Trouble with gas pumps

Try not putting the nozzle quite all the way into the filler hole, and also try pumping a bit more slowly (try pumping about half speed instead of pulling the trigger all the way).

 

It happens because the tight seal on the filler nozzle creates back pressure for the pump nozzle. The Gen II has a sealed fuel system with a bladder. While it opens valves for refueling, it still gives many nozzles a hard time. There are many threads on this site relating to Gen II filling problems. Different people have found different solutions:

1) Try a different pump. Many pumps have sensitive nozzles. I've had trouble with other cars, but the Prius is worse.

2) Pull the nozzle back a couple of inches and lift up on the handle, levering the front of the nozzle down and the handle up.

3) Open the gas cap and wait for a couple of minutes. Some claim that this vents pressure.

4) Hold the nozzle upside down.

In all cases pump slowly.

For my 2006 Prius, #2 usually works unless I have a bad pump.

Tom

 

I do not know...in the training manual for the emmisions system they specifically warn you to make sure the nozzle is seated fully. There very afraid of fuel pipe overflow contamination. In fact they use a funky outboard fuel shut off valve instead of letting fuel go all the way back up the fill pipe closing the tip of the gas nozzle and shutting the pump off like a regular car. Which is why sometimes you can't even get a drop of gas in the tank and he pump shuts of.

I do know that venting the gas tank a minute or 2 before filling works and eliminates the early shut off problem. Let it vent for 2 minutes and then fully insert nozzle and pump at slowest setting. First click hang the pump up. Do not top off tank. This has worked successfully for me for 5 years where before was really tough to fuel no matter what station I went to.

 

qbee2 has good ideas. Also 'nother thing is in winter in NC, you may only get 8 gals versus 10 gals in hot summer. Not sure you have the big temp swings in OR. May be some impact of winter gasoline in NC (high vapor pressure) versus OR. We do not see serious problem on our 2006, but certainly sometimes clicks off earlier.

 

The matter of some GenIIs having problems refueling seems to be
totally random. Some cars are repeated, even constant, offenders,
others never suffer from the problem.

Tom, qbee42, has summarized the ways folks have worked around
the problem. What works for one, doesn't work for others. Go figure.

The Fuel and Evap system is quite complex, unimaginably so if you've
never seen the schematics. Go to Automotive Training and Resource Site
and find the Fuel and Evap system section for an eye opening
education.

The system has a number of mechanical valves in it. I've often
wondered if the cause of slow fueling isn't one of them. Also,
somewhere in the system there has to be one or more vents to
atmosphere. I've wondered if the refueling problem might be caused by
a system vent being partially blocked by a itsy-bitsy spider crawling in
and making a nest. :noidea:

It would take :hail: an unusually good and dedicated tech to find and clear
such a blockage.

 

I started having incomplete fill problems several years ago when CA stations installed the new, state-mandated vapor recovery nozzles. After some experimentation, found that holding the nozzle rubber seal away from the car body during the fill solved the problem. Apparently, pressure build-up in the tank/bladder system caused the pump to click off prematurely.

 

I trust everyone is turning the car off before refueling.The engine not running doesn't count.

 

Never tried to fuel with engine running but I bet its even harder as Tech manual explains that fuel emissions recovery system under vacuum as long as car is in Ready.