Poll C7 Gas Door Solenoid Works Intermittently

[1FastVette]

So, the C7 gas door solenoid working intermittently bug got me. If you've pulled into a gas station to fill up and the gas door doesn't open, it will send a sense of "fear" up your spine. I took it to a local Chevrolet dealer and was told that the "entire gas door assembly" needed to be replaced. Oh, and this would include the gas door itself, which of course would have to be painted. (Really?)

The question is, has anyone else been told this? I know there are "fixes" out there with suggestions of "plugging the hole" with a "body plug," but I would be interested in ... fixing it. I've googled this to death and all I'm finding is that the solenoid (PN: 22847380) needs to be replaced and you're good to go. The dealer is telling me it's a "fully assembled unit" and that includes the gas door AND the solenoid. So, hmmmmmm... what's the true story? What's "really" needed as far as parts are concerned? Has anyone had a (dealership) experience to share? Thank you in advance!

 

[cdnrx1]

As I've said so often, dealers either don't know what they're talking about or they are intentionally misleading their customers so as to make more money. Don't know which situation is represented here but, either way, the dealer is full of... well you know.

The fuel door solenoid is replaceable as a separate part, you have the correct P/N for 2014-2019 C7's. To replace it jack up the left rear quarter, remove the rear wheel and inner fender and follow these instructions. It's a straight forward DIY job if you have basic tecno-mechanical skills or order the part and take it to a reputable servicing agent.

Hope this helps.

Best regards
Ross

 

[1FastVette]

As I've said so often, dealers either don't know what they're talking about or they are intentionally misleading their customers so as to make more money. Don't know which situation is represented here but, either way, the dealer is full of... well you know.

The fuel door solenoid is replaceable as a separate part, you have the correct P/N for 2014-2019 C7's. To replace it jack up the left rear quarter, remove the rear wheel and inner fender and follow these instructions. It's a straight forward DIY job if you have basic tecno-mechanical skills or order the part and take it to a reputable servicing agent.

Hope this helps.

Best regards
Ross View attachment 98328

Ross, Thanks for the response and ... the replacement procedure (in print)! Where did you pull this procedure from? That would certainly come in handy if I'm told that I need a pile of parts to fix this.

 

[cdnrx1]

That's an excerpt from the factory service manual so the dealer would have that technical reference.

I replace 2 of these for friends a couple of years ago but, each time, I got the part from an auto recycler. Paid around $50.00 for a part that the dealer wanted about $160.00 for. If the dealer continues to insist that it's only available as an assembly I'd go the same route or purchase a used one from ebay. Actually, if it were my car, I would just remove the actuator rod, 30 minutes work and no cost. Yeah, I know, the fuel door would no longer lock but I'd be okay with that.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Ross

 

[1FastVette]

That's an excerpt from the factory service manual so the dealer would have that technical reference.

I replace 2 of these for friends a couple of years ago but, each time, I got the part from an auto recycler. Paid around $50.00 for a part that the dealer wanted about $160.00 for. If the dealer continues to insist that it's only available as an assembly I'd go the same route or purchase a used one from ebay. Actually, if it were my car, I would just remove the actuator rod, 30 minutes work and no cost. Yeah, I know, the fuel door would no longer lock but I'd be okay with that.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Ross

Ross,

Thanks again for the response. It's certainly a huge plus to know that you took this from the factory service manual!

Bob

 

[JB08]

Moral of the story: find a new dealer / mechanic.
Happy to see you got the right info in the end.

 

[1FastVette]

For those of you that have a C7 that have yet to be bitten by the "LOCKED Fuel Door" bug, I thought it would be helpful to pass on the summary of my experience. Today (8/25/2022) I had it fixed. The GM part number needed to address this issue is 84195316 which is the fuel housing. (Invoice price $67.29) The FAILED solenoid is ATTACHED to the housing and is NOT available as a standalone item. The part number on the solenoid is 42353811. (You may be able to find this on ebay if you're that brave.) The housing is replaced from outside the car and removal of the wheel and/or wheel well is not required. It took the Vette Tech 40 minutes to complete the job. If I knew it was this simple I would have done it myself. The good thing was that my out of pocket deductable totaled $100, with the balance picked up by my extended warranty policy. (The total invoice was $249.69) I'm attaching a few pictures of the housing from various angles. Interestingly enough, as shown in one of the pictures, the solenoid can be simply popped off the housing unit. However, we can all figure out why GM doesn't just stock it as a replaceable item. That would have been too simple. Just like putting in a (more reliable ) fuel door release cable.