I just went to fill up at the local 7-11, set the pump, and started washing the ever so gritty windows. From the time I noticed the fuel pouring out of my tank to the time I turned it off was about 3 seconds. I had the pump on the lowest setting that it locks at, so it couldn't be that much gas. However, the pump now says I put in 13.162 gallons! I'm severly unhappy about just cancelling out all the emmissions benifits of my car! Ack!
At least you didn't let the gas run on your foot! A friend of mine wasn't paying attention and not only did gas run out but it went on his foot - I called him "old gas foot' lol.
I stopped going to 7-11 because that would happen with their ATM's and I'd find myself broke in no time. :lol:
The same thing happend to me a couple of tanks ago. From that point my fuel readings on the gauge have been completely wacky. Like you, I was more disappointed about the wasted gas on the ground and where it went after seeping into the concrete.
OK - This thread has me a bit concerned... PRECISELY what are the consequences of overfilling the tank? I've not done it yet but I want to be sure to know what's the problem
The biggest problem is spilling gas. In most cases, topping off isn't worth it. It just means more miles between stops. I don't think there is a mechanical issue with overfilling. It's just gas in a container. Often, people topping off pushes gas into the return line on the pump and not the tank, which it did in my spill yesterday. There was a poster here that said he went around to a bunch of pumps at his gas station and gets about 2 free gallons pouring back from overfills.
I think it also fills and saturates the charcoal canister that would have just absorbed the normal escaping fumes from the tank. So you just increased your emissions in two ways (escaping tank fumes, and ground spill).
Adding to smog (unburned hydrocarbons in the air - a little spilled gas equals a lot of tailpipe emissions), breathing in carcinogens (benzene), adding carcinogens to groundwater if it seeps below the concrete pad (MTBE)... I don't know if it hurts the car, but it is not good for the environment. Too bad this particular auto pump shutoff failure caused this to happen unintentionally...
