ok guys heres how i installed a vn fuel cap cover to my car with an electronic release. this obviously isnt the only way to do it so if you find an easier/better way by all means post it here! i just used what parts i had access to easily and cheaply. Parts NeededVN/P/R/S fuel cap cover'actuator' if you can call it that, and the nut that came with it cable from car you get the actuator from - you can chop it off 10cm down the line if you like, you only need one part of itboot release solenoid from an EA/EB falcon, with bolts and cable some wire long enough to go to the dash to boota push-on pushbutton switch Fitting the Actuator and Fuel Cap Cover 1. Sand and spray the VN fuel cap cover the right colour for your car. 2. Remove the original VL cover by undoing the two screws. 3. Carefully drill the hole you need for the actuator. This is probably the trickiest (and most annoying) parts of doing this. We have VN here and I measured that the nut on the actuator was 12mm in from the edge of the car, so i sat the nut there and marked a dot in the centre of it and punched and drilled there. To line it up vertically just centre it in the section slightly pushed back. Below are some pics. As you can see i made the hole slightly oversize as i found the lid didn't sit quite flush, so I pulled it back slightly and did it up again. I found it easiest to drill from the outside of thecar, if you remove the fuel cap and stuff a rag in the filler you should be right. 4. Put the new fuel cap cover on using the two screws and close it to test it works OK. Adjust the actuator as necessary to get the cap to sit flush, you can just trigger it by hand from within the boot. Modding the Solenoid 1. Cut the ball off the end of the VN cable. 2. Remove the small fitting on the end of the outer plastic sheath. I beileve it is glued on but i just twisted mine off without a problem. 3. Put the fitting in a pair of vice grips or a vice and drill in it slightly with a drillbit of a slightly smaller diameter than the ford cable. Don't drill all the way, leave 5mm at the end. 4. Cut off the end of the ford cable - cut as little as possible off (just the ball). 5. Carefully cut off the small fitting at the end of the ford cable. 6. Put the VN fitting on the ford cable. The drillbit I used was perfect and it slid on very tightly (took a bit of force) and didnt have much play at all. 7. Use something to 'lock' the end of the cable (instead of the ball we cut off). Put the cable in the actuator to get the length. I used a left over part from a central locking kit and just bent the wire over to make it thicker so it wouldnt move. This all probably sounds confusing - look at these pics and you'll understand! Fitting the Solenoid 1. Remove rear seat and parcel shelf. 2. Dummy fit the solenoid - run the cable throgh the same path that the wiring takes which is: through round hole above the wheel arch, looped around 90 degrees through another hole (you can see this clearly with the parcel shelf off from inside the car) and then it comes out behind and above the fuel filler inside the boot. Make sure you have the end of the cable in place to get the length right, then.. (pic on its way) 3. Drill a hole or two and mount the solenoid. I earthed one of the wires using the bolt. I only used one bolt as it was all I could get to easily, but there is no movement of the solenoid at all. 4. Run a wire through the inside of the car following the factory wiring's path, all the way to the dash in a spot you choose. Wire it to one side of the push on switch, and the other to a constant 12v (I used the one going to the boot release). Mine is the yellow wire in the following pic. 5. Mount the button and you're done. Finished Product: (excuse the dirty car, it rained today) as requested, more pictures of the finished product: actuator and solenoid installed, from different angles: with the cap open: (dont ask me how a ford cap got in there!) where i mounted the button: (tried to get a black one but they were out of stock, so red it is...) Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Good innovation...Well done

alot of work for that. I'd just put a VN flap on with a magnet two way switch, or even let it sit there with the stardard spring. But mate well done on havin a go at this..

Good work mate! I always wanted to do this but thought it would be too much stuffing around, good article, but maybe some more pictures and more detail on the steps and link them to pictures to help people understand a bit better. Well done. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Hey mate. Can you send the pics to your article at [email removed] as they arent showing on-site Thanks, Kieran

That's bloody clever! Smooth cap looks better too!

Tricky **** aren't you. Well done. Something else for me to play with.

thanks for the good comments guys too. the best thing is its still working kieran the pics are actually hosted my area on the ct server so they should be accessible by anyone (even non members). Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Thanks for that natho. Exellent job once again!!

can u post pics of the finished product with the cap open, from inside the boot and where u got the switch

Not a bad mod that. Might do it myself one day. Good security to have so that no-one can put something in your tank.

great article if your worried about someone putting something in your tank then just get a locking fuel cap

looks nice mate i like very much.

Very nice indeed. Never have liked the fact that it can just open. Definenly being added on my to-do list.

how does the fuel flap open with the solenoid? does it attach to the actuator or somethin? more info please. -George

Its VNs have a leaver next to the seat.. all you do is take that out.. but in a VL you cant put the leaver next to you so you put it in your boot or waht ever and get the colenoid to pull the cable... i will find photos of my old setup when i first did it..

awsome article, very easy to follow, thanks for sharing Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Quote: Originally Posted by georgeonb how does the fuel flap open with the solenoid? does it attach to the actuator or somethin? more info please. -George read the article and look at the pictures again, its all explained!

top article, was just thinking of this the other day might just have to mount the button with the boot release or boot realease next to the new one, it would make it look factory.

talk bout tinkin outside the square lol gr8 work mate