Vented/Non-Vented Gas Cap?

[Ollie W]

3 weeks ago, some gas station attendant forgot to put my gas cap back on after I filled up (in Oregon, you can't pump your own gas.) I drove around for a week like that, practically dying of the fumes, I've got a DC and the tank is behind the back seat.

So I got a new cap from Wolfsbug West.

I went and filled up and a block away my truck died. I thought it might be my reserve switch. I moved around a little, waited a minute and got it started. I made it home without a problem. Today, it died again on the way to work.

So I went to look in the gas tank to check and make sure I had gas. I could barely get the cap off because of the vacuum suction. As soon as I got the cap off and put it back on, the truck started. So is the seal to good on the new cap, or am I supposed to have a vented cap to allow air into the tank as gas goes out?

Thanks for any help.
Chris

[iamdonquixote]

vent that cap now, I had the tank implode and crack thus leaking gas all over the parking lot at work. Also I had weird stalling problems like you did, I bought the same cap you did. Drill a hole in the cap or something..

[Stocknazi]

look for an og cap, i would send the cap back to wwwest and get my money back. did you not get reinbursed by the gas station for your cap? print off 3 or 4 adds from this site and make them pay you for your cap they forgot to put back on. i would guess at least 30 bucks is due to you for an og cap
_________________
WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).

"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."

Thomas Jefferson

[Clara]

[Ollie W]

I did go back to the station that lost the cap. I was pissed and told them how dangerous that was for them to forget to put a cap back on. It wasn't in there lost and found. I spoke to the manager the next day and got nowhere when I asked him about compensation. He said that I couldn't prove that they'd lost it and their policy was to put caps in there lost and found. I asked why they'd have a collection of caps in their lost and found if their employees have to pump the gas, is it that common for them to forget to put the cap back on. He had no response.

[Clara]

[VWBobby]

If its a Texaco, Chevron, or major oil company gas station, you CAN get your money back. We have had at least 2 carburators destroyed by certain gas stations (mainly Texaco) and corp. headquarters sent us a check for new ones. File a formal complaint, if you need to. I wish I had a spare that I could sell/give you, but I'm missing one myself!

[EverettB]

$69
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=254644

Wow, I just sold a dented one for $5. It was dented....

I see them for $10 at shows but not frequently.
_________________
How to Post Photos
Everett Barnes - [email protected] | My wanted ads
"Water is the only drink for a wise man" | "Communication prevents complaints"
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[Ollie W]

Just got off the phone with "customer service" at Wolfsburg. He said that the caps have to be drilled. I told him how nice it was that there was no mention of that on their web site or in the packaging. I told him how nice it was to be stuck on the side of the road in the dark and rain trying to figure out what the problem was. He simply replied that I could return the cap if I wanted.

Nice customer service.

[Lind]

I had a station in oregon forget to put my gas cap back on, but unfortunately I was on a road trip, so it was a full year before I made it back through. sure enough, they still had my cap. I also asked the pump monkey if there were any good junkyards around there, and he pointed me towards one. it is one of my all time favorite junkyards. I bought and early midlle seat and a standard sunroof clip there for $50 each. this was ten years ago, but I still felt pretty good about it.
_________________
.
Wanted:
Idaho VW license plate frames or other dealership items.
VWoA literature and early dealership or distributor literature/pictures/information
.

[sondykw]

vw bobby-- what happened to the carb that they were willing to replace it?

[Campy]

I've gotten some weird responses from W.W. employees, before, but telling you to drill a hole in the new gas cap is irresponsible. At certain times, vapor needs to get out of the fuel tank and air needs to go into it, but "fixing" the problem by having an open hole in the gas cap could be dangerous.
I had a similar problem some 20 years ago when I left my buses gas cap at a gas station near Lake Tahoe. I noticed that the cap was missing when I got home and I bought a new gas cap. I didn't know anything about a cap having to be vented for the old buses but learned the hard way when so much pressure built up in the fuel tank on a warm day that gasoline had been pushed through the carburetor and down into the cylinders, where it got into the crankcase. This happened while the bus was in a garage overnight. I bought a new vented cap and it solved the problem.
You are smart to get more advice than just from that one employee at W.W. I wonder how many people have been told to drill a hole in their unvented gas caps? Get a vented cap.
An officer from California's Bureau of Automotive Repair is going to check out my mother's car a couple of weeks from now; I'll ask him if having an open hole in a gas cap could be a problem.

[Jerry J]

This sucks Chris. Those new caps are no good. I bought one of those cheesy new caps at Halsey Imports awhile back. I thought pretty good deal for only $2.35.

I never had the stalling problem but a friend told me about the evils of those caps. With the tank flexing you would eventually crack your tank. So I found an OG cap and tossed the new one in the trash.

I ALWAYS watch the attendents put the cap back on. Oh and you CAN pump your own gas. I don't let anyone near the gas tank in my bug. They usually don't have a problem with that.
_________________
Jerry

'58 Bug
'63 KGhia
'67 Squareback
'67 Standard Bus
'60 Single cab

[Billet_Bus]

mine leaked real bad on hard left turns even after a new seal.

I bought one that is used on sand rail aluminum tanks and it works great, no leaks, and its vented. Plus it only cost about $10
_________________
www.Full-Race.com
Anything else is just half fast.


CTD Fabrication

[BarryL]

For what it's worth a Stant 10623 is a perfect fit. It is polished stainless and vented with a ball so no splashing. They're 5.10 US. Fram has their RG23 sku 7195514 vented zinc cadmium with plastic guts cap for 6.99 US also a perfect fit. The NOS replacements marked big "KOMBI" are vented and even more perfect.

[Jerry J]

[Braukuche]

[Grant]

umm, why are there non-vented caps still being made if they cause so many problems? do some people need non-vented caps?

[Karl]

[TWD]

I have a very old VW gas tank aftermarket venting system from the 50's. The directions tell you to drill a hole just below the cap. The fitting that attaches has a rubber gasket to keep it sealed. You attach fuel hose to the outside of the fitting and vent it to the outside. I have never used it, but obviously this is a long standing problem.