My 1999 Accord won't start.

It was low on fuel last night but the light wasn't on, it wasn't THAT low.

I opened the fuel door and removed the gas cap to look at it and the little flappy thing is missing.

My guess is the damn thing broke off somehow and is blocking the flow of fuel out of the tank.

1) Has this happened to anyone else?

2) My car did come with a little flappy thing right?

3) Are they going to have to take my whole damn car apart to get that piece out of the fuel tank?

Thanks.

 

1. NO!
2. Yes.
3. If indeed the piece is blocking the fuel intake and preventing the car from starting, the tank will have to be dropped to retrieve it.

Hope all goes well.

 

What the hell is the little flappy thing?

 

if your talking about the metal flappy thing that you push with the pump nozel to put gas in , the 99 accord never came with with one or at lest my mothers car never had one .

were going to need more info besides the car won't start like does the starter turn ? also does the green key light just blink or does it go out like it's suppost to ,also when you try to start does all the lights on the dash light up and like it's suppost to ?

 

Okay, the battery works fine. All the interior stuff works.

The starter works. The engine would roll over, just not start.

The whole situation was remedied by adding a little bit more fuel and trying again.

I have run it a few times since then now.

Apparently the little metal flap is broken off inside and is sitting in my tank now and was blocking the fuel from leaving the tank.

 

How the hell did you break it off and how did you come to this conclusion

 

I have no clue how it broke off. I wonder if someone tried to thief some gas from me. All I know is the time I filled the tank it was there. Now it's not.

Additionally, what else could have kept my car from starting? It had a couple gallons left in it. But the fuel was obviously not getting to the engine. When I added some more gas, it must have knocked the floating little metal flap that had broken off away from the fuel pump and now it works.

But I'm worried it will happen again, and also, I suspect that spring-loaded flap is there for a reason.

 

Once my engine was cranking like crazy but wouldn't start and it turned out to be a bad fuel pump fuse...so check any fuses/relays related to the fuel and ignition system.

Is the fuel filter in the 6th gen 4 bangers lifetime like the V6 or no?

 

I don't know what the hell he is talking about, but my EX '00 4cyl, never had jack in the fuel inlet. It's a simple metal tube, period since day one off the assembly line.

If you knew how a fuel pump worked in the tank I find it hard to think anything like a small coin of metal would do jack it simply doesn't scavenge the tank like that.

Odds are the fuel low light burned out. Running your tank to empty is a great way to cook a fuel pump to death as well.

 

My 98 had a "circle" that blocked the actual hole where the fuel went. Once you tapped it with the gas nozzle the "circle" retracted

This was on a 98 Coupe