How to replace fuel cap emerg cable?

[clickman]

I managed to bust off the little plastic emergency cable for the fuel filler door release that you access from the front of the passenger door.

(Did I say it was little? It's like no thicker than a human hair! Come on Porsche! )

Anyhow, the free version of the workshop manual I found on the net doesn't make any sense (as usual). It talks about accessing it as part of removing the fender .

I took off the wheelwell liner (see attached photo), and it looks impossible to get at from there.

Has anyone out there replaced this 10c part?

thx Norm

[clickman]

Come on, you Boxster brains out there! What's the answer?

[10/10ths]

Anybody know how to do this?

[clickman]

It was a long time ago that I did this, but I found some old notes:

Take off the wheel and take out the wheel lining. Then look up in the wheel well and see the black plastic carbon canister with the hoses connected to it. The canister has to come out to allow access.

In addition to the hoses connected to it and one silver nut, it's just held in place with a compression fitting with two plastic prongs that go into two rubber grommets behind it. You just have to give the carbon canister a good tug. I was afraid I'd break something but you won't ... the rubber grommets are fairly tight, but a good tug and the canister comes straight out. Make sure you disconnect the various hoses and lines.

The only challenging part is getting to the two Torx screws that hold the fuel door lock actuator in place. They're at a 90 degree angle up at the top of the wheel well and you only have about 1-1.5 inches of clearance. I used a short #20 Torx fitting (the short one that goes into a screw driver head) and a box end wrench to unscrew the two screws. You might be able to do this with a 90 degree #20 Torx configured like an allen wrench. You DONT have to unscrew them all the way. They actually only have to be backed out a turn or so to release the U shaped fittings....and the actuator will drop down.

Make sure you feed the black emergency cable and ring thru the slot in the passenger's door frame...otherwise it will hang up the actuator when you try to drop it down. Look in the door frame with a flashlight, and you'll see how the ring can be turned and stuffed back thru the slot.

Don't lose the black plastic cap that feeds the actuator shaft thru the opening in the fuel door recess. It looks like a little round hat with a hole in it. It's used to line up the shaft so it hits the hole in the lock, and the shaft protrudes thru it when you lock the car.

[Topless]

My solution was to open the fill door, go around to the drivers door and insert the key to engage the fill door lock. Now with the plastic locking tab sticking out I just snipped it off with a pair of dikes. Locking fill door problem solved forever.

It annoyed me so I made it obsolete.

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Topless

My solution was to open the fill door, go around to the drivers door and insert the key to engage the fill door lock. Now with the plastic locking tab sticking out I just snipped it off with a pair of dikes. Locking fill door problem solved forever.

It annoyed me so I made it obsolete.

That works

No one is out stealing gas anymore

[lkchris]

It's protection from vandals pouring something into your tank, too.

[mgfranz]

What a pain in the ass! If I ever break this cable again, I'm cutting the lock and getting a locking cap.
The things we do to keep our cars original...