Thanks so much for this. Just replaced mine no problem. As someone else said above, you don't need to make the holes - I put my plastic tools under the edge, levered up and the whole assembly popped out.
Grateful for the vid! Needed to pop the flap on 2011 A7 to refuel, stopped latching after that. Didn’t need to make holes, held the actuator pin with pliers, used plastic trim removal tool from top left first, kept pressure on pliers (not much) and popped top right. I removed the connector by jamming a screwdriver in the gap an gently pulled. I reused the red emergency cord as I hadn’t used it previously. T10 torx, undo both, replace and push all back into position whilst keeping a little tension on the red emergency cord. All popped into place easy, no alignment issues, super easy! Thank you!!
Do you know what the emergency rip cord does? It is attached to the actuator bit but tugging on it just seems to pull against a rubber bung. Not sure what it does or if it's a one time use thing. Does it release a lock or something?
A very good walk through explanation. Thank you, i was able to carry out this procedure really quickly after watching your video. I now have a working filler actuator with no more than 10 mins work which included getting the tools and parts ready. If i had not have seen this I was going to try accessing it from the inside of the vehicle.
I have a 2017 A6 Avant. I managed to get my hand to the back of the assembly and undo the closest top and bottom clips; I then taped the painted area (for protection) and slid a credit card around the edge to pop the other clips. No damage at all to the assembly or paint. If you have ad blue make sure you remove the filler cap for that too.
Fantastic video! I was (still am) on a road trip. Could not open the fuel door at the gas station. Was stuck. Went to Audi dealership and they helped open it up. They said that the repair will requiring replacing the whole fuel door assembly, AND then have to paint it (since it includes a unpainted fuel door!). Watching this video it's clear that this is not necessary. Will try to do this myself now.
Audi service department is really mean then. Even required to change the assembly, the fuel door cap is removable and uses the old cap panel on the new assembly, not to mention that the actuator can be replaced alone
Thanks Man! $140 quote from my mechanic (actually reasonable, I'll bet the the stealership would be double) turned into $15 bucks for the part (from aliexpress) and 30 minutes of work, less time than dropping off/picking up the car from the shop. Much appreciated.
Hi AD's. Thanks for posting. Would like to add weight to the alternative where pulling down and out on the inside lower edge of the housing can 'pop' this out without needing to punch holes. I found rubber gloves significantly improved grip when doing this. For those wanting to replace the part numbers are: Fuel flap actuator 4L0862153D Hinge Assembly (Housing) 4G8809906H (only need if you break the housing)
Thanks so much for this. Just got an S7 and having this exact issue. So much for the "emergency" release. WD40 helped to loosen it up, but i've now blocked the hole so it won't lock me out again. Ordered my genuine audi part online (I see amazon has some cheap knockoff brands) and hope to install next week.
I used plastic pry tools to pry the door slightly open and used the straw to spray all over the actuator. Then pressed the door a few times and eventually it popped out. This doesn't seem to be a permanent solution as it's the second time in a week i've had to do it. will be replacing soon
@@michaelrohl Mine worked like that for few months and then fully stopped working. I had to brake it to open fuel door. Shame on Audi for those silly things on premium cars...
My S6's fuel door wouldn't open while I was in the middle of nowhere. I tired the emergency release for 10 minutes but couldn't get it to work. I then used a credit card which busted the actuator and caused it to stay in the open position leaving the fuel door open. Decided the best thing to was use a pair of pliers to twist the entire lock around 720 degrees 4 times in both directions until I heard a snap. The part that extends popped out along with the spring. I added some duck tape to the hole it left and waited for the new actuator to arrive.
Hey Bro! Watched your video a while ago and ordered the part I needed but was putting it off until a sunny day (it rains a lot here in the UK!). Of course, the day I feel like doing the job, it has to rain! LOL! Sod's Law! Anyway, I just wanna say a BIG THANK YOU to you for your video, without which I would never have had the knowledge or courage to even attempt to do this repair! Mine works fine and I saved £££ So Bless You brother and thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with the world! Why do they make such a crucial component that we use almost everyday, so prone to failure? This is 2021 - surely they should have mastered the BASICS by now!
By the way, what's the red pull cord for? And how does it work? I couldn't figure out how to use it...all it seems to do was pull on a rubber but attached to the actuator bit...
@@IcefireFitness It's emergency release cord. It should open fuel door by pulling red cord. It then pushes manually to the actuator and should release it. In my case actuator was fulled dead (jammed and wouldn't do anything) The only way for me to open fuel door was to gently brake the plastic edge of actuator. It took time too... Ordered new part. Will try to change it on Monday
I was worried about scratching around the gas lid, so got out a good pair of channel locks and grabbed onto the actuator plunger deal. . Had a firm grip on it and pulled with a bit of force and the whole deal came out just like it should of. If you're going to replace the actuator anyway then no harm no foul...
Great great vid - makes total sense, however is ANYONE able to advise how to get the inside trim out from the storage well area to even get at the pull cord? I've fallen at the first fence!
I've been having issues w the fuel door on my 2012 A6.. I eventually broke the orange pull cord while trying to put gas in the car in a blizzard.. so frustrating..
Nothing. It was fine doing exactly as in the video - unlock car, open fuel cap (pull red cord in compartment if you are locked out), prise out fitting and unplug old actuator. Unscrew torx screws, put in new actuator, plug in, push back. All done.
Hey, I was wondering how you managed to open it in the first place with the dodgy actuator? Mines gone, and I managed to rip the emergency release cable 🙄
I used some plastic pry tools and opened the side a bit, sprayed some WD-40 on the actuator and pushed it in a few times. I've had to do this twice now, but I've just stuffed some papertowel into the hole so it won't lock. Just ordered my actuator and will be using this guide to replace the one in my 2016 S7.
What does the emergency release cable do? Is it a one-time use only cable? I couldn't figure out how it worked. It seems to only pull in the rubber not attached to the actuator. Didn't release any mechanism or anything as far as I could see...
You may have to go with Audi or keep searching the net. Here is a similar part but may not fit the S4. You can also remove the factory part and try cleaning it or possibly try cleaning it on the car. www.europaparts.com/fuel-door-lock-actuator-8v0862153a.html
Could have been a perfect video if how the clip is like was shown in CLOSE UP. That way we know how deep and what angle to get to the stupid clips. This is for those who could never feel the clips and pop the trim... which is the most difficult part if we don't want to break it.
Mine wasn't opening and even the emergency latch in the trunk didn't work. Got it fixed under warranty at a dealership and now the door is protruding a little more than before. Sucks
That's cool in all that you showed me how it's done, and I appreciate it. But that was stupid to get close to the Car and lock the gas door, then walk the keys way over on the other side of your garage, then walk back to the Car to demonstrate that the gas door was locked. Thanks for the info.
You have to piece the plastic to get the trim off? That's a disgrace! I've owned an S8 and an A7 now, and both have had lots of problems and have been disproportionally difficult to repair.
