Tighten Fuel Cap message
 

first i'd like to say that i did a brief search around the forum for this subject, but didnt find anything that fit my situation. if you know of a thread that solves my problem please post it. apologies if this is a re-tread thread...

went out on my lunch break to fill my car up with gas. as soon as i turned it on the warning bell sounded and i get this message "Tighten Fuel Cap" (or something along those lines). i hadnt gotten the gas yet, and my fuel door and cap were securely closed and tightened (hadnt touched them in a week). anyway, i got out, made sure the cap was tight -- it was -- and went on my way. the warning message did not go away. i thought it would go away after the next time i started my car, but it didnt. then i thought it may be a pressure issue in the gas tank and that it would go away after i got gas since i would be unfastening and refastening the cap. nope. it has stayed on despite 4-5 engine starts and about 40 miles of driving at upwards of 75mph. the reason why i state the mileage and mph is because the owner's manual says that if the light stays on it may not go off until you go over 35mph or drive around for a bit. i dont really know what else to do except call acura and have them look at it.

now, here are the details:

• 2006 TSX
• ~27k-28k miles
• i was between 1/8 and 1/4 of a tank when i pulled into work this morning -- not entirely unusual. i usually refuel right around when the "Get Fuel" light comes on which is with an estimated 30-40 miles left in my tank (or between 1/8 and 1/4 tank).
• it was cold this morning, around 35°F; and around 40°F and rainy at lunch when the light came on.

my initial guess is that the cold, humid air combined with the low fuel and created lower pressure in the fuel tank and thus made the car think the gas cap was off or not screwed on tightly enough. but now that ive taken it off and on, refueled and driven many miles with the warning still on i simply dont know what to do.

thanks in advance for any advice/help you can give,

It will go off, u might need to give it a week.

When i had my 04, this happened. Only difference is on the 04, there was no MID, so my check engine light came on. It was because the gas cap was not tightened. It took a week and a half for the light to shut off. (after i tightened the cap)

even tho the gas cap was never loose? thats what concerns me here. i hadnt touched the gas cap in a week. and all of a sudden it tells me that i need to tighten it. i got out, made sure it was tight -- which it was -- and then drove off with the light still on. after getting gas later and driving around its still on. i can understand if the message came on because the cap was actually not on or loose, and then having it take a week to go off. but since mine was securely tightened im afraid that this warning may indicate something else. unless of course, that is, you or other people around here think the warning could have gone off because of what i thought -- the low temp, low gas and humidity upon start up. but i dont want to be driving it around for a week if this warning could indicate something else, something more gut wrenching if i dont take care of it now...

I wouldn't be worried. Gasoline changes volume fairly dramatically with temperature. My bike pees on the floor if I top it off in the late, cool evening. Even if there is some other problem it's not likely to be one that will cause you damage by ignoring it. If in a week or so it's still on, then you might want to have it checked out. That warning stays on for a madenningly long time.

ok cool
thanks guys
i'll let you know what happens in a week or so.

it's like my car knew i was talking about it. went to leave for lunch today and had no warning message come on. same thing when i left work in the evening. thanks again for quelling my fears guys.

You may just have to replace the gas cap.

your car wants more modifications. It's finding a way to tell you.

I am having the same problem. Been 4 days now and still waiting for it to turn off.

Have the same message...
 

Got this message this week after leaving the gym... Filled up the tank about three days before the message went on, but in hindsight, it went off after a dramatic rise in temp then drop outside (went from mid 30's to almost 60 to mid 20's... I hate New Jersey)...

Glad to see that it will eventually reset itself - was at the dealer yesterday to have my grille replaced (chrome was chipping off - I want the Mugen grille, but no cash and dealer grille was under warranty) and the dealer told me the light would reset - I thought he was selling me a line of bs.... good to know I don't have to go back and kick his butt...

Me too..
 

Guys, I have been having the same problem since summer. It comes and goes. It just came out of nowhere back in September 07, in hot weather. Then I tightened the cap and it went away. The light stayed off for about two weeks, then after I filled up, it came back on again. I always try to tighten it extra tight now but it stays the same, comes and goes. What to do? Do I need a new gas cap?

fuel cap warning
 

i have a 2008 TL type S and I've been getting that tighten fuel cap warning for over 7 months now. In the beginning it only came on once in a while stayed on for a couple of day and then i wouldn't see it for months. Now it comes on every other day stays lit for a couple of minutes and then turns off. Usually goes on after about 30 minutes of driving in around 60 degree temperature. The warm it gets the more it goes on and off on and off. some days when its warm it comes on about 6 or 7 times on the 1 hour drive. The reason I know it goes on so much is because every single time it cycles on i get a message on the navigation system. That gets annoying it talks for a good 30 seconds each time telling me to check the fuel cap not to mentions its an embarrassment when someone is in the car with you. I've been to the dealer many times for this issue at-least 7 times now. the first time they tightened it and reset the computer it came on again after 4 days. then they were telling me its the way i pump the gas. Finally the last time i went there they told me alot of 2008 tl's type s are having the same problem acura is working on the problem. from reading all of these messages here it seems to me the problem is not only on the 2008 tl but almost every year before it too.

Tighten Fuel Cap Message
 

I have a 2007 MDX and have received this warning message as well. The first time, I loosened the cap and tightened past 3 clicks and the warning message went away after a few miles of driving. Today it appeared again (been several months since the last time) and has not gone off despite complete removal and retightening. I am at 1/2 tank. I can't believe it's the weather since it doesn't do this when there are cool temperatures. I'm inclined to think it's a bug in their sensors / software based on the comments from others in the forum. Wish I had a solution to post, but I'm just sharing the frustration with this problem.

It does have to do with the warmer weather. Gasoline creates a higher pressure when it is warmer which is causing some sensor to go haywire. You can see the issue with a gas can when you release the pressure from it. Usually when it is cooler it is less than when it is 90 degrees.

Also just to let you know, my sister just got the same problem on her 08 Accord. It happened just when she was leaving work and that's when the sun is hitting the car.

yea i have a 2008 tl-s with 54k and i have the same problem,

Just remember it can take a number of start-stop cycles to reset the warning message/light. I have heard anywhere from 10 to 20 cycles.

the 2 times it happened with my car the message would not disappear. I had the dealer reset it-

they say they reset it to me as well, but i also found a bright blue new gasket on my fuel cap that was not noted on the bill ...

Hey, I have a 07 Acura TL and my "tighten fuel cap" message has been appearing since I bought the car in Nov '10. I recently replaced the cap and now the message comes on every couple hours. At least with the old one, it only came on every few days. I've read the posts and so far the only suggestions have been to replace cap or reset it. Is there a chance it could be a faulty sensor?

Thx

the dealer did not do anything with my fuel cap.

My 07 tls did the same thing so I took it the dealer they changed the gas cap and reset something it was free

My '07 TSX got this warning for the first time a few days ago. Wife said that the cap was indeed loose when she checked it. It only today went out, after two days, a few dozen miles, and several key cycles. BTW, great forum I found here. Looking forward to learning more about my TSX. After buying it, I found evidence that it had been in a pretty severe wreck, so I am sure I will have lots of little annoying problems that I can discuss on here. LOL

i had the same problem on my 07 TLS replace purge control solenoid should correct the problem.

Just bought an '06 TL w/ 78K miles on it, gas light was on. It took 3 refills to go off, I just hope it stays off now.

My girlfriends and I installed a K & N stock air filter in our alpine White Acura TL-S and started to experience the same thing with our "tighten gas cap" indicator. It only started when we upgraded to the k&N filter. We took it off and the indicator came off. But we love how the K& N filter allows our engines to breathe, so we put it back on. So far the indicator comes and goes, especially when we ride it hard!!

Thanks to all above - I hope
 

I have had this problem every summer for past 2 years. "Tighten Fuel Cap" msg appears intermittently especially when the air temp is above 80 degrees. After reading all the previous posts I gave the dealer the service bulletin number 09-056 that others have reported and they replaced purge solenoid. I live in pricey Boston area - out of warranty dealership price was $128 for parts and about $60 for labor. 2007 TL Hope this works!

Purge Control Sensor
 

Hey Guys, Thanks for the info, it helped. I have an '07 Tl-S and this has been happening to me off an on for about 6 - 7 months. Service the car at Sunnyside Acura in Nashua, NH and they said it was a faulty code from the Purge Control Sensor. $248 smackers to fix. Thinking I can buy the sensor online and replace myself? Anyone have luck with this? Thanks

Hmmmm, acura .... acura ...... acura ..... tsk
Should I start saying Acura suck?
Just this morning, started the engine to go to work, surely there was (and still there is) "Tighten Fuel Cap" message on the MID. It just showed up from nowhere, my gas tank is about 2/3, never hit this problem on 10K driving miles, but now.
I hope it is not a critical issue but according to those posts above, acura charging us for their faulty problems? Hmmmm, I thought they MUST constantly apologize their customers and get it fixed ASAP w/o any charge.
Just a year in, and having 2 problems so far. I don't know how much I would spend if I keep it until pay off.
Disappointed.

I have an 06 TL and have had my car for over a year and its got high mileage.. 110k but never have I seen this message until this afternoon and its staying on regardless. I even topped it off thinking maybe I got some bad gasoline. I called my friend at Acura and he said same thing "Purge Control Valve" I just think its so odd that it JUST now decided to come on. He said there was a service bulletin about it a little while back and they were encouraging everyone to get the part installed while getting other work done but at $200 and sounds like a manufacturing defect why the heck isn't Acura stepping up! This should be a recall not a bulletin. He said too bad I'm out of warranty because warranty replaces it for free. Argh.. oh well!

has anyone come up with a definite fix for this? My 07 TL-s with about 45k on it is at Acura of Boston and they said it was the purge control solenoid. My car gets the "tighten gas cap" message about the third time i start the car (about 40 miles on the tank) after I fill up. They said it will be $328 to replace the solenoid.

I don't know if this is relative but I do have an AEM v2 cold air intake.

does any one have a link to this service bulletin? I made an appointment for my car tomorrow but I'd like to bring this in with me if I can to avoid them trying to BS me.

Just came on - 2007 TL
 

Thank you all for all of the great information posted here. I was looking into this because mine just came on last night, randomly, after I had filled up and then driven until I was under half a tank. Never touched the cap after the fill up.

I tightened it when I got home and when I started up this morning, the message was still there. The car was already running and I removed the cap and re-tightened it. The notification went away after driving about 2 miles. Come to think of it, it was after I had just gone over 35mi/hr.

Not sure what that was about, but I thank Acura that they differentiated between a loose cap and the check engine light. I just bought this car 2 weeks ago and would be frustrated to already be having to deal with O2 sensors and whatnot.

went to the Wawa in NJ to get gasoline on Wed. Today with almost 100 miles the tighten gas cap message came on. The gas cap was loose so I tightened it. Hoping the message will go out

Sorry to reiterate but i'm having the same problem. I've a 2011 Acura TL and this message appeared for the 2nd time now. The first time during winter (and it was cold that day) and the second this morning (and it was extremely warm this morn, 80-85). Not sure if it's the pressure difference but it sure is scary. I scheduled yet another apt for the same prob. They tell me it could be a leak. will know this week. Also, there was no emission prob the last time they inspected my car for the same "fuel cap" alert. My car is barely a year old..and i'm dealing with probs already!

My 2013 ilx is doing the same so I guess it is officially every acura model that can experience this.

I too havent touched the gas cap in at least a week so it was pretty random. Figure ots just tje weather...

I just had this happen on my 2006 TSX (140k), while driving long distance (stopped at Chick-fil-a, and it came on when we started up to leave). No big temperature changes. About half a tank remaining.

Checked cap. Snug. Drove another 30-40 miles. Still on.

On for the duration of the return trip (130m). Filled tank near home (none of that stoopid "topping off" nonesense). No change.

RTFM ... the manual says the MID "Tighten filler cap" warning may take several days to go away. If the CEL comes on, report to dealer with credit card locked 'n loaded. Hmph. Pfft! Turned on ignition the next morning (full tank), same MID message came up immediately. "Wait several days," my arse....

My solution: I disconnected the battery for 20 minutes. Reconnected battery, fired up, entered radio code and set clock, drove 30m to work, no more warning. (I disconnect the battery from time to time, as I understand it clears the ECU's "memory" of driver behavior that it "learns" from. No, I can't cite my reference.)

As can be seen from the age of this thread (and I'm pretty sure there are more, on every forum), this is a brand wide phenomena (though fortunately not that common). It is one of the things that the old "disconnect the battery" trick will most often cure, though it usually will actually go off by itself eventually. I agree that weather can be a factor, plus, with the older cars, I wonder if it may be the cap itself.

2007 TL - tighten gas cap on computer has been going off for 6 months now. New gas cap did not fix the problem. After reading another forum, it is the Purge Control Valve solenoid. I bought one myself and picked it up for $96 and was easy to replace in less than 30 minutes. This was definitely the problem as other had stated in the thread. I had no CEL coming on, only the tighten gas cap message.

Acura part # 36162-RDV-J01 VALVE, PURGE CONTROL SOLENOID

2006 TL here, got the same message (Fuel Cap) that went away then the check engine light has come and stayed on. Got it Scanned ODBII and came up with error code P0497.
Replaced the fuel cap and now I'm seeing if message goes away, in a week or 20 cycles. If not I will purchase the Solenoid purge valve. I figure 100 bucks and DIY not bad of a savings.

My gas cap message appears under any circumstance on my '07 TL 3.2L with 145,000 miles. It even comes on before I start the engine in the morning. However, it does not come on when I actually take the cap off to fill the tank. :facepalm: I think I'll take a chance & order a purge valve for it. It's getting annoying.