remove the vent guts easily !!!!

Ted_Grozier said:

For an A4 Golf (2002):

To the rear of the fuel filler you will see a black plastic "finger" approx 1" diameter (left as you look at the filler neck). At end of said finger there is a slot with a white tab. Use flat screwdriver to pry at this tab and remove white check valve assembly. Helps to push on vent "button" from inside filler neck. Discard black "vent guts" and reinstall (important!!) white valve body. Enjoy easy to-the-brim filling!

Click to expand...

Tried this tonight, and this is where I got stuck. The cutout in the "black plastic finger" is rotated down, to where I can barely get a thin screwdriver in there. I tried pushing in, forcing the white tab aft, forward, etc. Nothing seems to have any effect on the white thing inside. Since I don't know what's holding it in, I don't know what I need to do to "pry at this tab", so I never got the white check valve assembly out. Had to put it all back together. I'm sure it's very simple, but without more information, I can't tell what's holding the check valve in. All I can see is a barely visible notch in the black housing with a little bit of white plastic inside, barely visible. It's almost at the bottom of the 'black plastic finger'. It does absolutely no good to press on the vent button, because it is not connected to the white assembly in any way. Help?

Edit to add picture. It says "push here". Are you saying that all you have to do is push a screwdriver in the little white tab, and the white guts will pop right out? I "pushed here" about 47 times, with six different screwdrivers, and nothing happened. I pushed back, pushed forward, and tried to dig it out. I'm sure when I see the thing dis-assembled, I'll smack my head and say "D'oh!", but for now it looks like these are incomplete instructions. I think I might need a really skinny screwdriver with a bend in it to get the white thing to come out, but that's sure not implied in the instructions.



Edit to add: I'm really mystified as to how pushing that button in would have any effect. When I have it apart as in the picture shown, pushing that button in does not in any visible way affect anything. Whatever that button is hooked up to is not mechanically connected to the fuel filler in my car. Electrically, maybe, but of course we're not talking about doing a ventectomy on a powered-up car. Argh.

You push it on the little white tab /button. Push in and to the rear of the car, and the white valve will come out. On my first car it came out easy, on my wagon, I had to really push in hard on it.

I can see how you may think your doing something wrong, but you just need to push the white tab/button, whatever in . It simply just locks the vent valve into the black part. It will just slide out to the rear of the car. If it does not come out, you just have to push in harder.

If it's really hard, Push on the black vent button inside the neck while pushing the white tab. It may need two people. The key is to push that white tab up to release the valve.


There's no electrical connection.

What does removing this vent accomplish?
Do all TDI's have this vent? I have a 2011 and I wonder if I can /should remove it. Does it affect warranty?

Thanks

sydneycb said:

What does removing this vent accomplish?
Do all TDI's have this vent? I have a 2011 and I wonder if I can /should remove it. Does it affect warranty?

Thanks

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if the new ones have it. I think I remember seeing somewhere that they don't. The vent button prevents you from filling up all the way. When you close the filler door, a tab on the door pushes in a black button which vents the tank. If you remove the guts of the white vent valve, the tank is vented all the time, and you can fit a lot more fuel in the tank. Since diesel isn't nearly as volatile as gas, the stock venting system is kind of silly. Veteran members please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's my understanding.

I think mine may have been damaged by a previous attempt, because I'm just not getting that little white tab to budge. Ironically, I'm an IT guy, but I have better tools for that here at work. I didn't have anything at home that was thin enough and the right shape to get to that tab last night, and got quite frustrated. I think I'll try some tools from my lab here at work, and see if I can get it out. It looks like it would be about a five minute process, if I could get that damned white cylinder to pop out...

I also have a 2011, so i can't do this then?

Not needed or possible 2006 and later models.

Did the ventectomy to my 02 Jetta yesterday and I have to say it was one of the easiest mods I've done! Took all of 5 minutes. I tested it out afterwards and the car took 4.5 gallons with it already at 3/4 tank! Very nice, thanks for the hint!

I might be the only person who's had a hard time with it. The white cylinder was a little dirty, and was stuck in the black part GOOD. In my '03, the white tab you push to release the cylinder was pointed pretty much straight down, so I couldn't even see it without an inspection mirror. With no vent guts, I went 555 miles on a tank, and it was still above 1/8 when I filled it. 14.0 gallons.

It probably wouldn't hurt to spray a bit of WD-40 on the vent tab and white locking tab an hour or so beforehand to help loosen things up a bit

I am going to try this mod tomorrow. i hate venting the tank with the springs on the pumps. this will make it so much easier.

I changed my mind and i just finished doing the mod. it only took a few minutes. i needed to push the piece out from the right side while i pushed the white tab in. it flew off and i picked it up and removed the spring with the little button thing. reinstalled and it was easy just as described. saved the pieces in a little bag and labeled it in case i want to reinstall in the future. not likely but you never know.

I've owned the wagon since Jan '11 and have been depressing the button during fill ups w/ the tip of the filler nozzle. NBD, and besides I got to know when the tank was "full," and thereafter would expect to coax in an additional 2 gal.

Made the time today to review the pics and tackle this easy mod. Twenty minutes into the struggle, I was ready to give up and post my failure to extract, when I decided once again to push the button aft w/ the help of a 90° needle nose plier and out popped the white thing.

I had been applying so much aft force to the button that the entire filler neck was forced aft as well. Another unknown: had I sufficiently pushed the white tab upwards to release it's hold?

I have a fill up due in the next few days and I'm looking fwd to comparing how it goes w/ the ventectomy mod.

Your fill and top off will be much easier without that vent there. I got rid of mine a few months after I got my car, and haven't looked back. You will be able to tell when it's getting close to being full because you'll hear air hissing out of the hole where the vent used to be.

Thanks for the tips and pictures. I was able to get it out on my Lupo and made a video to help others:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHZTqDDb9rc&list=UUvRmfkuNqLFi1W1LiTfIAFA&index=1&feature=plcp
It wont come out easily if you only push the locking pin down. you also need to use some screwdriver etc to push the system out more easier adn faster.

I just wanted to say thank you everyone. Between the search function and all the well written how to's. I have already done the ventectomy, panzer plate(90% about to finish right now), and the 100k mile timing belt routine maintenance on my 03 golf. The ventectomy didn't even take 2 whole minutes(just finished). If anyone is questioning the ease of this, don't. Just follow your desire and make this easy task happen.

Oh yeah. The fuel tank ventectomy is one of the easiest mods one can do...and the price is right, too. Just did it this last week and couldn't be happier with the way it fills up now.

Did mine today. Took all of 5 minutes to complete.

Small hose hanging down from rubber boot

After owning my TDI for almost 9 years, I finally got around to performing a ventectomy yesterday. Better late than never.

When I pulled the rubber boot and fuel door out of the car, I couldn't help but notice the long thin rubber hose that hangs down from the boot inside the body of the car. One end was connected to the boot but the other end was just hanging, not connected to anything. I know it's some kind of overflow drain, but is it supposed to connect anywhere or just drain out on the ground (which seems kind of bad)?

Thanks, Greg

Yes, mine just dead ended (to the gnd) also. I suppose this design keeps any overflow off of the paint.

These pics links no longer work and I cannot find any. Anyone repost anywhere?

I read through all these posts and also some other ones. I don't understand how that vent to the outside can function. There must be a connected tube or portion to the middle of it that vents down to the tank? The left side is just open to air. I don't understand

I believe the vent opens when you close the fuel cap, since diesel doesn't expand as much as gas, no need to vent.

Opens to what. Between atmosphere and the tank? It isn't obvious

Yes, the vent opens to atmosphere.

So between atmosphere and a seperate tube parallel to fill neck?

Yep, looks like it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MK4-VW-GLI-...ash=item58f6ca51a7:g:stYAAOSwgkRVSlOE&vxp=mtr

Oh ok yea. Thanks!

Sore fingers and about 20 minutes later just performed the ventectomy on my 03....Had a bit of trouble pushing the guts out but eventually used pliers to help push. Cant wait to see a bump in range after such an easy mod!

In my 2002 Jetta with the ventectomy, the most I ever put into the tank was about 16.3 US gallons. I think I made it into the station on fumes, but running that low was not intentionally.

Just did my 1999 Beetle and it was a snap!
for Beetles take off the right rear tail light (easy) and open the fuel cap.
push from the filler neck and gently pry the plastic tab over and it pops right out! remove the plunger and replace the spring and clip, re-install the vent and your good to go.
easy as pie. thanks for the mod. now I'm going to go fill up!