locking gas cap

Why? Why would you need a locking gas cap? The filler door locks from the inside, and if someone pries it open, the Prius has an anti-siphon screen in the filler pipe.

Tom

 

I'll pass on the invitation, but I am curious about the risk. The locking gas cap will not be visible from the outside, so your fuel door will get pried open ether way, unless you leave it open. Are you worried about loosing the gas cap, or about someone trying to steal your gas? I don't know much about urban theft living where I do. I could leave a computer on the sidewalk in front of my house and it would still be there at the end of the day, unless a helpful person moved it into my house to get it out of the rain. Enlighten me a bit, and explain what you are trying to accomplish with the gas cap.

Tom

 

Locking gas cap is available on eBay.
I am not sure there is one for Prius, but you can search for it yourself.

 

I'm curious to know too.

Why you need a locking gas cap when the filler door can be locked already?
It's understandable for a cap lock if you're driving domestics (which they don't even have locking filler door anymore on some late models).

There're no Self-Service in NJ gas stations (must wait for the service attendant).
So will the locking gas cap create extra legwork for you?

 

I've read reports locally of thieves bypassing the filling cap by drilling into the tank or getting at the fuel line. They want it so bad they're willing to die trying - just look at copper thieves stealing live power lines.

 

Sad, if true. An example of Darwinism in action?

I also do not see the point of using a locking gas cap on a vehicle that has a locked fuel door. This is like the Department of Redundancy Department.

 

Wow, wait until they know the Hybrid battery is also worth something......then it's a true 'die-trying'.

 

I had a locking gas cap on my 2005 Saturn VUE as someone tried to siphon gas out of the car when it was parked in the train station parking lot 2 years ago. The Saturn VUE did not have the door release from the inside of the car like my other Saturns did, so you could just open up the door from the outside, and somebody did try to siphon gas.

I found out when I started the car and my engine light went on, took it to the dealer and they opened up the gas door only to find the gas cap completely unscrewed. That little light will go on when fumes are coming from the gas cap and it is not on correctly.

I put gas in the car a week prior to that, so I knew without a doubt that somebody had unscrewed that gas cap that particular day because if I would have forgotten to screw the cap back on, which I never do,, the engine light would have come on the car right after my last fill up.

It pissed me off so much, so I went to Saturn and bought a locking gas cap.

However, if the Prius has a screen that prevents siphoning then I don't think this would even be necessary.

 

Because modern cars are harder to siphon from, thieves are resorting to more destructive tactics, like drilling holes in gas tanks or cutting gas lines.

 

Worst case is they get 11+ gallons. I'm not going to worry about it.

 

Yeah, they will only get at most 11.9 gallons...but it will screw up my fuel economy spreadsheet!!

M

 

Well, for those who don't know what the big deal is about the locking cap, look at this from MSNBC:

http://www.msn.com/id/24779216

-If nothing else, it's food for thought. If the price for fuel increases the way some say, the locking fuel door will not be much of a deterrent. There will need to be a "better mouse trap." :bolt:

 

They aren't going to get your Prius fuel through the gas cap. The anti-siphon screen will see to that. That's why gas thieves are using more destructive methods, as described in some of the earlier posts.

Tom

 

Is there one people recommend/disrecommend?

Yeah, yeah, the Prius isn't a prime target since its gas tank is small, unlike large SUVs. But gas over $4/gallon here even at the cheapest gas stations.

I went to an O'Reilly auto parts the other day to get one and the clerk surprised me by saying there are many different gas cap designs. So, he looked up my Prius and got me what was supposedly the correct part. It didn't fit at all (was threaded, unlike the stock cap). I had the clerk confirm it himself that it was wrong. So, I had to return it.

Today, I went to an Autozone and they had what looked like the right part from the design but the clerk discouraged me from getting them claiming that many customers have complained they receive a check engine light due to locking gas caps on newer cars. I presume this is due to evaporative leak checks. I mentioned to him that I had a locking gas cap on my former 04 Nissan 350Z and had no CEL problems.

 

As pointed out above, you can't siphon gas from a Prius. You have to break something to get at it. If a gas thief is going to do that, a locking gas cap won't be a deterrent.

Tom