So far, this has been a project from hell...

My son snapped the (plastic) fuel door off on my 2003 x-type - walked into it while open after filling.

I obtained a new piece (door hinged to a rubber boot sort of thing) at the junkyard and spent way to much time spraying and clearcoating it to perfection.

Now I'm stuck trying to dis-assemble my trunk trim in order to r/r:
1) how are the plastic rivets with the tiny slot on the rim of the head securing the black plastic piece towards the rear of the trunk removed?
2) It looks like there is a large square piece of material secured (glued?) over the back side of the fuel door access hole in the trunk. Does this simply get 'torn' off to access the back side of the fuel door?

Thanks very much in advance for any help whatsoever!

 

OK - now I really feel foolish. The fuel door cannot be accessed from the trunk. The piece of material that I thought was a hatch appears to be some sort of brittle vibration dampening material?

It looks like it's time to jack the car up and remove the tire and the plastic wheel well liner...

 

I have the same exact prob. You are on the right track, read a similar thread on another forum. Please do a write up, it would be helpful.

 

This seem more involved than I thought but quick review shows the fuel release lever needs to be loose before the fuel filler door can be removed. I hope the following helps.

1. Remove the rear seat cushion.

2 . Remove the rear seat bolster cushion.

3 . Remove the driver side front scuff plate trim panel.

4 . Remove the driver side rear scuff plate trim panel.

5 . Reposition the floor covering to one side.
1) Lift the fuel filler door release handle.
2) Reposition the floor covering to one side.

6 . Detach the fuel filler door release handle and cable.

7 . Remove the fuel filler door release handle.
1) Detach the fuel filler door release cable.
2) Rotate the fuel filler door release cable counter clockwise.
3) Remove the fuel filler door release handle.

8 . Reposition the floor covering to one side.

9 . Detach the rear door opening weatherstrip and position to one side.

10 . Reposition the wiring harness to one side. Loosen the retaining screws.

11 . Detach the fuel filler door release cable.

12 . Detach the fuel filler door release cable.


Vehicles built up to VIN:J38978
13 . Detach the fuel filler door release cable.

14 . Detach the fuel filler door release cable.


Vehicles built from VIN:J38979
15 . Remove the luggage compartment floor covering.

16 . Detach and reposition the LH rear quarted trim panel.

17 . Remove the rear panel.

18 . Detach the fuel filler door release cable.

19 . Detach the fuel filler door release cable.

All vehicles
20 . Detach and reposition the RH rear quarter trim panel.

21 . Remove the fuel filler door release cable.
1) Rotate the fuel filler door release cable clockwise.
2) Remove the fuel filler door release cable.

Installation
1 . To install, reverse the removal procedure.

 

Good info Tony.....I'm gonna FAQ this
Nice one

 

Are you sure there isn't a simpler way? I recall watching the guy in the body shop put mine on in about 20 minutes without disassembling anything. He spent about 15 minutes finagling but got the new one installed without having to do *any* of that removal work.

--Geoff
03 X-Type Sport 2.5
06 S-Type R

 

Geoff,
I honestly can't answer that question, those steps are straight out of JTIS. I have not tried it myself. It seemed to me the point of all the disassembly was to relieve tension on the fuel door release cable as to not stress/strain other parts during removal/install.

 

1) Remove right rear tire and whell well liner. wheel well liner is held by 2 torx, and 2 plastic nuts
2) Remove nut behind fuel door holding it to the fill pipe
3) Turn strike 1/4 turn clockwise with short needle nose pliers engaged in the two notches
4) Pull the strike out all the way through the fuel door side, just past the plastic strike body. If the strike is to hard to pull out, then cut the fuel door assembly away from the strike using tin shears. The strike/cable assembly needs to be pulled rather hard to overcome a rubber retaining grommet that's holding the cable as it passes thru the trunk region
5) Hold the cable and pull the strike body off the cable, then push cable back in
6) Remove the plastic rivet holding fuel door to body
7) Remove the fuel door assembly
8) Push the strike back into hole in trunk region, approximately at a length where the strike is slightly able to poke thru fuel door assembly
9) Install new fuel door assembly, fishing strike thru hole
10) Pull strike thru the strike hole in the new fuel door assembly untill cable is visible
11) Push strike body back onto strike until it clicks onto cable
12) Push strike back into fuel door assembly fully with metal spring underneath. Strike body will need to be guided back into the grommet hole in trunk region by using one hand in the wheel well while pushing strike into fuel door assembly with the other hand
13) Rotate strike 1/4 turn counterclockwise to lock it into the fuel door hole
15) Install retaining nut to secure fuel door assembly back the fuel fill pipe
16) Re-install wheel well liner and tire

Cheers!

Note1 - Disregard previous instructions in this thread

Note2 - These instructions assume you have obtained a fuel door assembly comprised of a fuel door and hinge connected to the assembly that surrouds the fuel filler pipe, which is secured to the fender.

 

Where can I get a replacement door?

 

From a dismantler (junkyard). Maybe try Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

 

I super glued the plastic parts back together. So far, so good.

 

I'd just like to thank Survey_Sez.
You were pretty much right on the money with this one.

A few helpful tips/notes seeing as I just did this, and there was much swearing involved.

1. You really only have to remove the 2 torx nuts on the bottom of the inner fender well. The plastic will then "pop out" of place allowing you access.

2. Plan on cutting the retaining nut on the fuel filler pipe off, or at least cutting the plastic around it. The bolt holding mine on was very rusty and just spun in place.

3. IMPORTANT! The fuel filler pipe (on the inside) will move if you pull on it from under/inside the wheel well. This will help you get the new fuel filler door back into the body.

4. Plan on cutting the old one out with tin snips. The "catch" is extremely hard to pull out while it is still on the car (at least in my case). I ended up breaking the old assembly apart to remove it from the car.

5. OPTIONAL: I opted NOT to put the spring catch assembly back into place. This means the door will just swing open (it stays shut on it's own) and someone could (theoretically) steal your gas, but trying to put the catch/spring thing back into place is a major PITA.

6. NOTE: The 2 "screws", 1 below the catch, and the one holding the fuel filler cap tie on are not really screws at all, but rivets.

This job is a PITA, but not really hard to do. Cutting the nut/plastic inside where the plastic housing is attached to the metal fuel filler pipe is the hardest part of the job.

 

Surver-sez was spot on...with one little added trick...

Open the driver's door, lift the release latch,

Use a sponge or folded cloth to hold it up.

That relieves the tension on the release.

When your release wire is reconnected and the new door is installed, just release the latch back down to the floor!

 

Thanks, Arlender, for suggesting Superglue to fix a broken fuel door.
I followed your advice, reenforcing it with some Flextape, and so far it is working fine. Much simpler and cheaper than the complex replacement process -- and even if you can find a new or used fuel cover, getting it to match your Jag's color could be difficult.
I love my 2004 Jag XJ8, but making that fuel door hinge out of flimsy plastic was not the best engineering.

 

My fuel door just broke off my 2004 X-type tonight at the gas station. Just wondering if there are any tricks you super-gluers might suggest before I attempt to hobble the plastic pieces back together.
Many thanks for any additional advice.

California Girl