confirmed overfill damage

[Tata_pilote]

Galaxee, no they said they could take it apart and fix if broken, for $800, then put it back and see if the check engine light comes back on.

[SuziRider]

I top off my 2007 all the time, if I know I will be driving it and not parking it (in the sun), but keep an ear to it to make sure the gas isn't coming up the filler pipe. I never count on the automatic shut-offs working, and make sure I am next to it and not off washing the windshield when it starts getting full.
I am not sure how the gas pump nozzle shut-offs work, since when filling my motorcycles, I have to hold back the emissions collar and barely put the nozzle in the tank (since I have to see when it is full), and I am often having problems with it constantly shutting off despite zero back-pressure.

[HTMLSpinnr]

Old thread, but it popped up new for some reason...

I've been using low/slow for most of this cars life. One caveat - I did have the TSB applied to my car that changed the filler neck to remove the rubber seal. Before, I'd constantly get a burp-back and very low flow.

The way I nurse mine full is once the pump clicks off, I pull the nozzle out so I can see it and run the pump slowly, shutting off when I see fuel come up. Allow it to gurgle down, then repeat. When done carefully, I get 1-2+ more gallons in, which is another day's driving or another 40-100 miles depending on driving for long trips. This method doesn't "force" the fuel in past the check valves, and has yet to cause a problem.

The way the old filler neck canister lines were routed though, I wouldn't have tried it. The new seemed to relocate them in a manner that's a bit more friendly to this dispense method.

[chazman]

I wait for the pump to auto-stop, then add less than a dollar of gas to bring the price to $xx.52, since I was born in 1952. So, far less than 1/2 gallon top-off.

When I get my VISA bill, it's a snap to see which purchases I obviously made; I just look for the 52's.

This works great at hotels when I post food and drinks to my room, too. Adjust the tip so the total is $xx.52. At the end of the week, there are only a few charges I'll need to investigate, rather than accepting an entire list.

Winters in Detroit can be nasty for burping gas all over my arm. Slowest pump speed seems much better than fast speeds when it's cold outside. And in Michigan, we're obliged to "be there" while the pump runs in case its auto-shutoff fails. I sure would like to get back in the car to wait when the cold wind blows . . .

[Paul R. Haller]

I went to the gas station I always go to and the guy behind bulletproof glass said the pumps were running very slow and that it will take some time to fill. What the heck, I had no where to go. I put the nozzle in and began pumping. After about 3 minutes I was on $4.06 so I stood by the car reading the paper. This guy driving a large diesel pickup walked over and we began talking about the virtues of the Prius and also the pulling capacity of a diesel. (My other set of wheels is a 3500 Dodge Cummins diesel) He and I hit it off and we talked for about 45 Minutes.

I walked back to my Prius to find I had pumped 31 gallons of gas into a 10 gallon tank! The nozzle clicked off at 100$. $3.19 a gallon here in San Francisco California. I couldn't believe my eyes... there was 22 gallons of fuel spilled all around the car and a river of gas running down the stations cement, down the street, and into the storm drain. Then, as I stood there dumbfounded, the guy came running out of his bullet proof out house yelling... at me?!? He was yelling that I hadn't been watching and now he has a mess. I couldn't believe I was being held responsible for his fuel not shutting off and I told him so. I made some quip about only paying 30$ but because I hadn't been watching, I'd pay for the gas only. They pay for any damage to the environment or my car. The guy just grumbled and walked away cursing under his breath.

2 days later I get the dreaded check engine light. No symptoms of any kind, just the light. I drove it for a week hoping the light would go out on its own. It didn't. Took it into the dealer and despite having an extended warranty, the repair was not covered. $996 + 30$ disposal fee. Then the real battle began with the gas station. I finally got them to pay for the repair but only after months of problems which finally culminated with my hiring an Attorney. $541 to him to get 1000$ back. In the end, with all the frustration and time, I would have been way ahead to just write off the grand or better yet, to not overfill the tank.

People, it isn't worth the trouble to go another 25 miles. Don't over fill a Prius!
-Paul R. Haller-

[richard schumacher]

Thanks for the reminder that it's always a bad idea to walk away or be distracted while refueling.