Check Fuel Fill Inlet: What This Warning Means and How to Fix It

If your car came equipped with a message center in the dashboard, you’re going to see warnings appear on it from time to time. One of those warnings is going to say, “Check Fuel Fill Inlet.” It might catch you off-guard the first time you see it since a lot of people don’t have the slightest clue what it means. You might be dumbfounded when you first see it flash across your message center. You might also be tempted to ignore it since you aren’t sure what it means, which is definitely not a good idea. Find out what “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” means below and then check out how to fix the problem that is causing it.

What Is a Fuel Fill Inlet?

Before we begin discussing what the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning might mean when it comes to your car, you really need to understand what the fuel fill inlet is. Otherwise, you’re not going to know what you might need to do in order to make the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning disappear. Fortunately, it shouldn’t be all that difficult to figure out what the fuel fill inlet is and why it’s so important in the grand scheme of things.

Your car’s fuel fill inlet refers to the area where you put gasoline into your vehicle. It includes your gas cap and the inlet pipe that leads down into your car’s gas tank. It’s obviously an essential part of your car since, without it, you wouldn’t be able to fuel up your car and give it the gas that it needs to drive. It’s also the part of your car that might cause “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” to appear out of thin air. If you see the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning pop up on your car’s message center, you’re going to want to hone in on the fuel fill inlet so that you can see what seems to be the problem.

What Does This Light Mean?

Now that you know where you’re going to have to focus your attention when you have an issue with your fuel fill inlet, let’s talk a little bit more about what this warning actually means when it appears on your message center. It could actually mean a few different things (more on that in a few moments!), but generally speaking, it usually indicates that you have some kind of problem with your car’s gas cap.

The first thing that you’re going to want to do when you notice that your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning is turned on is try to take your gas cap off and then put it back on. There is a decent chance that you may have simply not put it on tight enough the last time you filled up your car’s tank with gas. That could lead to your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning coming on. But if that doesn’t do the trick, you’re going to have to work a little bit harder to see what’s happening with your gas cap and why it’s causing your warning light to appear.

Why Is Your Car’s Fuel Cap So Important?

If you don’t know a whole lot about your car, you might not think that your gas cap is all that important overall. Most people are under the impression that it does little more than serve as an added layer of protection for the gas tank in a car. But in reality, your car’s gas cap is very important, which is why it can cause something like the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning in your car to come on.

Just how important is your car’s gas cap? Here is what it does when you put it on:

• When you put your car’s gas cap on and tighten it to your fuel fill inlet, it creates a very tight vacuum pressure seal
• The vacuum pressure seal that is formed when you put your gas cap on allows pressurized fuel to flow throughout your car’s fuel system smoothly
• The vacuum pressure seal also stops harmful pollutants and fumes from inside your fuel system from escaping out into the atmosphere while preventing contaminants from outside from getting into your fuel system

With all of this in mind, it’s not hard to see why it’s essential for your gas cap to do its job at all times. It’s also not hard to see why a “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning exists in the first place. Without it, you might end up driving around in a car with a loose gas cap that’s not doing what it’s supposed to do. It could cause all kinds of complications down the line.

What Can Cause This Warning Light to Turn On?

As we mentioned a few moments ago, one of the main reasons why your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning will turn on is because your car’s gas cap is too loose. If you fail to tighten it after putting gas into your car, you shouldn’t be too surprised to see the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning appear. But that’s not the only thing that can cause your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning to come on. There are also a whole host of other issues involving your gas cap that might also result in the warning making an unexpected appearance.

You may see the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning turn on if:

• Your gas cap has fallen off your car and is missing
• Your gas cap has sustained damage
• Your gas cap is screwed on way tighter than it should be
• Your fuel fill inlet has debris in it
• Your fuel fill inlet is experiencing a vacuum pressure leak

You should run down this list of things and see if any of them could be presenting problems for you when the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning comes on in your car. This warning may come on because of a loose gas cap, but you could also be looking at a slightly more serious issue in some cases. Either way, it’s important for you to address the problem as soon as you can.

How Can You Turn the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” Warning Off?

The “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning that scrolls across your car’s message center isn’t usually going to disappear on its own. You’re going to have to put in some work to get it to go away and stay away for good. How can you do this? It might be simple to do in some cases and only take you a few seconds, but it might also require a little bit more legwork on your part depending on the situation.

Look at a few of the steps that you should try taking to clear a “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning:

• Begin by looking at your gas cap to make sure that it’s still there
• Inspect your gas cap for any obvious signs of damage
• Loosen or tighten your gas cap depending on how it feels to you
• See if you can spot any debris built up in your fuel fill inlet
• Consider replacing your gas cap altogether to see if that might clear up your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning

As you can see, doing each of these things isn’t going to take up a ton of your time. The simple act of looking at your gas cap and/or wiggling it around might be all it takes to make a “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning disappear. But it’s worth noting that there are some problems that you might not be able to fix yourself. That’s when you’ll have to call in a professional for help.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Turn the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” Off Yourself?

If you try all of the things that we just mentioned, you should see the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning in your car go off once you climb back into it. You’ll be able to get back to going about your business in no time at all. But if for some reason you don’t see the warning turn off, you might want to take your car down to an ASE-certified mechanic to see what seems to be the problem with it.

In a best-case scenario, your mechanic will simply take your old gas cap off and replace it with a new one. That’s not going to take them long at all, and it won’t break the bank for you. But in a worst-case scenario, your mechanic may have to figure out if you have a vacuum pressure leak in your fuel fill inlet and then get to work on fixing it.

Regardless, you shouldn’t put off having a mechanic check out your fuel fill inlet if your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning is right in your face every time you turn on your car. They’ll be able to diagnose the problem that you’re facing and ensure that you’re able to get back to driving around without your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning turned on.

How Much Will It Cost to Turn the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” Warning Off?

The good news for those who have the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning turned on in their car is that you shouldn’t have to worry too much about spending a small fortune on this particular problem. Even if you’re not able to fix the issue yourself, your mechanic should be able to fix it for you for next to nothing.

Let’s say, for example, that your mechanic finds that you have a bad gas cap on your hands that’s causing your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning to come on. You’re only going to be looking at paying about $75 to replace your gas cap with a new one. That’s a very small price to pay for a part that’s going to play a key role in keeping your car’s entire fuel system humming along.

There is, of course, a chance that your mechanic might have to work a little harder to get your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning to turn off. Identifying a vacuum pressure leak and fixing it will cost more than replacing a bad gas cap. But despite this, you shouldn’t have to spend too much money getting a “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning to turn off once everything is all said and done.

Is It Safe to Drive Around With the “Fuel Fill Inlet” Warning On?

When your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning first comes on, it might not be all that big of a deal. You can likely continue to drive your car around without worrying about anything bad happening to it. But if you keep on driving your car around with this warning on, you could eventually be forced to face bigger problems.

Here are some of the things that could happen to you and your car if you don’t do something about the “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning:

• Your car could start to leak fuel
• Your car might not get great gas mileage, and you might have to begin paying more at the fuel pump
• You could potentially face even more serious problems with your EVAP system

You don’t really want to risk having these things happen simply because you don’t want to replace your gas cap, do you? You’re better off facing your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” head-on than letting it linger for any longer than it has to.

Is Selling a Car With Your “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” Warning On Possible?

As we’ve tried to stress here over and over again, getting this warning in your car to go off is usually not that big of a deal. But if it’s a recurring problem for you and your car and you’ve had it, you might want to try to get rid of your car rather than dealing with it anymore. And you might be worried about whether or not you’ll be able to sell it in its current condition.

You might not have a ton of luck selling it to a private buyer. But Cash Cars Buyer would be more than happy to buy your car from you, even if you’re getting a “Check Fuel Fill Inlet” warning from it right now. We’ll pay top dollar for your vehicle and handle hauling it away for you so that you don’t have to lift a finger. Contact us now for more information on what your car could be worth.