How to Remove a Broken Gas Cap
by Kara Bietz
If the gas cap on your vehicle is stuck, broken or simply just won't budge when it is time to fill up, don't panic. There is a simple fix that takes less than a minute to perform. You will not need any special tools. More important, you will not ruin the gas cap so much that you will not be able to use it temporarily before you are able to replace it. Once you remove the broken cap and fill up your vehicle, be sure to buy a new gas cap as soon as possible.
Step 1
Measure 1/2 inch from the edge of the gas cap toward the middle. Mark the spot.
Step 2
Use the drill to make a 1/8 inch hole on the spot that you have marked. Drill only through the black plastic outer cover of the gas cap. Once you feel that you have drilled through that outer plastic coating, the drilling is finished.
Step 3
Insert the ice pick into the hole you drilled.
Step 4
Use gentle pressure and turn the ice pick until the cover unscrews. This method will not break the seal on the gas cap.
References
Tips
- Be sure to replace your gas cap as soon as possible. The one with the drilled hole in it is OK for temporary use but should be replaced as soon as possible.
Things You'll Need
- Ice pick
- 1/8 inch drill bit
- Electric drill
Writer Bio
Kara Bietz has been writing professionally since 1999. Her professional observation work has appeared in the early childhood education textbook "The Art of Awareness" by Margie Carter and Deb Curtis. Bietz has worked in the field of early childhood education for more than 16 years. She holds an Associate of Applied Science in child development from Mesa College.
