Skip to Content

How To Open A Toyota Corolla’s Gas Tank

When you are driving any car, it’s important to be able to refuel it safely. The first part of this process is being able to access the gas tank.

Opening the gas tank on a Corolla is very simple, often varying slightly depending on the make and model you have. 

Keep reading to learn the steps required to refuel your car safely.

1. Finding The Gas Tank On A Corolla

The first thing you need to figure out is what side of the car the cap is on and where it is positioned. Some vehicles will have the cap near the front of the car. 

However, on the Corolla, the gas tank will be located in the rear.

Before you leave home, you should confirm what side it is on. You can also look at the dash. 

Most models will have an arrow next to the fuel icon. This points to the side of the car that contains the gas cap.

2. Opening The Gas Cap

Once you’ve found the cap, it’s time to open it up. To do this, you’ll need to use the following series of steps:

  1. Locate the release mechanism. First, you’ll need to find the fuel cap release button. In most models, this will be on the driver’s side of the car, on the floor. If it’s not there, it will be on the left side of the dash, beneath the steering wheel.
  2. Lift the release. Lifting this will release the fuel cap. You should hear a small pop. This means that the cap is open.

If you have an older car, it might not come equipped with a release mechanism. In this case, you should be able to open it without needing to release it first.

3. Unscrew The Gas Cap

Next, you’ll need to unscrew the cap to gain access to the fuel tank. Sometimes, when you are unscrewing the cap, you’ll hear a whooshing sound. This is the fuel settling and is most common on hot days. 

You should wait until this noise stops before unscrewing the gas cap further. If you don’t, you risk spraying hot fuel onto yourself.

Once you have removed the cap, you’ll want to put it on top of the car or on the latch on the fuel door. This will ensure that you don’t lose it.

5 Reasons Why A Gas Door Won’t Open

Usually, the process of opening the gas cap on a Corolla will be fairly simple. But there are some times where you won’t be able to open the cap. There are a few reasons why this might be happening. This can include:

  • The fuel door on your car might be bent
  • There might be a problem with the internal spring that opens the door
  • There might be an issue with the activator button inside the car.
  • The door might not have been lubricated properly, making it stiff.
  • Dirt in the hinge

If you continue to experience problems, it’s a good idea to take the car to a mechanic. They will be able to investigate and determine the exact cause of the issue. 

From there, they will be able to recommend a way of solving the problem. The good news is that it will often be a minor issue. 

This should be fairly easy for your mechanic to solve.

Filling Up Your Car With Gas

Once you’ve opened the gas cap, it’s time to start filling up the car. Here are some tips you can use to do this.

Position The Car Next To The Pump

When you are ready to fill up the car, you’ll need to position the car next to the gas pump.

It’s a good idea to be around 2 feet from the pump. This will give you plenty of space to walk around. The fuel nozzle will be fairly long, so you don’t need to be worried about getting it exactly right.

Make The Car Safe

Next, you’ll need to make sure that it is safe to put fuel into the car. First, you’ll need to make sure that you turn off the engine. If you don’t do this, there is a chance that the spark will ignite the fuel. 

It’s also important to make sure that you put the car into park or set the parking brake (if it’s a manual). You don’t want the car to roll away on you.

Closing The Gas Cap

Once you have finished filling up your car, it’s time to put the gas cap back on. This is a very simple procedure. 

You simply need to screw the cap back in. It should be secure, but not overly tight. Then, you’ll need to shut the cap door. 

You should hear it click in place. Once done, you’ll be able to drive away, knowing that your gas cap is secure.

Cleaning Your Gas Cap

Finally, the gas cap might accumulate dirt and debris over time. Because of this, you might need to clean it occasionally. 

You’ll know you have to do this when the debris on the cap is making it hard to fit it back into the car. Here are the steps that you need to go through when you are cleaning the gas cap:

  1. Unscrew the gas cap and put it on newspaper
  2. Spray the cap with a petrol-based lube.
  3. Using a rag wipe off the lube, this should remove most of the dirt and grime.
  4. If there are persistent spots, you’ll need to spray more lube on them. This should help to dislodge the dirt.
  5. Coat the frame with a silicone-based spray, to stop the petrol-based one from breaking down.
  6. Wait for the spray to dry, then re-attach the gas cap to the car.

This will allow you to get more mileage from your gas cap. However, you will eventually need to replace the cap. 

You’ll often need to do this every 50,000 miles. If you start to see cracks in the cap or if your check engine light comes on every time you refuel your car, it’s time to replace it. 

These cracks can allow dirt to get into the fuel line. This can do a lot of damage to your engine.

A faulty gas cap that doesn’t seal properly can also cause your check engine light to come on so if you’ve recently refueled your car and that light came on that’s the first thing to check. 

Final Thoughts

If you are going to be driving your car, you’ll need to make sure that you can open the gas cap and refill it properly. Thankfully, this is a simple process, which should only take a few minutes. 

If you take care of your fuel cap properly, it should last for a long time.