Locking gas cap

[DWalt]

I had a small emergency yesterday. My truck was nearly on empty, so I pulled in for a fill-up. Problem was I could not unlock the locking gas cap. I spent about 5 minutes unsuccessfully trying before I gave up. When I got home, I spent another 10 minutes trying unsuccessfully to unlock it in my driveway. YouTube to the rescue. All you need to do is drill a small hole in the cap and run a screw through it. I used a sheet metal screw about 3/4" long. You can then remove the cap normally. It took less than a minute. Consult YouTube for the video. Lesson is that a locking gas cap is simply defeated and provides nearly no protection against gas theft, and you could be in trouble if you are away from home and need gas badly if your key won't unlock your gas cap. I am just going to leave the screw in the gas cap which makes it into a non-locking gas cap.

 

[lihpster]

Had someone stealing gas from my truck in the parking lot at work. Bought a locking gas cap and put it on. The next morning, I come out of work to find my locking gas cap in pieces on the ground. Probably took them thirty seconds with a screwdriver. Like most locks, they only stop the honest. The thieves find a way.

 

[NYlakesider]

I had a small emergency yesterday. My truck was nearly on empty, so I pulled in for a fill-up. Problem was I could not unlock the locking gas cap. I spent about 5 minutes unsuccessfully trying before I gave up. When I got home, I spent another 10 minutes trying unsuccessfully to unlock it in my driveway. YouTube to the rescue. All you need to do is drill a small hole in the cap and run a screw through it. I used a sheet metal screw about 3/4" long. You can then remove the cap normally. It took less than a minute. Consult YouTube for the video. Lesson is that a locking gas cap provides nearly no protection against gas theft, and you could be in trouble if you are away from home and need gas badly if your key won't unlock your gas cap. I am just going to leave the screw in the gas cap which makes it into a non-locking gas cap.

I rate locking gas caps right up there with locking lug nuts.

Potential key problems unlocking and real easy to remove if you know the simple tricks!

 

[Xfuzz]

2021 Ram pick-up.......no gas cap.

 

[Rule3]

I rate locking gas caps right up there with locking lug nuts.

Potential key problems unlocking and real easy to remove if you know the simple tricks!

I have had the "dealer" remove any add on locking lug nuts (will not pay for them, they are useless) as is the locking gas caps

 

[ladder13]

None of our cars have gas caps.

 

[BKLooney]

The grief caused by locking gas caps and lug nuts far outweighs the benefits...can't get gas in the truck at a station or get the wheel off on the side of the road are real problems...especially the wheels.

 

[mtgianni]

The best anti theft lug nuts are two different sized nuts of the same thread pattern.

 

[GypsmJim]

Back in the 1970's when we had the "energy crisis" I resurrected my uncle's old locking gas cap that hadn't been used in 30 years. Our car was parked all day long in an unsecured parking lot and gas thefts were rampant.

Several days later I needed gas and could not get the cap off. It wasn't stuck. It was now unlocked. Turns out a pipe wrench got it off and when it did there was a huge sucking sound. Gotta love the fuel pump on that old Ford. It turned out the vent on the cap was plugged and it sucked up the gas tank. Now only had a 5 gallon capacity. Had to fill up daily and couldn't go more than 50 miles.

I'll take my chances without the lock.

 

[Bald1]

Am I missing something? What is the problem with locking lug nuts? And what is the “simple trick” if you don’t have key? Vice Grips ?

 

[NYlakesider]

Am I missing something? What is the problem with locking lug nuts? And what is the “simple trick” if you don’t have key? Vice Grips ?

I would rather not rather not give out much info, but kits like this is are in the catalog of some tool company's. Another much cheaper thing is throwaway cheap sockets.

Wheel Lock Kit
https://www.snapon-bluepoint.com..
Easily removes most lug nuts and wheel locks on most domestic and import passenger vehicles and light trucks.

 

[TX-Dennis]

Am I missing something? What is the problem with locking lug nuts? And what is the “simple trick” if you don’t have key? Vice Grips ?

A quick way to defeat most locking lug nuts involves hammering a slightly too small socket onto the nut to remove it. There are some that rotate in two separate parts that resist that effort. There are ways to defeat those, but they require more effort.

The biggest problem is people losing the "key." Also in the case of some of the cheap Chinese made spline type, sometimes the key actually breaks because they are so cheaply made of thin steel. I do have locking nuts on my Bronco because the spare is easily accessible on the tailgate. They are the McGard brand sold by Ford. These are not the spline type, and they work fine as long as you don't lose the key.

They can be defeated by some one who knows how, but they will prevent most kids and junkies from stealing your wheels / tires. We all know how expensive wheels and tires are these days.

Oh, if you drive a Ford you might want to replace all the two piece factory lug nuts with good quality solid steel nuts. The factory nuts are notorious for being easily damaged by tire shops.

 

[Walter Rego]

My Jaguar does not have a fuel filler door that can normally only be opened from a lever inside the car. All one has to do is press on the door and it pops open. I put a locking gas cap on the filler tube. I realize that a screwdriver could be easily used to defeat any fuel filler doors that are normally only opened from inside the vehicle but at least Jaguar/Land Rover could have designed in the now common lever to keep it closed except to authorized users.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the locking gas cap doesn't fail when I need it to open.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Pipe wrenches and large Channel Locks for gas caps. AA two pound hammer will snap off most lugs. A thief won't mind too much for a $30 or more can of gas.

While visiting gad in the hospital, I parked on the garage roof and with good line of sight from the security camera, didn't slow them down. They got me for 20 ar so gallons!

My problem on the rims. I had a vengeful neighbor that would just loosen my lug nuts on one passenger tire! The locks stopped that. I wasn't sure which neighbor it was, until one went to jail for a year! Lots of bad thing quit happening. By the time he got out, I was married and moved. (I heard he got knifed at or outside a strip club.) Outstanding Citizens are a scourge everywhere!

Ivan

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

A quick way to defeat most locking lug nuts involves hammering a slightly too small socket onto the nut to remove it. There are some that rotate in two separate parts that resist that effort. There are ways to defeat those, but they require more effort.

The biggest problem is people losing the "key." Also in the case of some of the cheap Chinese made spline type, sometimes the key actually breaks because they are so cheaply made of thin steel. I do have locking nuts on my Bronco because the spare is easily accessible on the tailgate. They are the McGard brand sold by Ford. These are not the spline type, and they work fine as long as you don't lose the key.

They can be defeated by some one who knows how, but they will prevent most kids and junkies from stealing your wheels / tires. We all know how expensive wheels and tires are these days.

Oh, if you drive a Ford you might want to replace all the two piece factory lug nuts with good quality solid steel nuts. The factory nuts are notorious for being easily damaged by tire shops.

Just put a small tack weld on one lug. Have a cold chisel and a 22oz ball peen hammer hidden somewhere if you get a flat.
Or take it to the tire store I used to go to and tell the kid not to torque down the nuts too much. That WILL guarantee the air wrench will be set at maximum torque and nobody but God will be able to get them off.

 

[Greyman50]

Read years ago that a guy had a RV that gas thieves stole gas from by siphoning gas from. He didn’t drive it much and needed a larger “ waste” tank. Changed the gas tank to a **** tank. One morning he found a gas can rubber hoses and several piles of puke beside the RV.

 

[swsig]

I had a Porsche 944 that came from the factory with a locking gas cap. It was designed so that if the lock failed, it defaulted to the unlocked mode. It's a good thing, because the locks all failed, and most 944 owners having gone though at two or more gas caps, simply gave up and used their last one unlocked.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

2017 bowtie......No gas cap.........Iffen they was stealing that regular from me . I 'd be there with a trap of sorts.........PAINFUL

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[Jon651]

If you take a few minutes to watch a some videos on YouTube from "The Lockpicking Lawyer" you will quickly come to realize that the vast majority of all key locks are essentially for reducing temptation of otherwise honest people, and not much more than that.