BMW i8 fuel door lock issues! Fuel door won't unlock? What to do!

UPDATE: NewTIS has been closed. Service Manual data is no longer free. DIY maintain your BMW at your own risk.    • BMW shut down NewTIS. DIY'ers beware!  

UPDATE: NewTIS has been closed. Service Manual data is no longer free. DIY maintain your BMW at your own risk.    • BMW shut down NewTIS. DIY'ers beware!  
UPDATE: BMW has extended the warranty on the fuel pressure sensors that are failing to 10 years or 120,000 miles in the US. So if you're within those parameters, you can have this replaced at the dealer at no cost: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/201...

EDIT: Correction: Fuel vapors in the tank are not due to the fuel sloshing around, they are due to the fuel evaporating in the tank. The carbon canister valve is shut when the engine is off. When the engine is started, fuel vapors are drawn out of the tank this way.

The fuel door on the BMW i8 has a lock on it, which is designed to prevent the driver from refueling the car if there is too much pressure in the fuel system. This is because, when driving in EV mode, fuel is sloshing around the tank and increasing vapor pressure. Typically, as the engine runs, it draws pressure out of the system. But, without the engine running, this pressure increases. If you attempted to refuel the BMW i8 after driving in eDrive EV mode, you may release a significant amount of pressure when unscrewing the refueling cap. BMW's solution to this issue is to provide a button which starts an electronic sequence. When you push the refuel button, the vehicle purges pressure through the carbon canister system, and a fuel pressure gauge confirms pressure is low, which then signals the fuel door locking module to unlock the fuel door. If that fails to operate, there is an emergency release in the trunk which will unlock the fuel door. However, this is a long piece of plastic and can break, or in case of a 2nd hand BMW i8, may have already been broken by the previous owner.

Some BMW i8 owners have pressed the refuel button, only to see that the notification on the dash, Ready To Refuel at 25%, and the fuel door never unlocks. If your BMW i8 is under warranty, you can take it to the dealership, where they will replace your fuel pressure sensor inside the fuel tank to correct this problem. However, if our BMW i8 is not under warranty, this may cost you around $2,000 USD to have the sensor replaced because the fuel tank needs to be removed in order to do this job. And the coolant lines need to be drained in order to remove the fuel tank. So, reinstalling the fuel tank requires bleeding of the coolant lines. It's not an easy job and something I do not want to DIY.

Therefore, I modified my fuel door lock so that it would no longer lock and prevent this problem from ever leaving me stranded at the fuel pump. The fuel door lock actuator is a servo unit which controls a plunger. Between the plunger and the actual lock is an operating rod. This operating rod is easy to remove and leaves the actuator and plunger working. Therefore, the BMW i8 believes that the system is actually functioning correctly. In order to prevent high fuel tank pressure, before refueling, always drive to the gas station on Sport Mode. This will ensure that high pressure is relieved from the tank and you will not experience high vapor pressures when releasing the fuel filler cap.

This modification is reversible. The operating arm can be reinserted and remain functional.

More information on BMW i8 refueling:
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/i1...

Tools I used in this video:

Wheel alignment tool:
https://amzn.to/2uKjC4s

Palm ratchet:
https://amzn.to/36Eiqg2

17mm lug socket:
https://amzn.to/2P115rK

Trim removal tool:
https://amzn.to/2Syq2Nq

Dental pick:
https://amzn.to/2u4GgEs

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

If you'd like to donate towards helping me maintain and grow my channel, please use one of the links, below:

https://www.paypal.me/patsgarageonline
https://www.venmo.com/patsgarageonline

Visit http://patsgarageonline.com for more of my videos and information.

#ad The equipment I use to shoot my videos:
GoPro Hero 7 Black: https://amzn.to/32Nzi2W
Hero 7 Mic Adapter: https://amzn.to/31KVA41
Forevercam GoPro housing: https://amzn.to/2JneF5Y
Wireless Mic: https://amzn.to/36sL6s9
Mini Tripod with Ball Head: https://amzn.to/2urG7uG
On-Camera LED light: https://amzn.to/2NUyVxY

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Disclaimer: Pat's Garage Online assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

End Screen Music:

Copyright free music from:
Song: Dreamer
Artist: Ikson
  / dreamer-free-download  
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.