it is quite possible that the door was touching the sheet metal at the bottom of the circle and rubbed. It has gotten that far off aligment. That could be where water gets into the paint.
What I can't remember and can't tell is the order and effect of all of these things I just finally happen to put together. Because the other thing is, that just like many other cars I have owned with a door like this there quite often is a little surface rust inside that area where all of the seams come together and is welded and crappy paint job but none of my other cars got past a little surface rust inside the filler area even after 10 years. So maybe also this has something to do with water working its way down one of those weld seams behind the panel and is not due to the door rubbing.
Soooo, what brings me back here is after looking for a few hours to educate myself on body work I found this thread again. And what I found last fall when I did this is that the plunger goes into the pocket on the back of the door so far towards the bottom of the pocket that I can't adjust the door back up to the center or the solenoid hits it too low. But there seems to be no adjustment to the solenoid. It is firmly monted in a hole. And as I use it, it naturally sags back down to the bottom becuase the solenoid shaft usually deflects the pocket if it is not centered and pushes the door a little down each time you use it. Neverending!
Any ideas? I know I rambled but I feel better now.
Thanks for the post too. It helped alot.
When I bought it brand new after a few months I noticed it is a different shade of blue than the sheet metal. Never really cared.
Then after some more time goes by I remember it not opening on the first try and just pushed more than once. When it got worse I cleaned and lightly lubed the solenoid shaft. Better.
Some more time went by and never really noticed that the door was riding kind of low. Also over the last couple of years it seems to be hard to close once in awhile.
In the mean time rust has started to form behind the paint on the quarter panel below the door in the form of little paint bubbles. None of them have broken through yet but some are getting a dark brown center. Size of a pin head.
Last summer I took it to two body shops. $300-$500 estimate. Tells me to get it done before there are holes and I have to spend thousands to replace the whole quarter panel instead of painting it. Second guy tells me that it is becuase the handle on the fuel pump at the gas station touches the car and when the automatic holder most of us use clicks off it makes a small indentation everytime. Nice theory but on the Z this is not the case. No handle I ever use comes close to touching the car.
I did notice when I did this adjustment that it is quite possible that the door was touching the sheet metal at the bottom of the circle and rubbed. It has gotten that far off aligment. That could be where water gets into the paint.
What I can't remember and can't tell is the order and effect of all of these things I just finally happen to put together. Because the other thing is, that just like many other cars I have owned with a door like this there quite often is a little surface rust inside that area where all of the seams come together and is welded and crappy paint job but none of my other cars got past a little surface rust inside the filler area even after 10 years. So maybe also this has something to do with water working its way down one of those weld seams behind the panel and is not due to the door rubbing.
Soooo, what brings me back here is after looking for a few hours to educate myself on body work I found this thread again. And what I found last fall when I did this is that the plunger goes into the pocket on the back of the door so far towards the bottom of the pocket that I can't adjust the door back up to the center or the solenoid hits it too low. But there seems to be no adjustment to the solenoid. It is firmly monted in a hole. And as I use it, it naturally sags back down to the bottom becuase the solenoid shaft usually deflects the pocket if it is not centered and pushes the door a little down each time you use it. Neverending!
Any ideas? I know I rambled but I feel better now.
Thanks for the post too. It helped alot.
02-09-2012, 07:20 PM
#23
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I dont have an answer for the above...
But, I am glad I found this thread. I had no idea other peoples gas doors did this. Mine has been driving me nuts. My color is Interlagos Fire, and if you've ever seen this color in person, you can imagine the way my gas door looks (as it stands now, off kilter)- it looks like a totally different color than the rest of the car.
I'm doing this tomorrow.
But, I am glad I found this thread. I had no idea other peoples gas doors did this. Mine has been driving me nuts. My color is Interlagos Fire, and if you've ever seen this color in person, you can imagine the way my gas door looks (as it stands now, off kilter)- it looks like a totally different color than the rest of the car.
I'm doing this tomorrow.
07-29-2013, 03:23 PM
#30
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Thanks for the fix. I did it recently and now the gas door is flush. I thought the previous owner mishandled the gas door as I bought the z used. I was going to ask the dealership on my next visit.
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