If you have been following my blogs you will, by now, understand how important carrying out basic vehicle maintenance checks, on your car, is.
In this article I explain how to open your cars bonnet (hood) and fuel filler flap. These are the two things you need to know to keep your car running because without being able to identify and perform these two things then your car will run out of fuel, or even worse, you may damage your engine due to any number of issues that may have been prevented by opening your bonnet and performing a quick inspection.
The first lever, or button depending on your vehicle, that you need to familiarise yourself with is the fuel filler flap release lever/button. Like I said earlier, if you can’t open the fuel filler flap then you will be unable to fill your car’s fuel tank with fuel, to keep your car running.
In the majority of vehicles, the fuel flap release lever/button can be identified with a picture, or symbol, of either a fuel bowser or a fuel filler nozzle. If your car has a lever setup then it is generally found either on the floor of the driver’s side of the vehicle in front of or next to the driver’s seat. It can also be found in the lower dashboard panel below the steering wheel of the driver’s side.
If your vehicle has a push button release fitted then it is generally found on the driver’s side dash panel about level with the steering wheel.
Once you have located the position of the lever or button all you need to do is, either pull the lever or push the button to open the fuel filler flap.
There are other methods that vehicle manufacturers use to release the fuel filler flap, such as using a key to unlock and open the flap, or even more commonly in modern vehicles to open the flap is to push on the rear edge of the flap to unlock and open the filler flap. If your vehicle is one of the latter types then the flap can only be opened if the car itself is unlocked.
There has been instances in the past where the fuel filler was hidden, by the manufacturer, behind a fold down number plate, or even hidden behind one of the tail lights, which fold out to reveal the filler.
If you are still unsure of the location of the release mechanism for your car’s fuel flap, I suggest reading your vehicles owners manual. Inside the manual, the manufacturer will have detailed how to open the fuel filler flap.
The other main lever in your car you need to know where it is and how to use is the bonnet (hood) release lever. By opening this lever it allows you to carry out all of the important basic vehicle maintenance checks that keep your car running in tip-top shape.
This lever is generally identified by a picture or symbol of a car with its bonnet opened. However, in saying that , some vehicles will have the word “BONNET” or “HOOD’ written on the lever. In some cases the lever may not be marked with any pictures, icons or symbols to identify it.
The location of the bonnet release lever is generally at the bottom of the lower dash panel, or next to the kick panel on the driver’s side. Occasionally when a vehicle is imported and it undergoes a steering wheel and controls conversion from one side to the other, the bonnet release lever will be left in its original position, therefore it would be found near the kick panel on the passenger side.
Once you have identified the bonnet release lever, all you have to do is then pull the lever, which releases the bonnet to its secondary, safety catch position.
The next step is to go out to the bonnet and locate the safety catch, normally found somewhere near the middle front of the bonnet. Then you can either lift, push or pull the safety catch to allow you to properly open the bonnet and give you access to carry out all those important maintenance checks.
Checks that if you continue to follow my blog posts, YouTube channel (Every Road TV) and Facebook page you will learn how to confidently carry out on your own. Alternatively, if you are interested in some personal basic car maintenance instruction, fill out the contact form below and book in a call to see how I can help you.
If after reading this article and watching the attached YouTube episode you are still unsure where any of the above levers/buttons are located, dust off your cars owners manual and read up on where they are located.
Wishing you safe and happy travels.
Every Road 
They are generally susceptible to carbon deposits and sludge formation. So, cleaning them is imperative to make sure your vehicle remains fuel-efficient and there’s no stalling or idling issues. Here is a list of the best fuel injectors that you can buy for your car.
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Clean fuel injectors definately help to keep vehicle fuel efficient and running with minimal issues.
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