Dariof

I noticed yesterday the gas cap lid (part of the right front fender) does not lock when the vehicle is locked.

After examining the system, the plunger that locks the lid does push out when the vehicle is locked, but then retracts on its own leaving the gas cap vulnerable.

The dealer said they have never seen this before and it could take all day to fix; or they may have to give me a loaner because they will have it more than a day (They talked about the possibility of taking a bunch of stuff apart to get to the mechanism).

Does anyone have any experience with this?

I'm inclined to just buy a locking gas cap and leave the warranty work alone for this one. I don't want my car torn apart for something like this.

500

Can't say I'd blame you for avoiding a large tear down for something that can be easily addressed via a locking cap. I would first however have your dealer check with the Porsche tech line to see if this has been previously addressed in their data base.

MJones

Let the dealer fix it...it's free

500

I believe his main concern would be collateral damage done by the dealer as they informed him it was going to be a big job with a large number of parts removed....

PAULSPEED

Hi,
Get the dealer to repair it. The car will be worth more
if you sell it if everthing works.
Paul

davearm

Had this problem with mine. Was some sort of bushing that was causing the plunger misalignement. The dealer fixed it in 15 min.

Dave

jugger911

Dealer. The bushing that the plunger goes in came off of mine. 35 cents and popped it in in 2 seconds. The plunger is an entire different event.

99firehawk

why would the dealer damage your car?

gota911

You are probably going to need a new engine! Sorry, it's Saturday night and I'm a little batty after a long week.

Seriously, let the dealer handle it. I don't think they will "muck up" your car. Just don't let them wash it. The last time my 996 was in for some warranty work, they washed it and put a gazillion swirl marks/scratches in it. 3 hours of polishing got the front 1/3 of the car back to normal. I still have the top, the doors and the rear to polish!

500

Unintentional/collateral damage has happen to some of us from time to time

99firehawk

ok, but does the dealer not make it right ?
whats the point of having a warrenty if your afraid to use it?

John NY-Naples

I would send it in to the dealer. If this were an internal issue where the dealer has to remove the entire dash to correct the problem, there could be a lot of collateral issues, such as rattles, squeaks, etc. I couldn't imagine taking apart the exterior locking mechanism could lead to significant collateral issues.

99firehawk

to get to the mechanism sucks but all that needs to come off is the wheel and the fender liner

500

It depends, if it's something I can handle myself then no, I don't take it in; but if it's something beyond my capabilities off to the dealer it goes. The less I have to bring my car in, the better, as far as I'm concerned. With respect to the dealer making it right, that depends too, sometimes you don't even notice the damage until a week after you've gotten the car back from service, then its phone calls to and another trip back for inspection of the damage plus another appointment to rectify damage. I always go quite a few extra steps at my dealership; I have just one tech that works on my car and the service rep keeps a watchful eye on my car while it's there and when the car is finished they all know, no washes and no wiping of greasy finger marks with their shop rags as I take care of all that when I get the car home. I also cover the seats with the protective seat cover that came from the factory during transport (always ask to retain these) and put my own floor coverings down instead of those paper mats the dealers use. One last thing, all the guys in service are always treated to some ice cold German beer when I come pick up my car at the end of the day as just a small way of expressing my thanks to them for the extra care. I realize one should not have to go through all this but as being one that has suffered from the dreaded collateral damage syndrome time to time over the years I prefer to be safe than sorry. One last thing, I am always the first to send a nice note to the dealership's GM and or to the manufacturer when the job is done right and to recognize the extra care/concern when displayed.

500

Dariof, it doesn't sound that bad, just make sure they use care when removing the rim.