Problems at the Gas Station

[Meccos]

I've posted about this problem in the past but here we go again. When I fill up my car at the gas station, the gas pump stops pumping gas before my tank is completely filled. It can take 20 tries to finally fill up my tank. Worse off, ive noticed a lot of gas is leaking out around the side and spilling over onto the car and eventually my tires. Any advice?

[1LRM3]

might there be anything stuck in your fuel nozzle? have you ever added an additive where the silver foil or cardboard could have fallen off into the tank causing the pump to think tank is full?

[Meccos]

Originally Posted by 1LRM3

might there be anything stuck in your fuel nozzle? have you ever added an additive where the silver foil or cardboard could have fallen off into the tank causing the pump to think tank is full?

nope... not that...

[kiloil]

This has been talked about ad nauseam, it's normal for gas pumps to do this. Turn the gas handle 30 degrees left or right and it will solve that problem. Re spilling, you are overfilling as you are over compensating for the gas pumps turning off. It's going to look weird holding the handle this way but it will fix it.

[paradocs98]

Originally Posted by kiloil

This has been talked about ad nauseam, it's normal for gas pumps to do this. Turn the gas handle 30 degrees left or right and it will solve that problem. Re spilling, you are overfilling as you are over compensating for the gas pumps turning off. It's going to look weird holding the handle this way but it will fix it.

I've had this happen as well. Really annoying. Not to mention that anyone who happens to be in your car as you click the pump off/on 30 times looks at you with an expression that says, "What the hell are you doing?"

Did not know this has been discussed ad nauseum. I'll try the 30° rotation trick. Thanks.

[Meccos]

Originally Posted by kiloil

This has been talked about ad nauseam, it's normal for gas pumps to do this. Turn the gas handle 30 degrees left or right and it will solve that problem. Re spilling, you are overfilling as you are over compensating for the gas pumps turning off. It's going to look weird holding the handle this way but it will fix it.

well im pretty sure the spilling is not caused by overfilling. The gas spills before the tank is full, in fact today I filled 10 gallons after the gas began to spill. Ive tried turning the gas handle 30 degrees but doesnt really help. I think i need to try to 180 degree turn next time. Could there by anything wrong with the car?... or is it the gas pump?

[Mike van D]

If you are opening the nozzle all the way, this could possibly create the problem as the tube can't handle the flow/pressure. This can also keep the tank from filling all the way as back pressure will shut the nozzle off thinking the tank is full. Would try slowing it down or another station just to see...couldn't hurt.

[mthreefan]

i used to work at a gas station and noticed pumps stopping before they were done filling too. our problem was caused because of the pressure build up in the tank. to solve our issue we had to hold the rubber seal part up so that air could go in and depressurize the tank.

too much pressure shouldn't cause gas over filling though.

[White 13]

Possibly could be a clogged or damaged vent in the gas tank. Can be hard to find if it is. Might ask dealer if under warranty.

Does it take much after shutting off? If it is only a gallon or two it might be just the way it is. I have a Ford truck that will take a few gallons after shutting off but they all do. I think they design some room for compression to keep tank from rupturing in case of a crash.

[py0413]

I had this happened a few times, although I don't remember which gas stations those were, changing location worked for me. Worst case, bring it back to the dealer and tell them about this, see what they can do for you assuming your car is still under warranty, it should be taken care of.

[Z K]

Try another gas station or rotate the pump a bit when filling. Sometimes holding the pump slightly up at an angle while filling helps too. This means you need to stand and hold the nozzle in while pumping but it'll work. I got this problem frequently in my old Evo. The M3 does it now and then.

The pumps in California have the accordian-style tubes that need to be depressed to engage the pump so no fumes escape. Sometimes the pump senses the tank is full incorrectly because the tube is too far down the hole and fuel backs up as it is going down. Holding the nozzle at a steeper angle makes it shoot straight into the tank and not into the wall of the pipe going to the tank.

[bvanderbilt]

What if.. your fuel gauge is reading incorrectly and your gas tank is actually full?

Maybe that's why it's overflowing.

Something to consider.

[S65NAPWR]

Originally Posted by Meccos

I've posted about this problem in the past but here we go again. When I fill up my car at the gas station, the gas pump stops pumping gas before my tank is completely filled. It can take 20 tries to finally fill up my tank. Worse off, ive noticed a lot of gas is leaking out around the side and spilling over onto the car and eventually my tires. Any advice?

Happened to my old a car couple times and the main thing that was done was to invert (180) the pump while filling up OR when pumping just use the slow fill trigger level not full blast.

The overfilling is weird though. Are you saying it would overfill even when the gas tank was empty and you were only filling 5 gallons?

[Ghetto2315]

Not sure if it was entirely true but it happened quite a bit with my last car and the gas attendant (full service in NJ) said that the problem was my car had a lot of gas fumes and pressure in the tank, which caused the sensor in the nozzle to think the tank is already full, thus stopping the gun from further filling. I guess...

P.S. - I hate that NJ is full service. I'm not lazy and I like pumping my own gas

[S65NAPWR]

Originally Posted by Ghetto2315

Not sure if it was entirely true but it happened quite a bit with my last car and the gas attendant (full service in NJ) said that the problem was my had a lot of gas fumes and pressure in the tank, which caused the sensor in the nozzle to think the tank is already full, thus stopping the gun from further filling. I guess...

P.S. - I hate that NJ is full service. I'm not lazy and I like pumping my own gas

You can pump your own gas most of the time if you ask to do so. I've never had a problem.

[roastbeef]

if its not the angle of the filler nozzle, its your fuel neck ventilation system.

[SD-E93-11]

Originally Posted by Z K

Try another gas station or rotate the pump a bit when filling. Sometimes holding the pump slightly up at an angle while filling helps too. This means you need to stand and hold the nozzle in while pumping but it'll work. I got this problem frequently in my old Evo. The M3 does it now and then.

The pumps in California have the accordian-style tubes that need to be depressed to engage the pump so no fumes escape. Sometimes the pump senses the tank is full incorrectly because the tube is too far down the hole and fuel backs up as it is going down. Holding the nozzle at a steeper angle makes it shoot straight into the tank and not into the wall of the pipe going to the tank.

I've started to avoid all Shell stations in the area because of this same problem and gone back to Chevron which seems to have the old style pumps. I've had best success with the accordion style by waiting about 5 seconds before pumping, you can hear the air-seal (?) being created. Anecdotal and unscientific at best.

[Superfly_M3]

probably a clogged vent pipe.

[goldminer]

Originally Posted by Meccos

well im pretty sure the spilling is not caused by overfilling. The gas spills before the tank is full, in fact today I filled 10 gallons after the gas began to spill. Ive tried turning the gas handle 30 degrees but doesnt really help. I think i need to try to 180 degree turn next time. Could there by anything wrong with the car?... or is it the gas pump?

I understood that most modern fuel tanks are considered to be "full" before the tank is actually brim full. I was told that they are designed to have empty space at the top to allow for expansion of the fuel due to temperature change and for some emissions control reasons.

If you force the tank beyond its designed capacity and fill it right up to the top you could force spillage through a venting mechanism.

[MTROIS]

It also appears to me that this phenomenon gets worse when your engine is running during the refueling....

[Chriskm3]

Originally Posted by Superfly_M3

probably a clogged vent pipe.

+1

[Meccos]

Originally Posted by S65NAPWR

Happened to my old a car couple times and the main thing that was done was to invert (180) the pump while filling up OR when pumping just use the slow fill trigger level not full blast.

The overfilling is weird though. Are you saying it would overfill even when the gas tank was empty and you were only filling 5 gallons?

Yes. Some gas leaks out even though I am 100% sure it is not full. As you stated, my gas tank would be empty (after driving about 250 miles) and after only putting in a few gallons I notice it leaking out at bit. I usually see it leak out after the pump stops and I pull the pump out to readjust it.