Mazda MX-5 Miata Fuel Door Release Actuator Replacement Cost

The fuel door release actuator is a mechanism that holds the fuel door shut on a car, truck, or SUV. The actuator may be manually operated by a cable and release lever, or it may be electric.

On some vehicles, the fuel door latches automatically when closed and opens with either a manual (cable-operated) release or an electric solenoid and switch. Some fuel doors are not locked when the vehicle is in park, but lock when vehicle is moving and the door locks actuate. And some vehicles have fuel doors that are not normally locked at all, but which lock for safety if the vehicle is involved in a rear end crash. Vehicles that have a fuel door that is normally locked will also have a release lever or button inside the passenger compartment. In the case of a manual release lever, a cable extends from the lever, along the door sill, and through the quarter panel of the vehicle to the actuator behind the fuel door. An electric release involves a switch in the passenger compartment that controls a solenoid actuator. This type of actuator may or may not be controlled and monitored by the Body Control Module (computer).

Symptoms of a bad fuel door release actuator include, of course, a fuel door that will not open at all. A fuel door that works intermittently, or one that is sluggish to respond, may also be a sign of a failing actuator. With a manual actuator, the release lever may become difficult to pull, or the actuator pin that contacts the fuel door may stick in the open position. An electric actuator may make a clicking sound but refuse to open - or it may stick in the open position. Some drivers will note that the fuel door is not locking with the rest of the doors on the vehicle as it should.