slowcoach
18-06-2007, 12:12 AM
I had this problem, halfway through a journey. The fuel filler flap wouldn't release on the switch. I had little fuel left so I contacted the nearest VW main dealer (Gloucester) and they said they could book me in for about a week's time. So, if you have VW problems, don't have them near Gloucester, the dealer is ......!
In fact the flap returned to working after a while fiddling with the switch. Since I couldn't trust the car, I took it to my local dealer (Barnstaple). They said they couldn't do a warranty repair if they couldn't find a fault. When I asked how to access the actuator they showed me the manual (on CD) which says remove back seats, boot floor, etc, and the boot side panel. They were very helpful but didn't know the answer as to how to do a roadside fix.
In fact, VW did solve this issue; they just didn't tell the dealers. You just remove the trim section on the rear offside pillar and you can reach in and flip the solenoid up to release the flap. It takes about 3 minutes, even if the boot is full. You may need new clips from VW to put it back, but leaving the trim off is better than being than being stranded (in Gloucester).
In fact the flap returned to working after a while fiddling with the switch. Since I couldn't trust the car, I took it to my local dealer (Barnstaple). They said they couldn't do a warranty repair if they couldn't find a fault. When I asked how to access the actuator they showed me the manual (on CD) which says remove back seats, boot floor, etc, and the boot side panel. They were very helpful but didn't know the answer as to how to do a roadside fix.
In fact, VW did solve this issue; they just didn't tell the dealers. You just remove the trim section on the rear offside pillar and you can reach in and flip the solenoid up to release the flap. It takes about 3 minutes, even if the boot is full. You may need new clips from VW to put it back, but leaving the trim off is better than being than being stranded (in Gloucester).