'08 overfill using recommended precautions

I've had my '08 for a little over six months and have never had any problems when filling up.

 

Hmm... Pumping at a slow speed MAY have allowed pressure to build up in the bladder, pressure which would have triggered the auto-off in the pump... Then once you remove the nozzle, the pressure in the bladder pushed the fuel that is stuck in the tube out.

 

I always go to the same station and same pump. Last night I filled at 3 PIPS and it took 6.33 gallons. I always put the nozzle in as far as it will go and hold it there the the whole time I fill. I squeeze the handle to get a good flow going - actually now that I think of it maybe I squeeze it all the way. I never set it on automatic. I don't even know if that's an option at this station. When it clicks off I wait a few seconds, slowly remove the nozzle allowing any air around it to escape. In 14 months I have never had a problem. These pumps do have a rubber collar that fits around the tank opening tightly, and whether this makes a difference I'm not sure. If the shut-off works on the principle of back pressure, then not being able to achieve a good seal at the tank opening would seem to create a problem. We used to have the vapor recovery nozzles with the accordian piece around the end, and I never had a problem with them either. Is anyone using pumps with nothing around the nozzle at all? I guess not having experienced this issue leaves me at a loss as to why this happens to some and not to others. BTW I have a '07 touring.

 

There is a rubber seal in the filler tube that seals the nossle to the tube. You should be careful to slowly remove the nossle when you're finished, to see if there is pressure and fuel about to come out. If so, press down to deform the seal so it leaks slowly at the top of the nossle. This will releave the pressure slowly, allowing you to safely remove the nossle with little or no fuel spillage.

I have a 2007 and it's done this twice so far. Both times on auto-fill slow rate.

If you look down into the filler tube when you're done and see no fuel you didn't overfill. If you see fuel you did overfill.

 

Never ever had a problem. Have always auto fill as slow as possible. In fact slower that the pumps mechanical lever lock feature (which this state has outlawed a while ago. All pumps are manual). But its always warm down here. It has to be absolutely temp related as so many posts here have stated. I guess you guys up in the tundra's will have to be extra careful and not be in any hurry when doing a re-fuel operation.Looks like its slow slow fill with a pause after shut off with careful extraction of pump.

 

There is a condition I have noticed that tricks the automatic shut-off on some gas pumps into not working, resulting in overfilling and spilling when the nozzle is removed. If the nozzle is not fully inserted into the rubber seal, and put in at an angle this can happen.
When finished filling up, leave nozzle in the tank for 10 seconds to allow pressures to equalize. This usually does the trick.
I would not worry too much about damage to your new Prius, this sometimes happens.
I have spilled as you describe 20 or 30 times over 76K without any harm.
When it does happen, quickly reinsert the nozzle back into rubber seal, this will minimize the spill.
The Prius is a great car with one major problem, the fuel bladder doesnt allow you fill your gas tank.

 

I totally top off. Maybe a little OCD. Never any spillage.

 

They're supposed to be manual, but they aren't all like that. Funny how the Rally Fuel stations and others have replaced their old filler nozzles with new ones that have the auto-fill levers in place. The old ones had the levers removed. I just filled up today with our second tank and they have them, noticed it awhile back before we traded our 2007 4dr Wrangler on a 2008 Prius.


No problems on the fill-up, but I do notice an escape of air with fuel fumes when removing the nozzle. Almost like a burp in the fuel filler receptacle itself. Lots of other cars are like this. Happened on the Jeep we had, and it happens on my 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. Go figure.

 

I too wouldn't worry about YOUR new Prius.
On the other hand, I do worry about damaging MY Prius.
You'll never see me overfilling the gas tank.

You may not be experiencing the spillage of gas on the ground, but keep it up and you may soon be experiencing the spillage of money out of your bank account.

Read the part about "Overfilling" under the Fuel Capacity heading.
http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/Hybrid13.pdf


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Why are those of you who are refilling with three pips still showing on the gauge obsessing over being able to squeeze in the last gallon or two?

If you use the car as designed by refilling at one pip, you'll be adding more gas to the tank at each fill-up, and you will be visiting the gas station less often.

 

How does one access the rest of the sections of the document that you linked above?

 

Just go to Automotive Training and Resource Site and scroll down to whatever hybrid section that's of interest. Is that what you wanted? The content in the link in the previous post is taken from a document somewhere else.