I went to gas up my 2002 Honda Civic. I pressed the lever inside the cab to release the gas hatch and the hatch would not open. I tried and tried again. A couple of "new" friends at the gas station tried to get it open but to no avail. I think the release cable must be disconnected or broken. How do I check this out or replace it? Thanks for listening David Lamont, AB.

no year car told. the now lost free users guide is by year.
made 1994 to present (even 1989 as legacy outback)
no country told at all
sorry cars not the same world wide.

open glove box, read the users guide? oops locked too>?
most cars sold in USA , called wagons
opening the rear gate hatch by accident driving
kids fall the ground, or cargo hits cars behind you. (so is illegall that feature)
and is never called a truck ever, in a wagon
only on sedans. a hatch or 5th door it is named.
In Europe then even call them 5 door cars.
so I am confused.
so all keys lost to the car. and can not drive it
nor open any side doors
and rear hatch is locked and valuables in cargo area to fetch, right?
I say call a locksmith
and pick the lock.
the door lock(mechanism) in the hatch internal, is accessed from the inside of the hatch open.so no why to attack it that way.

call a locksmith,

Unfortunately, the 04 Golf does not have a back-up release lever on the inside of the trunk lid so there are only a few options. You can try and get the trunk motor/latch to work again or remove the plastic trim on the inside of the hatch to gain access to the inner workings.

The trunk latch is released by a electric motor when you press the release button on the drivers door or by holding down the trunk release button on the remote. If you can hear the electric motor in the hatch moving when trying either of these methods, then your problem is most likely a broken plastic lever that connects the motor to the latch.

Some Golf/GTI models had a lock cylinder in the exterior handle on the hatch that can be used to gain access to your interior.

If none of these methods are working for you, then the last resort is to climb into the interior and remove the trim from the back of the hatch. There are screws tucked into the grab handle pockets on the trim that need to be removed before pulling the plastic off (the trim panel is held on with metal spring-like clips that sometimes come off the plastic and stay on the hatch and can easily be removed from the hatch and re-installed onto the plastic trim.

Hope this gives you a good place to start.

most has a release in the hatch also up on side that gas tank cap is on. Most of the time it is under carpet panal on side.....hope this helps. if handle is not working then it could be sticking or even broke....when you do get it to release try putting some oil on release located in gas cap area.......good luck and if this post is helpful Please rate this post.

Check inside the trunk. There's usually a Pull tab type cord that will spring the gas cover door open.

check DTC by scanner or by diagnostic connector

in the trunk there is a realease cable and the orriginal cable needs replaced

trunk latch cable probably needs to be replaced

In virtually all cars there is an emergency release mechanism located inside of the trunk. It's either a pull cord, or a means of twisting the release cable to remove the plunger from inside the fuel tank door. Look inside your trunk, pull back the liner if necessary, or feel around where the cable leads to the fuel tank door.

Once you diagnose the problem you will then know whether or not you will need to replace the release cable.

The release cable is sticking or broken. To release the fuel door, open the trunk and pull off the fabric liner on the left side of the trunk. Behind this liner is the fuel door release cable; this cable leads to the fuel door and attaches with a twist-lock connector. It is cylindrical with two tabs. Twist the connector clockwise about 90 degrees and it should pull out, releasing the door.

Just remember, the fuel door will not stay closed until you put the connector back in.

If te lever feels "empty", then yes the cable is broken. The cable should be visible from the underside of the car and you should be able to pull it with a proper pair of gloves. This is how it is done on older Accords but I have no knowledge on newer models.