I noticed some dry, white, filmy spots forming under the little door covering the keyhole to the gas cap. Think I may have been filling the tank too high -- I really was in a habit of topping it off on my longer rides. I imagine the white crud was octane. That is probably what caused my gas cap lock to stick. All at once it just wouldn't turn, I was standing at the station with an empty tank just twisting on the key for like 10 minutes. That happened 2 times and I decided I better try some graphite powder lubricant. I wanted to stay away from WD-40 because I heard it really isn't the best thing for locks.
The graphite worked great. It was an effort to get it to turn but once it did, it freed up completely. Very simple process. Just thought I'd mention the graphite. It can be picked up at an auto supply and it is intended for use in locks. One tip I can give---If your gas cap lock sticks, rather than twist a million times like I did, try pulling the key out an eighth inch and then forcefully push it back in so it bottoms. That seems to be what got mine to turn.
* Last updated by: Rook on 8/27/2010 @ 8:03 PM *