You know, that little metal flapper that you insert the fuel nozzle against when you fuel up at the gas station...it covers the hole that the nozzle fits into.

I fueled up yesterday and noticed that the flapper is gone. I'm assuming that it fell into the tank. I'm sure it was there the prior time that I fueled up.

The car is running fine. No issues with hesitation on acceleration or anything that I would attribute to fuel flow. No CEL lighting.

Looking at the schematic in the Helm manual, it looks like the fuel pump and hose work is ABOVE the tank, not in the most dependant part of the tank where I'd except a metal disk and spring to settle.




Any thoughts?

My first thought was to take it to the dealer for a (hopefully) warranty fix, but that ends up being such a PITA, I'm thinking of just turning a blind eye and not servicing it unless there are problems.

I've never had this happen or heard of it happening before.

 

I wonder if we have some sort of screen the gas passes through to get to the fuel tank. If so, chances are it is stuck there.

 

mines been gone forever ...if i ever had one

 

Are you sure there was ever one there ???

 

mine doesn't have one

 

I thought about this. Don't see anything like that listed in the Helm or on the parts list from the pic that I posted.


I could have sworn there was one there...but then again the part is not separately itemized on the picture. Hmmm. I guess I'm not going to worry about it then.

Maybe someone else can check if they have one. The 'ol brain maybe ain't what it used to be.

 

i thought the same thing before....but there is no flapper on mine either.

 

Mr. Slimey, are you sure the technical term is "flapper" ??

I'll try to remember to check... It'll be dark out before I can take a pic, but maybe I'll remember this weekend...

 

I remember seeing on last time I filled up, which isn't often, being from Jersey I hardly get out of my car.

 

i just came from the checking this on the car. i too, could've sworn we had a "flapper". hehe
unless i was jacked...

 

Interesting variety of responses on the presence of the flapper.

I am wondering what purpose these things serve. There is no gasket, so there is no seal. They are one way INTO the tank, so they don't prevent inadvertent entry of anyting that will fit into the hole (yes, I do remember the days before unleaded fuel where the hole was full size and then when unleaded only cars came out they had the different nozzle size to prevent mistakes from happening). The flapper would prevent exit of anything large solids, but not liquid or gas, the things primarily in the tank. I suppose that if I really put a Tiger in my tank it wouldn't be able to exit.


That, or a thingamabobber.

 

We don't have one of those flappers. I've always thought it was weird that we don't have one. Makes me want to rush and put the gas cap back on before some floating debris falls into the tank and screws up my car, haha.

 

We don't have 'em. :shakehead Can't lose what you never had.

 

My 94 explorer has one if that matters

 

hey coño. you need a sharper image in the avatar.

 

I looked this weekend when I was getting gas...

NO FLAPPER !!

but I don't think I ever had one...

 

I definitely have a flapper on mine

 

Still haven't had to pump my own gas to find out...Jersey.

 

i have a "flapper"

 

interesting post.. I SWEAR I have one too, but now I'm not so sure. I'll have to check on it!

 

ill try and post pics later tonight

 

Its a green platic flapper. i had it on mine when i first got he car back in '01 and it broke off the first year....

 

Mine is still intact!

 

did someone say FLAP !!!

 

I gotta see pics of this... I don't have one, but I could have swore I had one... but I'm getting old, and I thought maybe I was thinking of another car...

 

i noticed this too so add me to no flapper group!

 

I finally checked yesterday and there was no flapper. Reminds me of the water tower in town that I never noticed for 5yrs.

 

I just filled up yesterday, and the flapper has yet to reappear!


Mods -- maybe my silly post is worth transferring to Car Talk to see if other Acura and non-Acura drivers have this elusive flapper?


Green plastic??? The flapper I'm thinking of is a metal disk with spring.

 

Mr. Slimey:

We can't move threads between forums (CL to TL, or CL to Off-topic). While the membership has been merged, the forums still kinda exist as seperate communities...

Since it looks like we've proved nothing here, feel free to repost your original question in Cartalk...

Edit: You might want to include a link back to this thread too...

 

YEAH jersey has some wierd laws about not being allowed to put your own fuel.. Last time I went through i caught some hell.. WTF is up with that shit... ?

 

I know that I never had a "Flapper"! Although I bought it used. Also, if you think about all the post from members that have put in racing grade fuel (correct me if I'm wrong), isn't the fuel filler nozzle to big to fit into the filler tube? I know that is how it was for my 85 Mustang and you had to hold the "flapper" down with something to prevent back flow of the fuel. Those members would know if they had to hold the valve open, if it was that way for them. Either way, I have never had any fuel issues (aside from the typical cold weather "gas goblin") with my car. If you aren't sure if your car came with the disappearing "flapper", then you can still look inside the filler tube to see if there are any mounting holes or tabs that would be used to hold it on.

 

Wait... so you basically get free full service?

 

It's a market scam...
Think about it this way, if they "HAVE" to provide full service, then that means that they can charge more than why people do for self service! In turn, the company pays some schmuck $9.00 an hour to pump the gas that they get $0.10 per gallon more for... I worked for a gas station up here when I was young, and it was the same way, but it was only by city, not a state wide law. They say it had something to do with safety!, Their way of making more money (whoever you want to assume "they" are, will probably be sufficient enough).

 

Yes, we have someone pump our gas for us, and get lower prices than Deleware or PA. I don't have a complete understanding of why this is the case, but there is another state on the West coast that has a law against a driver fueling their own cars as well. Only thing is, deisel cars have to pump their own.

I worked with a woman who was nearly 40 and she moved out of state and had to figure out how to pump her own gas cause she never needed to get it outside of NJ before.

 

Oregon is the other one.

Oregon and NJ have legislation to prevent consumers from handling fuel. It is noxious and a carcinogen, you know!

NJ also has some of the lowest fuel prices in the region...so 'full service' is not more costly. (I believe the lower cost comes from lower road taxes tagged to the fuel)

 

Here in SoCal you get laughed at if you say you don't know how to pump gas..

and btw.. I checked my flapper, it's gone, the car is a 03 with 29k miles.

 

None of my Honda-produced cars (7) have ever had these things. So it's just not there, you didn't lose it.

 

YOu know I thought mine was missing too, and I asked a service manager about it, and he sasid there never was one on the 2003 CL. as for the previous years I don't know.