Recently my 156 JTS, broke its fuel flap locking device.
When you pull the lever on the floor the cap wouldn't open, lucky it was full of fuel, so it gave me some time to fix it.
To see what i was up against, i purchased another fuel cap locking assembly, and roughly worked out that the spring plunger had broken and wasn't pushing the flap open.
So i pulled the fuel flap lever open and kept it open with a screwdriver and then with the aid of a 90 degree screwdriver i was able to lever the fuel flap open.
Once the fuel flap was open, i removed it with a 4mm allan key, to give me more working room and then with the same allen key, removed the fuel cap locking mechanism and the spring plunger that pushes the flap open had broken.
The replacement assembly had an emergency pull cord in case the main cable breaks, similar to the bonnet catch on a Sud/33.
I tried to workout where the cord goes, as you can't access it from underneath, so you must have to get at it, through the boot.
I had to remove the boot lining on the right hand side of the boot, to get at it, not a good idea, but then i noticed a punched hole of about 4 mm in the boot lining on the right hand side, i have always noticed it, but thought it must be for a fastener to hold it to the boot metal work.
It then dawned on me, that it must be for the emergency pull cord to go through, so if the cable breaks, you just reach in the boot and pull the cord and voila, the fuel flap opens.
Tried it a few times and it worked a treat, go have a look in the boot and see if your emergency cord is poking through on the right hand side, Colin.
isn't there some sort of emergency release device for when fuel cap opening mechanism fails? there's normally a pull cord in the boot with most cars that you can use if the cockpit control breaks or fails, maybe not on alfas eh?
Except when you don't know about it and the emergency pull cord has fallen back through the boot trim.....and your hands are too fat to fit behind the trim.
In America, there is a vehicle design rule that states, that the hatch and boot have to have a emergency release, in case a child gets locked in the boot.......or the mob are taking you for your final ride, Colin.