Fuel cap open message

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Old May 10, 2009 | 02:30 PM
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Fuel cap open message

This started a month back.. whenever I fill up gas and drive from the gas-station, i get an indicator that the fuel cap is not shut (while it is)

the msg goes away after 1-2 miles of driving.

Has anyone come across this.

Thanks!
Gaurav
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Old May 10, 2009 | 03:04 PM
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Yes, I have the same issue. It does not happen all the time. I told my dealer about it and they checked the system and said everything checked out. I was told next time it happens to try and get the car to them when it says "Tighten Fuel Cap". So I am going to wait until next oil change and fill up near the dealer and see what happens.
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Old May 11, 2009 | 01:11 PM
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Mine does it every now & then, it's like...meh, whatever because it does go off in a couple of miles or souple of starts.
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Old May 12, 2009 | 11:33 AM
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Mine did this once when I tried to fill it to the stopper.. kept squeezing the nozzle after it shut off, to put in a few extra litres.

I've read that overfilling is not a good idea, as it can contaminate the evaporator/filter.

Can't believe all that you read/hear, but maybe try not jamming it so full of gas next time?
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Old May 13, 2009 | 07:05 PM
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This happened to on my last fill up. I pulled off the road to check and it was on tight. The next red light I turned the car off and then on and the warning turned off. I did not top of my tank, just stopped when the pump clicked off. I am not worried about it a this point.
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Old May 14, 2009 | 03:16 AM
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That has happened to me only once that I recall. Filled up on a trip and got the message. Pulled over and re-tightened the cap and it went away after a little bit of driving.
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Old May 14, 2009 | 03:58 AM
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Could be a faulty gas cap... it may be leaking out fumes. This is the same reason why not securing your gas cap (3 clicks is the rule of thumb) could set a CEL. The new gas cap fixed the problem on our Civic.

Originally Posted by NFTSX
Mine did this once when I tried to fill it to the stopper.. kept squeezing the nozzle after it shut off, to put in a few extra litres.

I've read that overfilling is not a good idea, as it can contaminate the evaporator/filter.

Can't believe all that you read/hear, but maybe try not jamming it so full of gas next time?
YES! Its a terrible idea. Why do people do this? Seriously.... the pump stops at that certain point for a reason. Just so you can get enough gas to go an extra mile or 2? Its not worth the headache.

Many gas tanks have a small compartment at the top to "tell" the gas pump to stop pumping. The more and more you click, the more and more this compartment gets filled up. Ever tried drinking out of a bottle of water with your mouth sealed around the lip? This pretty much causes a vacuum and water doesn't come out of the bottle until you leave a little gap for air. Imagine this but with your CAR. That's why gas tanks have that little air pocket.... because if there wasn't air in there it would make it very difficult to for the fuel pump to suck up gas.

There's also that charcoal evaporation canister you heard about. Normally it works just fine, but overfilling can damage it.... and its not cheap to fix.

Then again, its your car and you'll be the one to pay for the repairs. Don't mind me..... I just get irritated every time I hear someone go "click-click-click-click-click" after their car has been filled up. Its absolutely retarded.
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Old May 14, 2009 | 06:41 AM
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Well if it makes anyone feel any better it is happening more frequently on the Accords too. I filled up my sister's 08 on Saturday and went until Tuesday night before it came on. She opened and closed the gas cap and still nothing. Came home sat for 20 minutes and it went off. It could be a faulty gas cap but it just started at 34k miles so I'm guessing it's something else.
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Old May 14, 2009 | 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by I Go To Costco
There's also that charcoal evaporation canister you heard about. Normally it works just fine, but overfilling can damage it.... and its not cheap to fix.

Then again, its your car and you'll be the one to pay for the repairs. Don't mind me..... I just get irritated every time I hear someone go "click-click-click-click-click" after their car has been filled up. Its absolutely retarded.
I hear ya. Just did it once during a moment of distraction. Told my wife the same thing. Not worth the potential hassle and annoyance.
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Old Aug 21, 2009 | 07:39 PM
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this just happened to me and i only have 1200 miles on the car. i was going down to la from vegas, filled up the gas, everything was ok. after 180 miles, the tighten fuel cap message keeps on going on and off. i did stopped and retightened it 5 times. message turned off then after a few miles turned on again and off again.

my other theory is since my rims are not hub centric, could the wheel vibrations be causing the fuel cap to vibrate and act up?
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Old Jan 26, 2010 | 03:11 AM
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waaaaah.... it happened to me 2 days ago... i still have the "tighten fuel cap"... how long should i wait???
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Old Jan 26, 2010 | 09:39 AM
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^^ Nice. Mine usually goes out after 5-15 miles of driving. I have never had it stay on any longer than that. I guess I would take it to the dealer after 2 days of driving.
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 07:50 AM
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Funny this should be brought up. I never really thought too much about it until now. This happened only once. I stopped twice within 5 miles or so to readjust the cap. Went off a mile or so down the road after the second readjustment. Hasn't happened since. Hmmm...
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 08:10 AM
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after getting my 06 tsx annual state inspection-the tighten gas cap message came on. It stayed on until the dealer reset the message. No problems since than (it happened over a year ago)
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 05:27 PM
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alright.. mine went off after 49 hours.... i don't know what happen...
but never came on ever since...
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Old Feb 1, 2010 | 07:11 PM
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me 2

My 09 TSX/tech did this twice when I first got it a few months back but not since then. My filler door failed to operate too, but they adjusted it and no prblems since then. I figure it was the computer breaking in
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Old Feb 4, 2010 | 05:01 PM
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10 V6 here and mine did this once after I filled up.
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Old Mar 7, 2010 | 08:14 AM
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This has been happening to me over the last week. I don't know what it is, but I'm going to stop overfilling my tank.
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Old Mar 10, 2010 | 12:32 PM
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We've observed no correlation with anything on our 2009 TSX Tech. Overfilling, underfilling, 2 clicks, 4 clicks. Seems to happen less now - maybe once every month or two. Does go away when we drive a bit.
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Old Sep 23, 2010 | 10:19 PM
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Brand New Acura TSX - didn't even go for my first fill up, I have less than 50 miles on it and the "Tighten Fuel Cap" message popped up. Drives fine. I will be taking to the dealer first thing.
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Old Nov 17, 2010 | 03:34 PM
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This happened to me once right after filling up.
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Old Nov 17, 2010 | 03:44 PM
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you need to turn the cap until it clicks multiple times (at least 5). My salesman made a point to tell me this b/c of all the issues people have. I always make sure to hear multiple clicks and haven't had a problem yet (fingers crossed)
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Old Nov 17, 2010 | 04:24 PM
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Originally Posted by kgs
you need to turn the cap until it clicks multiple times (at least 5). My salesman made a point to tell me this b/c of all the issues people have. I always make sure to hear multiple clicks and haven't had a problem yet (fingers crossed)
i just put mien on 3 clicks haha
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Old Jul 17, 2012 | 12:47 PM
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Just happened to mine yesterday. The manual says the light will reset itself after a few days of driving if a loose fuel cap is retightened. If the check engine light comes on and flashes at start up, drive the car to the dealer immediately at low speed.

I almost always top up the fuel at fill up but have never experienced this. I did fill up on Sunday. Guess I should stop topping up the fuel just to be safe.

2011 - 18000km
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Old Jul 17, 2012 | 02:32 PM
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Originally Posted by afax226
Just happened to mine yesterday. The manual says the light will reset itself after a few days of driving if a loose fuel cap is retightened. If the check engine light comes on and flashes at start up, drive the car to the dealer immediately at low speed.

I almost always top up the fuel at fill up but have never experienced this. I did fill up on Sunday. Guess I should stop topping up the fuel just to be safe.

2011 - 18000km
Holy old thread revival Robin. Never top off the gas tank. You'll get liquid gasoline into the charcoal evaporator canister that is designed to absorb gasoline fumes - a very bad idea and an expensive fix.
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Old Jul 17, 2012 | 04:37 PM
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Wow, this is an old thread! But since it's been bumped, I'll say that I've experienced this once with my 08 Civic. I had almost a full tank and hadn't filled up in days. I was leaving the doctors office which happened to be by my dealer and I drove there for the heck of it. They reset it with their computer and I was on my way.
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Old Jul 17, 2012 | 07:52 PM
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Well by the way it looks they have revised the gas cap on our cars and some other Acura and Hondas, if you look at this link

http://www.acurapartswarehouse.com/P...gPicture=False

you can see the new part number in red 17670-SNA-A02 and the old part number is 17670-SJA-A02, so i guess it might be possible they fixed the loose gas cap problem by creating a new gas cap that fits tighter.
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Old Jul 18, 2012 | 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted by afax226
Just happened to mine yesterday. The manual says the light will reset itself after a few days of driving if a loose fuel cap is retightened. If the check engine light comes on and flashes at start up, drive the car to the dealer immediately at low speed.

I almost always top up the fuel at fill up but have never experienced this. I did fill up on Sunday. Guess I should stop topping up the fuel just to be safe.

2011 - 18000km
The warning went away in one day.
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Old Jul 18, 2012 | 03:02 PM
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Once upon a time - before we knew how to deal with pollution and emission controls, the gas cap was merely there to keep gas from spilling out, evaporating or the fumes catching on fire.

Today, the gas cap is part of the emission control system - part of which tests to see that the gas tank system is sealed. If not properly sealed, then the system will display the "loose gas cap" warning. The charcoal cannister absorbs fuel vapors and vents them back into the fuel system. If the fuel tank is overfilled, raw gas may enter the cannister and contaminate the activated charcoal. A defective or damaged cannister may also prompt a "loose cap" warning as the system is no longer properly sealed.

It can take anywhere from a day to a week or so for the warning to clear depending on driving habits and the particular car. That is why it is imperative that you tighten the cap until you hear it ratchet several times - tight is only tight until you've heard several clicks.
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Old Jul 18, 2012 | 03:09 PM
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Originally Posted by ceb
Once upon a time - before we knew how to deal with pollution and emission controls, the gas cap was merely there to keep gas from spilling out, evaporating or the fumes catching on fire.

Today, the gas cap is part of the emission control system - part of which tests to see that the gas tank system is sealed. If not properly sealed, then the system will display the "loose gas cap" warning. The charcoal cannister absorbs fuel vapors and vents them back into the fuel system. If the fuel tank is overfilled, raw gas may enter the cannister and contaminate the activated charcoal. A defective or damaged cannister may also prompt a "loose cap" warning as the system is no longer properly sealed.

It can take anywhere from a day to a week or so for the warning to clear depending on driving habits and the particular car. That is why it is imperative that you tighten the cap until you hear it ratchet several times - tight is only tight until you've heard several clicks.
Two times after getting gasoline at NJ gas stations the tighten gas cap message came on. After I tightened it, it took awhile for the message to go away.
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Old Jul 18, 2012 | 03:39 PM
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Originally Posted by nj2pa2nc
Two times after getting gasoline at NJ gas stations the tighten gas cap message came on. After I tightened it, it took awhile for the message to go away.
is it cause in jersey we pump our fists not our gas?
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Old Jul 18, 2012 | 03:56 PM
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Originally Posted by nj2pa2nc
Two times after getting gasoline at NJ gas stations the tighten gas cap message came on. After I tightened it, it took awhile for the message to go away.
Originally Posted by PyroDave
is it cause in jersey we pump our fists not our gas?
Probably. Whenever I get gas in Jersey I get out and watch the guy pump the gas - then I tighten the cap a few more clicks before I get back in and drive off.
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Old Jul 18, 2012 | 04:31 PM
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Originally Posted by ceb
Probably. Whenever I get gas in Jersey I get out and watch the guy pump the gas - then I tighten the cap a few more clicks before I get back in and drive off.
I watch them fill up from the driver's seat when in jersey. I Actually thought they tightened it but found out it was not. I guess 2 times in the numerous times of going to jersey stations is not that bad.
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Old Aug 6, 2012 | 11:48 AM
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This just happened to me last night. I bought the car last week and yesterday was my first fill. I stopped right after the first click at the pump. As I drove off the light came on, it sort of tripped me out becuase I know I had tightened the cap. I stopped on the side of the road and tightened it again and still had it. So I thought maybe turning the car off than on would reset it, no luck. I was gonna take it to the dealer in the morning but after a minute the light just went away. Can anyone confirm if it is just the gas cap or a sensor issue?
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Old Aug 9, 2012 | 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by imKing
This just happened to me last night. I bought the car last week and yesterday was my first fill. I stopped right after the first click at the pump. As I drove off the light came on, it sort of tripped me out becuase I know I had tightened the cap. I stopped on the side of the road and tightened it again and still had it. So I thought maybe turning the car off than on would reset it, no luck. I was gonna take it to the dealer in the morning but after a minute the light just went away. Can anyone confirm if it is just the gas cap or a sensor issue?
it is a gas cap issue. don't worry about it and click the gas cap at least 3 times after you close it.
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Old Aug 12, 2012 | 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by bonjyng
this just happened to me and i only have 1200 miles on the car. i was going down to la from vegas, filled up the gas, everything was ok. after 180 miles, the tighten fuel cap message keeps on going on and off. i did stopped and retightened it 5 times. message turned off then after a few miles turned on again and off again.

my other theory is since my rims are not hub centric, could the wheel vibrations be causing the fuel cap to vibrate and act up?
It's part of the Emissions Control package...

Funny you mention Las Vegas - last roadtrip from LV to SD - got caught up in the Sunday mess, and saw the warning as well - ambient was about 106F, and not moving much, as traffic was about 10-20 MPH from Vegas to Primm... first time I pulled over and did the gas cap thing - open and tighten it back up, warning went away, only to pop up again a couple of miles down the road...

And no, I didn't overfill in Vegas... my first thought was that there is a pressure sensor perhaps on the evap canister, and if it vents, it throws the warning.

My Oddy and my previous vehicle did the same - nice thing is that the older cars just threw a CEL, the TSX suggests the gas cap first...

If it continues to happen, and you're a California owner and out of bumper to bumber, the Emissions warranty might cover this.
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Old Sep 9, 2012 | 08:41 PM
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I click my fuel cap 5-7 times every time I fill up. I've gotten this warning twice but it always goes away within a day or 2.
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