Renault Clio fuel flap will not open

A lot of cars , not only Renault have this inside the boot that enables you to open flap .

Hi, Wittingeham..
Not sure how much of my question you can read? but I have written twice as much as is shown !! (( why do they as you to write as much as you can if they are not going to print it???))
But I have already had all the back compartment out, all of the hard lining, (if you had been able to read all that I had written you would have seen this) all I can see when that is all out is the inside skin (metal) of the car and the seat belt mounting for the rear passengers.. Renault say that they would have to do this in the workshop!! they say that their mechanic would somehow prise back the 'BOLT'?????? The AA said pretty much the same..

This is the second half that seems to be missing from my question..--------

Newer models seem to be different re. emergency release . Check this which should allow you to release flap solenoid .


" 26th July 2010, 03:58 PM
This happened to our 55 plate clio this weekend. And I felt compelled to join this forum to post a bit of useful/accurate "how to" information.

On our model, it a regular bog standard clio, there is no emergency release pulley or clip despite what the previous posts say. I phoned the renault dealership that sold us the car and they confirmed this.

It is possible however, as I discovered eventually, to squeeze ones hand onto a tiny element of the central locking solenoid that locks the fuel tank door if you unclip the trim around the rear A frame where the fuel door is situated.

On our clio (with the trim removed) we seem to have an airbag unit just the above the seat belt unit. To the right and very slightly up from the airbag gas canister it is possible to get ones hand in to a small gap (this will be directly above the fuel door. Here you can feel what seems to be the top of a small piston or plunger. This is the lock device for the fuel door which you can pull up. This should "manually release the fuel door and you can fill up and then sort the route cause of the problem.

DO NOT attempt to tear off the door, there is no way for it to come off without causing major damage despite what you may think. "

Hope this helps

Hi, I have managed to sort my Clio out, (to Whittingehame, THANKS, your second solution was also told to me by Renault, but you need a very small hand) What I did in the end,, in my 07 model,to get my FLAP TO OPEN is, you need a long thin screwdriver, just to the right of middle at the top is where the catch engages!! SO, you need to have a torch, force the flap open as much as you dare, then put your long thin screwdriver in from the BOTTOM, you are trying to see the catch system,,You can then poke the driver to push up the pin that locks the flap in place. This then will release the Flap. I have found out that it is the solenoid that is knackered. Renault want £160 to replace it.!! Me, I am buying myself a locking fuel cap.-- Thanks all.

Glad you got it solved , thanks for update . Good idea with petrol locking cap .

Hi guys quite old post but still since this happened to me today and none of the above was correct for my 2008 clio am just posting in case may still be helpful since is a lot easier than other solutions ofered...

I placed the palm of my hand on the fuel flap and pushed (by friction between the painting an your hand) in the direction to the front of the car, then the painted cover of the fuel flap will slide, then you should be able to to see the naked cover and a hole exactly the size or a finger index finger... introduce your finger pushig a bit and that shoul be it... long before I had my car painted and I notice how easy this fuel flap was removed when took the clio painting the guy just removed the gas to take color sample and that's how i notice how fast is was then when gas problem I figured it out the rest.
cheers

Hi All,
I'm a newbie - my first post.
The Clio fuel flap problem you are experiencing has just occurred on the wife's 07 Clio mk3. I came across your thread trying to sort it out myself and by some miracle I cracked the problem.

Firstly make sure the car is unlocked.
place your fingers in the rebate usually used to open the flap and apply just enough pressure to open (lift) the flap so that it is no longer flush with the car body. The idea is to slide or pull just the painted flap in a HORIZONTAL direction towards the rear of the car (don't yank it).
It takes quite a bit of pressure to get the flap to separate from the locked hinge section of the flap. There are five clips that hold the painted section of the flap in place and they only release when the painted flap is coaxed backwards and horizontally.
You should now be looking at a black plastic hinged section that is still locked, there are two openings in this black bit. The opening at the top of is where the locking mechanism is situated it is a thin pin that locks and unlocks VERTICALLY - take a pair of long nose pliers and gently move the pin upwards.
Voila! you can now fill up.
The lock can be accessed by removing the four torx screws and the cover attached to the body of the vehicle check the connection but you will probably find the lock is knackered - I'm not going to replace mine but you can get the part and replace it quite easily.
The body coloured cover is easily replaced - do this with the hinged section in the open position and slowly push it into place until you hear or feel it click back into position.

Good luck - hope this works for you.

Just want to thank @raceman_tt, these instructions were 100% accurate and just got us out of a hole.