'05 Sonata Issue - Please HELP!!!!

I have an '05 Sonata with 4100 miles on it. I noticed when I first
got the car how flimsy the little thing was that pushes back when you
put the nozzle in to fill up with gas.(not the gas cap, but the small
metal circle after it's removed) Well, now it appears to be
gone....and since it is larger than the actual hole for the nozzle, I
am fairly certain that it fell into the gas tank.

Ok, here's my problem. I've been having sporadic problems with my car
not starting after it has sat overnight. The battery is fine and it's
not the starter. I'm thinking that the little crappy circle piece is
floating in my tank and occassionally lands over a valve or
something - prohibiting it from getting gas.

I took it back to the dealer, who kept it for 2 days. When they
called me, the moron proceeded to tell me that "We found nothing
wrong and couldn't replicate the problem. Also, your vehicle did NOT
come equipped with that valve". hahaha Isn't that an EPA thing?
Anyway, I told him "Fine, I'll be back when it happens again. Make
sure you mark my file saying it wasn't equipped with it, so that when
it happens for the 3rd time, I'll start screaming LEMON LAW".

No problems yet (it's only been 2 days). First of all, does anyone
know the name if the small piece of metal I am talking about? And
secondly, am I right that that may be the thing causing the problem?

Thanks for your time.

Carrie in St.Louis, MO

Its called a " fuel restrictor flap " and its not anything to really worry about from reading this thread where someone had same type of problem of it falling into tank :

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=001499;p=0

Its metal and will sink and not float around . Plus the actual filter ( screen ) inside tank is about around as your thumb and that metal part would not cover much of an area of it to restrict too much flow .

The problem of it not starting would be else where .. Since you state the battery is ok and it turns over ok ... when it actually does " start " does the car shake for a second or two ? that would mean a delayed ingintion problem . Do you live in a dusty area where the air filter would get plugged up ?

One thing that comes to mind since I live on west coast and I see you are in the mid west .... where did the car come from ? if it came from the western states most likely the carburator has been adjusted for high alitudes and needs to be put back at factory settings ... To find out you would need to do a seach on your vin number .


EDIT : Hummm , I guess I should have checked my 2005 Sonata first . Mine does not have the flapper either ! The housing for the nozzle is pre formed to only accept an unleaded nozzle at any gas station . Therefore the flapper has been elimated , most likely due to complaints about some of them comming off and ending up in the tank . I just bought my Sonata ( 2005 with 3100 miles ) about 3 days ago and still learning

Its called a " fuel restrictor flap " and its not anything to really worry about from reading this thread where someone had same type of problem of it falling into tank :

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=001499;p=0

Its metal and will sink and not float around . Plus the actual filter ( screen ) inside tank is about around as your thumb and that metal part would not cover much of an area of it to restrict too much flow .

The problem of it not starting would be else where .. Since you state the battery is ok and it turns over ok ... when it actually does " start " does the car shake for a second or two ? that would mean a delayed ingintion problem . Do you live in a dusty area where the air filter would get plugged up ?

One thing that comes to mind since I live on west coast and I see you are in the mid west .... where did the car come from ? if it came from the western states most likely the carburator has been adjusted for high alitudes and needs to be put back at factory settings ... To find out you would need to do a seach on your vin number .


EDIT : Hummm , I guess I should have checked my 2005 Sonata first . Mine does not have the flapper either ! The housing for the nozzle is pre formed to only accept an unleaded nozzle at any gas station . Therefore the flapper has been elimated , most likely due to complaints about some of them comming off and ending up in the tank . I just bought my Sonata ( 2005 with 3100 miles ) about 3 days ago and still learning


Ummm, Yeah.. Carburetors have not been used since the mid '80's. It's all computer controlled now.