Does anyone know the trick for getting a Stant locking gas cap off without the key without tearing anything up on the filler neck?
Wife.gov managed to loose both gas cap keys in one day.

Thanks-----------Robert
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '92 Ford F350 diesel dually

I grabbed the cap with a pair of Channel Locks and gave a squeeze and turned. Done. Took seconds after I spent 30 seconds figuring just the best way to get the Channel Lock into the relatively tight space. And when I find the key, the cap is still good. Though this proves that the cap only prevents amatuers and dopes from stealing your gas.

Analyzer
1990 744T 140K

Don't drill it. Spark + gas fumes = Bang.

I have gotten them off over the years after the key stopped working.

Take a flat screw driver and pry off the chrome key hole cover.
Then start working (prying) on the lock mechanism.
It is a really cheaply built unit.
It shouldn't be too hard to break the lock out.

I can usually get one off in five or less minutes.

Just take your time and "think" about what your doing.

There is no need for a hammer or pounding on the cap.

This is a modern car we're talking about here----cap is not vented = no gas fumes in the area if it is intact. That's what the carbon canister and associated plumbing is for. Also, the cap is made almost entirely of plastic, so, no metal parts to hit with the drill and cause a spark. If you are concerned about sparks from the drill motor, use a hand-cranked one (eggbeater type---the original cordless drill) and remember you do not want to drill through the inner threaded plug part of the cap and drop debris into the tank (or let fumes escape)

I like Javalion's idea of using a drywall screw instead of adhesive---that should work immediately, with no need for the glue to dry. To do that, drill a single 1/8" hole through the outer part of the cap, to take the screw, the point of which will make contact with the plug part and lock the two halves together.

I agree that hammering is not a good idea.

I sent my wife to the beach to visit our daughter in my 940. After a few days she started back home, went to fill up but found the locking gas cap. She decided to return to our daughter’s house but found an open locksmith instead. Lock picked in several seconds, no charge. (The spare key was in the toolbox in the trunk where I said it would be.)

Any way, to avoid a challenge, find an open locksmith close by and drive the car there. For a challenge try to pick it yourself. Another option, kind of like Blue Horse’s, I think you can drill a hole through the top of the cap and turn in a sharp pointed drywall screw until you feel some good resistance. This should lock the top and the bottom and allow you to twist the cap off. I would certainly avoid drilling all the way through to the filler neck, on an empty tank.

Don't gas thieves just man handle these things off?

Of course, I could be wrong... :-)

-Ryan
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Athens, Ohio
1987 245 DL 314k, Dog-mobile
1990 245 DL 134k M47, E-codes, GT Sway Bars
1991 745 GL 300k, Regina, 23/21mm Turbo Sway Bars

If it works anything like mine (rotates freely with a faint clicking sound when locked) I would suggest drilling a hole in the outer part of the cap so that you can inject the mechanism with glue (construction adhesive?, silicone?, superglue?) and stick the outer part to the threaded plug, enabling you to unscrew it. If done carefully, this would avoid any risk of debris in the tank or damage to the filler neck. Then make your wife buy a new one.

Hey Folks. Simple lock, very easy to pick. Check out "instructables" DIY site or google DIY and see what you can learn about locksmithing, how to make simple tools etc. Have fun... Paul