[gothick_matt]

I went to fill my Cooper up with petrol the other day, opened the flap, unscrewed the petrol cap, went to put it in the hole on the top of the flap where it's meant to store while you're filling up, and found that the little retaining strap/cable/bit of rubber string/whatchamacallit was connected to that hole, instead of wherever it's meant to be connected to.

I got the car back from the body shop a couple of weeks ago, and I reckon this is the only thing they put back wrong! They did a great paint job on my poor keyed MINI, so I won't complain too hard, but to save me the trip back, or to a dealer -- where the heck's it _meant_ to connect to? I couldn't see anywhere obvious (mind you, it's been dark most times I've remembered to look), and I can't remember for the life of me where it used to go...

So -- can some kind soul describe where the end of this rubber strap that's _not_ connected to the filler cap is meant to hook up to?

Ta,

Matt

[Randall Raines]

There is normally a notch in the hinge part of the filler cap unit, open it the cap up fully and either looking or put your little pinkies in trying not to get them trapped, however it will only slot back on providing that they haven't snapped of the little pimple off the end of the rubber strap which is very easy to do if you just pull it and it wont slot back in .

I'll try & take a pic tomorrow and post it tomorrow night , if I remember .

[gothick_matt]

Thanks for that! If I'm lucky, your description will be enough to go on, anyway, but if a photo would be easy, that would be very handy, ta. Must remember to move my car to somewhere in this postcode area tomorrow (parking's horrible around here!)

I think the pimple's still there, because that's the reason the cord didn't fall out of the filler-cap-retaining-hole thingy when I filled up...

[Randall Raines]

Funnily enough, today I went to take a pic of the petrol flap of a MINI which had been removed from a MINI due to an upgrade (Chrome Petrol Flap) so that it would be easier for you to see where the rubber strap fits, it was exactly the same as yours, it was stuck in the hole where the petrol cap should go when filling up, now I think about it the rear quarter on the car had been painted that the petrol flap had been removed from so your body-shop guys aren't the only one who don't know how they fit back on .

Here is the pic, sorry! It may not be to clear (it was quite hard to photograph), I have also added some arrows to clarify where the strap actually fits:

• The LEFT of the pic is the end of the strap with the pimple intact (if it's not like this it may not clip back in ).
• The MIDDLE of the pic is the rear of the hinge, you wont be-able to see this part (you can see the fixing slot clearer ).
• The RIGHT of the pic is the flap as if you have opened up the flap, you may be-able to see this, or you can feel it if you run your finger around the curved part of the hinge.

Hope this helps if you've not already managed to fix it back on .

[gothick_matt]

Quote: Originally Posted by Randall Raines (original)

Hope this helps if you've not already managed to fix it back on .

Thanks! That was very helpful, and my petrol cap is now reattached. Fiddly job, mind, but I managed it after about seven attempts

Not sure I'd have ever noticed the bit it attaches to without your help!

Cheers,

Matt