Keyless Gas Cap Not Opening.

[Lee]

If you every have your keyless gas cap fail to unlock it's easy to get it open.
We had trouble with Debbie's bike doing this last year after the Colorado September Ride In.
If you remove the small piece in front of the cap you can open and close the cap.

   

I put the tank center back on and I could still remove and replace that piece.
   

If the keyless gas cap fails, you're not stranded.

I figured this out today when I was planning to install a billet gas cap on Debbie's bike.
I bought the cap from Pirate Lair.
   

   

When Debbie saw the keyless cap could still be opened and closed without much trouble she decided to keep the keyless cap.
The billet cap does not have much to grip to open it. She was worried when arthritis gets in her hands she might have trouble opening it.
The billet caps goes from loose to tight very easily.

Since the Colorado problem I spray the gas cap plunger with a lock lube.
The lock lube has been added to my just in case bag

Here's the plunger I lube. It's best to use a lube that does not leave a oil that collects dirt.
   

[Duccrazydave]

Hey Lee, what is the removed panel allowing you to access? It doesn't seem clear to me from the pic.
Ah, I see it now. The flange and the locking mechanism work together. Thanks for the tip!

[Ray]

Here's the plunger I lube. It's best to use a lube that does not leave a oil that collects dirt.

Man. Good to know. That information would have saved a bit of frustration seen in old threads on the fora.

Doesn't that mechanism get cleaned everytime I let gasoline overflow the filler tube? Has my impatience at the pump protected me somewhat from a sticky plunger. ( Not sure that came out right, but in the absence of Wessie and Bravo, I'm not going to bother taking time for edits....)

[Lee]

Hey Lee, what is the removed panel allowing you to access? It doesn't seem clear to me from the pic.
Ah, I see it now. The flange and the locking mechanism work together. Thanks for the tip!

This lip holds the cap closed. When you remove it there's nothing to hold the cap closed.
When messing with it I put the fob in the house to make sure it was affecting the latch in the cap.

   

[Lee]

For someone without a tank ring you might want to test this to make sure I'm not missing something.
You only need to remove the two fasteners.

[Grumpy Goat]

Doesn't that mechanism get cleaned everytime I let gasoline overflow the filler tube? Has my impatience at the pump protected me somewhat from a sticky plunger. ( Not sure that came out right, but in the absence of Wessie and Bravo, I'm not going to bother taking time for edits....)

I found it funny .. LMAO right now ...

[Ray]

Doesn't that mechanism get cleaned every time I let gasoline overflow the filler tube? Has my impatience at the pump protected me somewhat from a sticky plunger. ( Not sure that came out right, but in the absence of Wessie and Bravo, I'm not going to bother taking time for edits....)

I found it funny .. LMAO right now ...

The inability to open the electric gas cap has always been another one of those things that I didn't fully understand, and therefore, has been a worry.

Thanks to Lee - now an unnecessary worry.

In addition to dust and dirt in the mechanism, any possibility the tank bag rings in common use could under some conditions affect latch position and opening? I've never had problems, but then I still use an old strap on tank bag when I need one.

[Lee]

The inability to open the electric gas cap has always been another one of those things that I didn't fully understand, and therefore, has been a worry.

Thanks to Lee - now an unnecessary worry.

In addition to dust and dirt in the mechanism, any possibility the tank bag rings in common use could under some conditions affect latch position and opening? I've never had problems, but then I still use an old strap on tank bag when I need one.

I still do not understand the plunger operation.
I have seen were some think the tank ring can cause a problem if you snug it down too tight or do not tighten the fasteners evenly.
Since the fasteners screw down into a brass sleeve that's pressed into the plastic tank I use very little torque.

[Lee]

For someone without a tank ring you might want to test this to make sure I'm not missing something.
You only need to remove the two fasteners.

Just to double check myself I took off the tank ring on my bike and lifted that small piece like I did on Deb's bike and it let me open my gas cap.