How to properly fill gas tank?

I generally able to use the same pump at the same station each time I fill up. I use the slow method until it clicks and then add to make the dollar amount a round number. No overfills......yet.

 

I got stung last night not following my own rules.
After 22 miles into a blinkinking pip, started filling where it shut off at 8.2 gallons. Way too low.
Was able to put in 9.8 gallons, but filled too fast and did not break it down by .2 gallons often enough. Got spit back which I was able to catch and control. Just slowly and cautiously pull out the nozzle some, and wiggle it a bit to release the air bubbles slowly.

 

If it is not spilling down the side of the car, it is not full. Simple!

I've had spit-back once. Now I've learned how to not let that happen but still get it full. Pump till the cut off. Carefully remove the nozzle to allow any presure to release. Pump slowly with the nozzle out nearly to the lip. Pump until only surface tension is holding the gas from spilling out. Then round up to the nearest 5 cents. Cap, pay, go.

Always keep the nozzle in contact with the metal filler pipe. This should bleed static to the car ground.

jrohland

 

I always wait until the last bar blinks a bit. It's never spit up on me and the most I've got in there was 9.35 gal. just yesterday. I gave the guy a $20 and wanted to squeeze it all in there. Every 2 gallons I would stop for 5 seconds. As always it starts clicking around 9 gallons but I kept going (carfully) to make sure I didn't spill. At $2.19/gal I was able to fill up with $20. My best so far.

 

Our FAQ on this. Feel free to add an improved filling technique.

 

Step 1: Insert fuel pump into gas bladder opening.

Step 2: Depress fuel handle until it clicks off.

Step 3: Place index finger into bladder opening to feel for wetness.

Step 4: Quickly tap finger to tongue to confirm that it's gasoline.

If your finger doesn't encounter any wetness, continue to step 5.

Step 5: Light match, lighter or other incindiary device and hold close distance to bladder opening to visually inspect fuel level. Fill as needed.

[/stupid post]

 

That was a stupid post. It is "incendiary" with an "e", everyone knows that. Also, it is best to use a flare so you can see down into the tank to make sure there are no obstructions...

 

Damn -- forgot that step!

 

It's fascinating how different the experiences are on this thread. (Though I expected more replies along the lines of kicking the left front tire - oh wait, that's for turning off the beep! - sacrificing a chicken, or praying to the diety of one's choice ...)

It seems clear that different Prius have different ideas about getting their tanks filled. After a couple of early underfills with the pump on its highest setting, I've settled on the slow-fill-plus-squeezing-in-a-couple-more-tenths-of-a-gallon approach. I've never had spit-back, and only once have I gotten as much as 9.5 gallons into the car, even though the gauge is nearly always down to one pip.

 

The gas tank for the Prius just plain sucks!

Now that it is cold it takes me longer to fill my tank than conventional cars, not to mention I have to stand out in the cold clicking.

I took my car almost dead empty to the pump, puts in like 8 gallons. I then have to fight the pump for 10 minutes to get in over 11 gallons. Today when filling, the bladder most of contracted and gas started spilling out all over the place. HOW ENVIROMENTALLY FRIENDLY IS THAT?

The more and more I drive this car the more I think we all payed a bloated premium for it.

 

Call the FBI - your Prius has mind control! That's the only logical explanation for standing in the cold for 10 minutes, overfilling the tank!

A tin-foil hat may block the Prius' subliminal messages. Then you'll be able to fill the tank normally and stop when the pump clicks off. You'll find the occasional extra fill won't take nearly as long as trying to top off the tank against its will.

 

Here in California the pump triggers are set to all or nothing most of the time; you can't "feather" the trigger to get a slower flow. What this means is that the fuel roars down into tank with the force of Niagara Falls, creating a mist cloud that comes up and trips the vapor recovery shutoff too early. If you could slow down the flow so that mist cloud wasn't too big, you'd be able to get more into the tank before tripping the shutoff.

What I've done for years is this: after the initial auto shutoff, I pull the nozzle up where I can watch the fuel stream, pull the vapor recovery boot up with my left hand to re-engage the trigger, and fire "bursts" until the fuel finally pools in the well just above the fillerneck door. When lucky enough to find a pump with a trigger that can be feathered, I don't have to click off bursts but can hold the trigger at a smooth flow stream until full. But I haven't hit a pump with a featherable trigger in over a year.

So how many other states have had their pump nozzles rigged with the vapor recovery boots, and their triggers set to all or nothing?

Mark Baird
Alameda CA

 

OMFG - You only put in 8 gallons. That's only 350 miles!

I always find it amusing when people stress about not getting every last gallon into the bladder/tank. I fill my Ford Taurus every 200-250 miles, and it takes 12-14 gallons! God forbid you need to fill up 50% less than with a conventional vehicle.

Now, if you can only get 3 gallons in on an empty tank, then you have a problem. But 8-10 gallons isn't really that huge of a deal, is it? Particularly considering you might have a whole gallon (or more) in the tank already?

The bladder is rated for 10.6 gallons when cold, so if you have 1 gallon left in the tank when you fill (you're not pushing it, are you?), you should expect to put in approx. 9.6 gallons. If you put in 8, you're only 1.6 gallons short.

 

I filled my 4th tank yesterday and thought it might need a bit more so I squeezed again... instantly clicked.

When I powered back up, I was surprised to see that I was one bar down from full. Hmmm.

I too like to fill at 2 bars or right after it gets down to 1. Here in New England, this time of year a blown weather forecast can make the difference between a 40 minute commute and a 3 hour commute.

 

150 miles on 7.5 gallons???? How do you expect them to go 400-500 miles on a tank?

 

Step 1. Run nozzle at slowest setting (auto-trip so you can keep your hands in pockets to keep them warm).

Step 2. At "Click-off" remove the nozzle and count to 10.

Step 3. Reinsert the nozzle and hand fill on slow until "Click-off".

That's it. If the pump is a gusher then the process of removing the nozzle relieves the backpressure. The hand fill lets you feel as fuel starts to flow.

If I follow the above I will always get 10 BARS. I never wait until the last bar blinks unless its unavoidable. What difference does it make if you get 30 more mile out of a tank? I quit making those "size/distance" kind of comparisons when I got out of high school.

 

Don't forget, colder weather makes the bladder stiff and less likely to expand.

 

I am getting my Prius January 2, so don't have any personal experience, but I'm with djasonw - short, simple, to the point.

What's the big deal about filling the tank completely?

 

I really have no idea where you are going with this or what relevance it has to my post.

 

You are making excuses for the vehicle and poor design. The tank is suppose to hold 11.9 gallons and it should hold that without spending 15 minutes, 150 clicks, and spilled gas to fill it.

I don't care about your other cars, has no relevance. Isn't it better for the enviroment to fill up less? One of the selling features for me on the Prius was the ability to go 600+ miles on one tank. That only happens when the weather is perfect, terrain is ideal, and you actually get to the fill the tank.

For another rant my MPG has dropped substantially with the cold weather, getting 41MPG, and last week when it was 0 degrees F, I was getting 38MPG. Normally I get 48MPG. I know, I know, this is suppose to happen, but does the cold weather affect a convential car this drastically, I don't think so.