Solutions for gas pumping issue?

Hi jlbeerhour, Welcome to PriusChat. A couple things will help with your posts - let us know where you are from (usually put this in your profile) and which year/pkg you own. I have an '05 pkg 1 and have owned since Oct 2005. I'm in MN and notice the gas "issue" exists more when it's cold outside. I have found you can stretch the bladder and have better fill ups if you fill one tank very, very slowly. Also, it seems to be pump specific, i.e. some pumps are better than others so shop around. Good luck - I had more trouble with filling tanks in the beginning than I do now.

 

don't go trying to top off too much, you can end up causing problems with the bladder. a fill-up every 400 miles won't kill ya

 

In NJ we are not allowed to pump our own gas. I'm wondering how my fill ups will be with the station doing it....I'm sure SLOW filling is not going to happen.

 

I'm waiting for my Prius. Can you enlighten me as to the nature of this problem? Thanks

 

I think as discussed in some other threads this may be pump specific... I found this presentation by a manufacturer, somewhat of an advertisement but some interestign explinations of why we have this problem and some pictures that show nozzles that have been damaged and create this issue.

http://www.husky.com/apetnoz.htm

 

I'm assuming that this is the problem I have been experiencing of late--the gas pump keeps wanting to shut off long before the tank is full. I took my near-empty '05 Prius to a local station the other day, and after pumping just 3 gallons the pump kept shutting off. I kept trying to pump more, gave up after 4 gallons or so.

However, there are other stations in the area where this doesn't seem to happen, or to happen much.

And of course, fortunately Prius doesn't require much gas to begin with....

 

I hope the frustration level never gets this high with any Prius owner.

I couldn't resist sharing this with you all.

[attachmentid=1861]

 

Thanks for the link to the very informative article, just in time before my first Prius fillup. All Prius owners would probably benefit from reading it, based on all of the tank filling problems posted here.

 

:lol:

I bet all of us have felt like doing that!

 

My frustration is getting near that level! I used 4 different pumps the other day. I'm pretty sure the gal behind the counter thinks I'm some kind of wanker. Three out of the four times I have put gas into the tank I have had to turn the nozzle upside down to get anything into the tank. The one time I was able to get gas into the tank ( I checked the nozzle and it was round) I had to drizzle it in at a slooooow rate. Seriously why can't the world's best auto maker make a car that you can fill up without all the hassle? Next time it happens I pour it on top and let it seep in!

Wildkow

 

Next time try a different gas station. If a station lets one pump nozzle stay worn out, they probably let all of their nozzles stay worn out. (Okay, so the *fourth* one you tried there wasn't so bad; was it worth the aggravation?)

Please don't top off. It saturates the vapor canister and significantly increases pollution (evaporation of unburned fuel). Increasing air pollution is not what Prius is for.

 

The stations I have used in AZ have filled up with no problem right to all bars lit, not stopage etc. Just stick it in and let it go.

(only two tanks so far)

 

I first thought this topic was tounge in cheek. If they have a short commute, then they'd only have to put in gas every few weeks. then, filling up would be an annoying "problem" since it was so rare.

 

The fill up roblem is due to the California regulations on the gas pumps(the kind with the bellows on the nozel.) My brother in law was one of the engineeres on the Prius. He said to fill it up using the first click on the handle lock. I did that and it worked fine. Didn't take long to put in 7.4 gals. Unable to tell aout mpg yet because I didn't know how full it was the first time from the dealer. The tank is actually a bladder because it is a closed fuel system. Be sure to make the gas cap click when you put it on.

 

Just sticking the very tip (about 3/4" to 1") of the nozzle in seems to work reasonably well for most nozzles I've encountered.. I fill at full-speed and listen for the whistling/gurgling that signifies that the tank is getting full, and then slow down the fill rate until the nozzle clicks off normally. Once in awhile, I encounter a nozzle that clicks off immediately, and for these, I use both hands on the filler and shove it off to one side to deform the rubber gasket around the nozzle- this breaks the seal around the nozzle and prevents the pressure from prematurely stopping the fill at the expense of some vapor emissions.. This doesn't eliminate the problem of inconsistent volumes due to expansion/contraction of the bladder, but it seems to allow me to fill the tank to whatever volume is available without premature pump shutoff..

Inserting just the tip or deforming the gasket works so consistently that I'm tempted to stick a pair of pliers in the filler neck and rip out that little gasket around the hole for the nozzle- no other car I've driven has this seal, which I believe is the primary culprit, causing increased back-pressure inside the fuel tank when filling, which results in the premature pump shut-off.. For those who live in an area where vapor-recovery nozzles are mandatory, there shouldn't be any net change in emissions by doing this (as the nozzle captures any fill-up emissions); for others without the special nozzles, the fill-up emissions become no worse than any other car, and the rest of the vehicle emissions is still far less than other cars, so you're still net positive, and you eliminate the fill-up problems on the car..

 

I had an extreme form of filling problem on a trip from LA to SF over last Thanksgiving. It only happened 2 or 3 times, and at different stations, then cured itself and no problem since. At near empty, the pump would go for 2-3 seconds then shut off. As I had to have gas, I tried other pumps, but same behavior. So I just stood for ~15 min. pumping a few ounces at a time, finally filling the tank. I asked the dealer and they just shrugged...
-Tom Farr
'05 silver
Pasadena, CA

 

I just attempted my first fill, and had this issue. Frustrating! I tried everything I could think of, but ended up just clicking away for 15 minutes until I had at least 50mpg worth of fuel back in from my first trip. I ended up getting six gallons in there. Good lord. I won't have to do this every time will I? I'm actually quite shocked that I never heard of this problem before buying the Prius. Or am I just special, and it only happens to a chosen few? I dont' really give a damn about filling it "all the way" up. I just want to be able to put some in!

 

I'm surprised you hadn't heard of this. The problem with the bladder is that it's sensitive to cold (plus is stiffer when new) so there are times when it won't fill up as much as it should. VERY frustrating to say the least.

I fill it slowly (with my hand on the control and not using the automatic lever) and I try to use the same station (and even the same pump) each time.