A Frustrating Experience: When the Fuel Door Wouldn't Open at the Gas Station
My F36 4 Series, The Fuel Door Won't Open!
Last weekend, I experienced a really embarrassing situation at a self-service gas station. I selected the fuel type and payment method and tried to open the fuel door, but what? The fuel door wouldn't open. The F36 4 Series doesn't have a separate fuel door button inside the driver's seat; instead, you need to press the fuel door cover while the doors are unlocked. The doors were definitely unlocked, but no matter how hard I pressed, I couldn't even hear a click.
I tried several times with the remote and the door lock button inside the car, but it still wouldn't open. In the end, I asked a gas station employee to cancel the payment and moved the car to a safe place to start figuring out a solution.
A Green Wire in the Trunk? YouTube Provided the Solution
I couldn't find the information I needed in the car's guide app, so I started searching YouTube. After watching several videos, I found a solution that said, "Pull the green wire inside the trunk." But when I opened the trunk, the first thing I saw was the fluorescent-colored trunk emergency escape lever. On the off-chance, I pulled that too, but of course, it didn't open.
Searching again in English ("fuel door emergency lock release"), I found a video telling me to find and pull a green wire in the battery compartment on the right side of the trunk. This seemed like it was the answer. So, I carefully removed the right-side panel of the trunk, revealing the battery compartment. There, in an ambiguous location, I found a green wire.
Green Wire, How Should I Pull It?
The problem started from here. They told me to pull the green wire, but I couldn't figure out whether to pull the top or bottom of the connector. So, I tried pulling the center of the wire slightly, but nothing happened. I tried pulling the top, and I tried pulling the bottom, but it still wouldn't open.
Just when I was about to give up, I pulled the center of the wire again, this time more forcefully. With a "whirring" sound, the lock was released! Finally, the fuel door opened, and I quickly moved to the pump with the door open (just in case it wouldn't open again if I closed it) and hastily filled up the tank.
Additional Steps After Solving the Problem
After filling up the gas tank, I sprayed a sufficient amount of silicone release agent spray on the lock. After testing it a few times, the opening and closing was back to normal, and it works fine now.
I spent about 30 minutes standing there at the gas station trying various things, and the staff also offered their advice, worried about me. I searched for various information in a hurry, but it was difficult to find easily. I hope my experience will be helpful for those who have similar issues.
In Conclusion...
This experience was really embarrassing, but thanks to it, I learned a little more about the structure of the F36 4 Series and how to deal with emergency situations. If you happen to encounter a similar situation, remember the green wire in the battery compartment on the right side of the trunk! Of course, it also made me want to switch to an electric car... I want an electric car... 😂
