BMW X5 E53 Anti theft fuel cap

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by talljames

I was going to say that….one spark..ka-boom!; Haven’t heard of the anti roll ball before. Interesting. Is that on all models including mine? 2005 E53 or just a later addition.

I think it’s actually a valve associated with the carbon filter. It will close with the same signal that sets off the airbag and disconnects the main battery cable. I don’t think there’s any check valve in the filler neck. The cap is meant to hold in the fuel at any attitude even upside down.

I think the dsc related attitude sensors can detect “upside down” and will also close all the fuel venting in a slow speed rollover that might not trigger airbags.

These are my guesses, I recall reading about both those mechanisms but it was a long time ago.


–awr–

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[talljames]

Any thoughts?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/403927390037

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by talljames

Any thoughts?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/403927390037

If they have just used a crow-bar to lever open (off!) the fuel door, then the same tool will make short work of this locking cap...

Hate to be a Debbie-downer but there is little you can do to stop a determined thief and the more you try to stop them, the more damage they will do to the car trying to access it.

Park under a street light and maybe stick one of these on the fuel door?

[andrewwynn]

I woke to the sound of Sawzall cutting off a Prius cat. I was on the third floor there was nothing I could do.

A couple hours later I hear the very loud Prius and had to report to the owner I saw the guys leaving but didn’t have my phone to try to capture plate number.

Some of my friends will leave their car unlocked and nothing inside lest a thief break the window just in case something valuable in there.


–awr–

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[talljames]

True, but it is a lot easier to lever the gas door off than this cap. If they damage the top of the pipe then they may have a harder time. But agree that if any thief wants in then it is only a matter of time....maybe just those few extra seconds will save the fuel. I rarely park in a dodge area anyway. What would be better is an alarm hooked up to car alarm based on the gas door.

[X5chemist]

Originally Posted by talljames

I was going to say that….one spark..ka-boom! �� Haven’t heard of the anti roll ball before. Interesting. Is that on all models including mine? 2005 E53 or just a later addition.

Depending on the manufacturer, anti roll tanks have been around since the 70's and 80's. I'm not sure when the EPA made them mandatory. Remember the 80's GM tank tanks exploding on side impact news reels? Later, it was discovered video makers caused the explosions through denotation. A few cases did explode on side impacts. It's why trucks now have tanks inside the frame rails instead of the outside. My '83 C10 still has tanks on the frame rail outside.

[andrewwynn]

Not the broadcast news staged that exploding gm fuel tank.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...335-story.html

One of the big three “used to be news” also did the same thing with the pinto gas tank.


–awr–

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[Salty B.]

I never lock my X at home and to be honest fuel theft isn't something I'd be too worried about where I live. It's a gated garage. But I do lock it when parked at the remote airport lot.