Rust at the base of my petrol filler cap...

[matth76 1]

Hi

I have found rust on the base of my petrol filler cap. It is located going round the very base of the petrol filler cap (if that is what it's called - the protruding bit where the cap screws on) next to the rubber seal and just after the screw rails where the cap screws on. I'm not sure if it goes further down underneath the rubber bit. Is this likely to be a major problem or something easy to fix? My car is a 1997 P-reg golf vr6. No rust anywhere else.

Thanks for any help.

Matt

[purple highline monster 0]

its probably rusting from under the wheel arch, i bet if you look under the arch its choca with mud up by the filler neck? mk1`s and mk2`s also suffer from this if they are not jetted right up under the arches regularly, as the muck sticks up there it stays wet and corrosion can start to creep in

[matth76 1]

Hi

Thanks for your reply. Just had a good look underneath the wheel arch. Can't see any rust under the arch (although a lot of it seems to be plastic) but there was some muck under there but not much, as I tend to wash it every two weeks. I'll get a garage to inspect it better.

Thanks.

[Nerih 0]

this was predominatly a mark 1 golf problem, and vw supposedly fixed it in the subsequent golf mark's, but....i would have a look under the arches as suggested.

[mattverth 0]

I recently replaced a broken plastic end cap on the side skirt. To do this I partially removed the front wheel liner and took off the old cap. Hidden in there must have been about three or four handfuls of dirt. And I live in the city.

I heard a theory once that if you let the nooks and crannies fill up with dirt, leave it, it protects the metal underneath, Personally I reckon thats crap, and would encourage a weight loss program by removing handfulls of dirt!

Once the rust on your job is tackled, have a look at getting it waxoyled. Have had a lot of experience of this with Stags - just get all the rust fixed FIRST!

[purple highline monster 0]

this was predominatly a mark 1 golf problem' date=' and vw supposedly fixed it in the subsequent golf mark's, but....i would have a look under the arches as suggested.

[/quote']

not so my man! my rallye had started to bubble slightly and other mk2`s sufer the same, and the mk3 seems to be the worst sufferer for the old tin worm! just reading all the gripes about rust on this site is an eyeopener, rust was never really an issue for vw`s in the main a few years ago, of course they go rusty but the build quality used to be so over engineered and full of wax it would look like a new car after 10 years without any bodywork, i had my 1983 mk1 gti in lhasa green in 1992 and a guy up the road bought (what he thought) was a tasty motor!! a grey RS turbo!!! i used to piss myself every time i drove past as he was out doing bodywork on a 2 year old car!! but i cant say the mk3 is as well built as a mk1, sure its a better car but build isnt quite as good, god knows what a mk4 is like !amazed