Vernon--

From my understanding, what the inspectors are looking for while inspecting
the fuel cap and filler neck is evidence of tampering such that you could
use (now, non-existing in most places) leaded fuel, and to make sure the
cap is the proper NON-vented type, in functioning condition. They want to
make sure raw fuel isn't spilling out when you make a hard left turn.

The little door you speak of is to primarily to prevent "outsplash". A
recently filled tank may belch and spew fuel into the filler neck as
bubbles make their way up through various vent hoses. This door prevents
those belches and spews from spraying fuel into the environment. While the
absence of the little door's proper operation could allow raw fuel to
spill, I don't think they check this.

If you are really nervous about it, call a Smog Cert. center and ask them
whether they check it. If it IS checked, you can forget about your old
spring, and have a new one installed. You don't have to drop the tank or
anything major, just remove the filler neck, etc.

Thanks for worrying about it. I like clean air.

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
Cary, NC     USA
www.bulley-hewlett.com
(888) 468-4880 toll free

-----Original Message-----
From:   Vernon Craddock [SMTP:Vernon@CRADDOCK.COM]
Sent:   Tuesday, March 16, 1999 5:16 PM
To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:        Trap door under the gas cap no longer closes.

Hi fellow Vanagon owners,

        The small trap door which closes when you remove the gas pump
nozzle no
longer closes on my van.  I guess that the spring fell off or busted and is
in the tank now.  Anyway, It has been like this for a while, but it is now
time for me to get a smog test.  I have noticed that they remove and
visually inspect the fuel cap.  Will this missing/broken spring be a
problem for my CA smog test?  It looks to me like I will have to drop the
tank to fix this.

Any Ideas?

Thanks,
Vernon Craddock
'90 Standard Vanagon pending California smog check II