Fuel cap doesn't lock, lots of pictures..

[sickaroll]

Hi all,

I need a little guidance from someone who's been here and done it before please, my fuel cap doesn't lock, and I suspect I'm missing part of it.
I got my first Puma (1.7 'Black edition') in November, and despite getting a garage to look it over, I discovered when I first went to fill it up that the fuel cap simply sat in the receptacle rather than truly locking. I had a brief go getting it to lock the next weekend, but couldn't get it sorted. I added it to a long laundry list of issues when it went in for a major service, but between all the other bits, I didn't notice it wasn't fixed.

So, this weekend I thought I'd have another run at it, as I suspect that fuel is actually evaporating a little, affecting my fuel economy (about 8.5L/100km on mixed runs).

Apologies for the lack of correct names here, I've referred to the pieces with the numbers 0 - 4.
If this makes anyone's head spin, sorry again.
The whole lot on one page (should be public)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776629087/in/photostream
1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776629553/in/photostream
1 again http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776629717/in/photostream
2 and 3 http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776629843/in/photostream
2 and 3 again http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776629949/in/photostream
4 http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776641771/in/photostream

Ok, so I think I have an idea how they fit together, but I feel like there's a piece missing from 0 that should keep 1 in place.
1 in 0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776630147/in/photostream
4 in 1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776631367/in/photostream
1 rotates freely in 0 at the moment.
The T-bar key turns the barrel of 4, causing a small notch to protrude, which when 2 is slipped over 4, prevents 2 from slipping off.
Like so http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776631663/in/photostream
1 2 and 3 fit together, but there's nothing obvious preventing them from separating
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776631931/in/photostream
All together http://www.flickr.com/photos/43278150@N00/6776631763/in/photostream
If 2 could be kept lodged in 0, with 1 inside 0, 4 being turned, post key turn, should lock and release 4 from the 'barrel'.
At the moment, turn it just so and the whole lot comes out! If I can't figure it out, I might take a trip up a breaker's yard and see if I can't a picture of a working one from there. That said, what're the odds they'll even have the key?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[martinthrapston]

try a local motorfactors or fords for a new petrol cap,surely that would be the easiest thing to do k:

 

[sickaroll]

I considered that, but from looking at ones on Ebay, they only include the cap, and I think I may be missing parts from the repcetacle too.

 

[plasticsniffer]

The car end looks OK. If you take the key out without the cap in the car, it screws it all up. You need to put the key back in and pull the bottom bit of the cap out a little way and turn it to make sure all the prongs line up. (It's very hard to do!) Once they are all lined up, offer it back to the car and turn clockwise slightly then continue to turn the key about 90 degrees to lock it. How do I know? I fiddled round with mine and took the key out with it off the car and it took me ages to work it out. If this is of no use, then a new cap could be the way to go. Try your local breakers yard, or Ebay, etc.

 

[Ian G]

Car side is complete. I've not got a cap to hand to check that.

I can usually supply caps with keys depending what is happening with the rest of the locks/ignition etc. although that would leave you with a different key unless you changed the others as well.

Be careful trying to get it to lock if its stiff, the keys are not strong enough to do this too much.

 

[H14 RUD]

Mine came with a T shaped petrol cap key.
Saying that mines stiff (oh matron)

 

[sickaroll]

Thanks plasticsniffer, I'll try that this afternoon, working from home for the day usually means I spend lunch in or under the car!

 

[sickaroll]

Ok, so I fished out the black bit (1) from the car end, and got a nice tight fit on the 'barrel', lined up all the bits, slide 'er home and turned 90 degrees clockwise. Tight seal! I could easily turn it with my hand, without the key as many degrees as I liked, but a partial result none the less.

15 minutes later, I topped up the car, got it open no problem, except when I went to put the cap back again, back to square one, piece 1 was banging around inside the metal housing in the car, and I had the rest in my hands. Naturally, it wouldn't go back in, so I left it perched there until I got home, fished out (1) and attached it to the rest. Seal sort of made.

Ford dealership want €45 for the barrel and/or €27 for the housing, + 23% VAT if I want a receipt, so it's the breakers for me tomorrow and the hassle of potentially needing another key. Maybe I could use my barrel with the rest of the rescued bits?

Here's the thing; my fuel economy is ok, averaging 8.4L/100km on each km driven since I got her in November, but the one really good tank I got was the day we drove 460Km in one day, 6.9L/100km, all the rest have floated around 8.
Nearly all the rest of my driving is at least 90% motorway too, so again I'm thinking my petrol is just evaporating :-/
It might not be causal, but there is definitely a correlation between the length of time between fuel-ups and economy.