[ibuprofen600]

Hi all,

for context (it's the same with the G05)

Wondering if someone has had the same problems I did. X5 45e from November 2022. Last September, on a long trip -of course- I stopped for gas and the button to open the gas door didn't work. I removed the trunk lining and pulled the green wire...nothing. In the end, after a lot of pulling, pushing, and cursing I got the door open, and it worked normally for the rest of the trip, and most times after that. Fast forward to December, inspection came up so I told the BMW dealer about my issue and how the emergency release doesn't seem to be working properly...after some arguing BMW agreed to replace the whole mechanism under warranty.

Fast forward to today, I picked up the car with the new mechanism installed and it's exactly the same: if I don't press the button by the driver door, I have to pull the green wire really hard while pressing the door with my other hand in order to get it open. Cursing is optional but I feel it helps.

According to the BMW dealer this is normal: the emergency release will work well when the door button is pressed, even if pressing the button doesn't get the door to open. I should not worry, and it's normal that the emergency release doesn't work smoothly if the door button hasn't been pressed first.

But I'm worried, because I don't want to be again in the same situation that neither the normal nor the emergency mechanisms work. I do my daily driving on electric mode and I mostly fill gasoline when I do long trips, which are usually over 1.000 kms.

So it all sums up to two questions:
1. Has anyone here had problems refueling?
2. Would someone mind pulling the emergency release of their X5 (without pressing the button first) and checking if it works smoothly like in the video or not?

Thank you!

[njdangelo]

hmmmmm, my car does not have a fuel door release button.. you just push on it. On the 45e they added a button to release the fuel door? I wonder why they did that.

[jad03060]

Originally Posted by njdangelo

hmmmmm, my car does not have a fuel door release button.. you just push on it. On the 45e they added a button to release the fuel door? I wonder why they did that.

Because of the way the fuel is used or not used in the PHEVs, the tank can become pressurized, so, prior to opening the fueling door, you have to press a button on the driver's door to release that pressure. THere's a pressure sensor, and when that is satisfied, it will release the latch, then, you can open the door normally.

If the button doesn't do its job, in theory, the deadbolt won't retract, requiring the use of the emergency release button if you want to get the door open to refuel the vehicle. When everything is working properly, you should never need to access that release.

[ibuprofen600]

Originally Posted by jad03060

Because of the way the fuel is used or not used in the PHEVs, the tank can become pressurized, so, prior to opening the fueling door, you have to press a button on the driver's door to release that pressure. THere's a pressure sensor, and when that is satisfied, it will release the latch, then, you can open the door normally.

If the button doesn't do its job, in theory, the deadbolt won't retract, requiring the use of the emergency release button if you want to get the door open to refuel the vehicle. When everything is working properly, you should never need to access that release.

I wonder if then the button has not worked when the pressure could not be released. Do you know if the pressure release mechanism is visible from outside? The two times that the button failed to work for me, water was involved:

- First time, very hot and humid days (35 C with 92% rel. humidity) followed by heavy rain
- Second time, I had the car power washed

[jad03060]

I do not know where the pressure sensor is located. I've read that some have had issues with that sensor and needed it to be replaced. My guess is that the vapor pressure is not vented to the outside, but likely into, through a carbon canister to absorb those fumes.

[MBborge]

I have a 19' X5 50.
My fuel door consistently jams up and it doesn't open without repeated locks and unlocks with the FOB.
There is no "fuel door release" button anywhere. I took it to a dealer that said it is working fine and they could not get it to "not open properly".
If it fails and cannot be opened by repeated locks and unlocks, it cannot be accessed. Which means I am stranded or I break the filler door.
Has anyone had this issue and are there any recommendations on how to fix / avoid this situation?

[MBborge]

What do you do if there is no general release button?

[BobsM3Coupe]

Originally Posted by MBborge

I have a 19' X5 50.
My fuel door consistently jams up and it doesn't open without repeated locks and unlocks with the FOB.
There is no "fuel door release" button anywhere. I took it to a dealer that said it is working fine and they could not get it to "not open properly".
If it fails and cannot be opened by repeated locks and unlocks, it cannot be accessed. Which means I am stranded or I break the filler door.
Has anyone had this issue and are there any recommendations on how to fix / avoid this situation?

My X5M also doesn't have any fuel door manual release cable on the inside of the vehicle. This is the procedure when there is no release cable.

[jad03060]

The only ones that have the release button now are the PHEVs…the 40i and 60i do not. On the PHEVs, the button on the door does not release the filler door…it tells the computer to run through the depressurization routine, and once it senses the pressure is low enough, will activate the deadbolt so you can open the door by pressing in on it. The emergency release pulls the deadbolt so you can open the door. If you have a PHEV, you’d always have to try to use the emergency release if you didn’t press the button first (and wait for it to say it’s ready). That button is NOT like on other vehicles that pops the door open…it is a signal to the computer to depressurize their tank, then it will pull the deadbolt so it can be opened like the other models by pressing in on the door. The deadbolt does not automatically release on the PHEVs without pressing that button first while hitting unlock does on the ICE versions.

[Golfnatic]

Originally Posted by MBborge

I have a 19' X5 50.
My fuel door consistently jams up and it doesn't open without repeated locks and unlocks with the FOB.
There is no "fuel door release" button anywhere. I took it to a dealer that said it is working fine and they could not get it to "not open properly".
If it fails and cannot be opened by repeated locks and unlocks, it cannot be accessed. Which means I am stranded or I break the filler door.
Has anyone had this issue and are there any recommendations on how to fix / avoid this situation?

I have a ‘19 with no cable and had the same intermittent situation. I found that holding down on the door rather than just pushing quickly on it worked for me.

[Alan l.]

You just need to add some lube to the pin that locks the fuel door. I had this happen to my 2020 X5m and adding alittle lube to the shaft made all the difference (it always does)

[MBborge]

I am also having issues with my Fuel filler door!
It is making me crazy!
first of all my 2019 X5 50i does not have a "green pull tab" to release the fuel door, when it becomes stuck. Believe it or not, there is NO emergency release for the fuel door. Even the dealer was surprised that it diid not exist.
If anyone has a 19' X5, please look and let me know if one exists in your car.
I brought it into the dealer, (no longer under Warrenty ) and they said it was fine and they could not replicate the issue! they offered to replace the actuator for $700.
To fuel my car, I need to lock and unlock the car 10-15 times until the fuel door releases, hoping that it will release and that I don't have to rip the door off when I get stranded.
Please share any bit of info you may have on this.

[MBborge]

Thank you...
I have added some lube, I used a silicone light thin lube. What Lube do you recommend ?
The lube improved it temporarily , but it has gone back to being sticky