Frozen gas cap door
January 9, 2025 8:42 AM Subscribe
My son and I both have Subaru Imprezas. His is a 2019 sedan, currently in an airport parking lot in Cedar Rapids, IA. Mine is a 2024 hatchback, currently in Baltimore in my building garage, which is covered but open to the outside air. Both of these have gas cap doors that will not open. He is almost out of gas. I have half a tank, but I need to drive 120 miles tomorrow. Any advice? I am willing to buy special tools if I can get them locally.
Firmly bonking the door a few times (with a gloved fist, for example) may shake loose ice that's built up on the latch or hinge. Give it a few taps, and then try the release.
Beyond that, heat should do it. Ideally you can move the vehicle somewhere above freezing for an hour or two, but a heat gun or hot water from a thermos may do the trick. If using hot water, try small amounts at a time and give it a minute to work on the ice. and make sure you dry the area thoroughly if you get it open.
posted by figurant at 9:05 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]
Beyond that, heat should do it. Ideally you can move the vehicle somewhere above freezing for an hour or two, but a heat gun or hot water from a thermos may do the trick. If using hot water, try small amounts at a time and give it a minute to work on the ice. and make sure you dry the area thoroughly if you get it open.
posted by figurant at 9:05 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]
When this happened to me at a gas station I went into the convenience store and bought a cup of hot water ( for tea ) and poured it over the cap which melted it. Hot coffee would work too of course.
posted by Liquidwolf at 9:09 AM on January 9 [2 favorites]
posted by Liquidwolf at 9:09 AM on January 9 [2 favorites]
Other things I might try if my default method of firm thumps with a gloved hand doesn't work:
-gently prying the cover with something that won't scratch the paint like a popsicle stick while some one pulls on the release lever
-pouring winter blend windshield washer fluid around the gap
-you can find chemical hot packs at a pharmacy if the other heating options are not practical
posted by snoboy at 9:23 AM on January 9 [3 favorites]
-gently prying the cover with something that won't scratch the paint like a popsicle stick while some one pulls on the release lever
-pouring winter blend windshield washer fluid around the gap
-you can find chemical hot packs at a pharmacy if the other heating options are not practical
posted by snoboy at 9:23 AM on January 9 [3 favorites]
Hand sanitizer (or any other high abv product) works in a pinch to melt frozen things.
posted by notquitemaryann at 9:44 AM on January 9 [2 favorites]
posted by notquitemaryann at 9:44 AM on January 9 [2 favorites]
A can of spray windscreen de-icer would be my suggestion. They generally work down to approx -20C (-4F) in terms of melting anything that is already frozen, it varies but that's typical for something like ethylene glycol with a propellant. The sprays work more or less instantly and are usually available at gas stations in areas that get freezing temperatures.
Because it's aerosolized you should be able to get the vapour into the gaps around the filler cap, and as it is intended for automotive use it should safe in terms of the paintwork and any rubber seals.
posted by samworm at 9:58 AM on January 9
Because it's aerosolized you should be able to get the vapour into the gaps around the filler cap, and as it is intended for automotive use it should safe in terms of the paintwork and any rubber seals.
posted by samworm at 9:58 AM on January 9
Lots of good suggestions above, but also if you have no resources, you can thaw things like this with your body heat, either by holding your hands on them (which can be a little unpleasant) or by breathing on them for a bit (which might be a little funny looking in this case) or both.
posted by ssg at 9:59 AM on January 9 [2 favorites]
posted by ssg at 9:59 AM on January 9 [2 favorites]
It may be lightly frozen; I'd see if it can be gently pried open with a wooden chopstick, popsicle stick, or similar. I have used the blade of an ice scraper, which is not a great tool, but sometimes one must improvise. The cable release could be frozen; 1 person can push the release while another applies gentle pressure.
No power? Double 2 ziplock bags, fill w/ hot water, hold against cap. That will keep it dry and reduce more opportunity for it to freeze again.
Chemical packs - Hot Hands, or similar - would work, duct tape one on if needed. Note to self: keep some in the car.
I live in Maine and often park so that the driver's side is facing south so the lock will be warmer, the gas cap is on the driver's side, too. If you are driving, crank up the heat in the car, and it will warm and dry the whole vehicle.
posted by theora55 at 10:33 AM on January 9
No power? Double 2 ziplock bags, fill w/ hot water, hold against cap. That will keep it dry and reduce more opportunity for it to freeze again.
Chemical packs - Hot Hands, or similar - would work, duct tape one on if needed. Note to self: keep some in the car.
I live in Maine and often park so that the driver's side is facing south so the lock will be warmer, the gas cap is on the driver's side, too. If you are driving, crank up the heat in the car, and it will warm and dry the whole vehicle.
posted by theora55 at 10:33 AM on January 9
One tip if hot water solutions are the best option for you; if you can put the hot (not boiling!) water in a semi airtight plastic bag, you can hold the bag against the car. Like a hot pack essentially. It risks less re-freezing and other heat damage issues than directly pouring it on.
posted by seemoorglass at 12:15 PM on January 9 [5 favorites]
posted by seemoorglass at 12:15 PM on January 9 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Last winter this happened to my mom's new Subaru Ascent. She got it to the dealership just before she ran out of gas. She suspected that her car was mildly haunted, but then they realized that the car requires that the doors be unlocked to open the gas cap.
So...is it something dumb like that?
posted by wenestvedt at 12:25 PM on January 9 [11 favorites]
So...is it something dumb like that?
posted by wenestvedt at 12:25 PM on January 9 [11 favorites]
(And I mean the requirement is dumb, not you -- you're innocent!)
posted by wenestvedt at 8:12 AM on January 10
posted by wenestvedt at 8:12 AM on January 10
Response by poster: I didn't get to try any of these proposals - things warmed up a tiny bit, and the next time I tried to open it, it worked. Likewise, my son returned to Iowa (where the car got to sit in the sun for a day) and discovered the same thing. Thinking about it now, though, I suspect the answer was inadvertent car locking. Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions - I hope I never have cause to try them again.
posted by ubiquity at 8:58 AM on January 12
posted by ubiquity at 8:58 AM on January 12
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It will be more or less the same as using a hair dryer, but much hotter and faster. You won't want to melt the ice all the way with this, just enough to break open the ice by whapping the door. If you run a heat gun like this directly onto exposed paint, it may damage it.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:00 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]