Premature Gas Nozzle Cutoff

firebat255 · 05-30-2007, 05:42 PM

Hello.

I bought my Prius (2007, pkg2) about three weeks ago, and am happy with it so far.

Problem: During both visits to the gas station, the nozzle has been automatically shutting off after a few seconds. I have had this problem with other vehicles, but very infrequently, so having it twice in a row with the Prius is causing me some concern. On the first fillup, I was able to slowly control the flow by gently squeezing the handle. On the second fillup, I pulled the nozzle away from the tank, such that it wasn't making a seal around the narrow opening, and was able to fill the tank (possibly overfill).

I read in the car manual that the tank has a narrow opening to prevent the wrong type of fuel from being used. It certainly feels tighter to me.

I do not know exactly how the gas nozzle works, but I imagine that it has an air/pressure valve that switches the flow off when the valve is immersed in fluid. My guess is that the seal around the nozzle is so tight that the valve is shutting off prematurely.

Two fillups is not the greatest sample size, so this may be a coincidence. However, I would appreciate any feedback that any may have concerning this problem.

Thank you,

-Robert

ny biker · 05-30-2007, 05:56 PM

I had a similar problem yesterday when I attempted to fill the tank. I still had 3 pips on the gas gauge but was about to start a long drive so I wanted to fill it up before hitting the highway. But the nozzle kept shutting off after only a few seconds. I tried changing the nozzle position (angle up more, down more, push in harder) but nothing worked. I gave up after getting only about a third of a gallon. I figured I had enough gas to get me into NJ where all the gas stations are full-service, so I would let a professional give it a try. (Not to mention gas is cheaper in NJ.)

I wound up going to a station in central NJ where the attendant had no trouble filling the tank. It looked like the nozzle at that station was different from the one at the first station, so I think that might have had something to do with it.

Yesterday was only my second fill-up since getting the Prius. The first fill-up (near my house) involved no problems, so I'm hoping this will be a rare occurance.

Neicy · 05-30-2007, 06:47 PM

First Welcome to the boards. Many people have run into difficulty with gas pumps not shutting off or stopping too soon. Sometimes it's the particular pump or station. However one thing I have seen is that trying to fill too fast will definitely cause the pump to stop. I usually make sure the nozzle is completely inserted as far as it will go, so that the vapor seal is as close to the opening as possible, then slowly press the nozzle. I personally have not had a problem but my husband has and it seems to be certain pumps and/or stations that he has problems at. Read some of the knowledge base threads that explain how the bladder works and try different stations and pumps. Other more knowledgeable members I'm sure will add more to this thread than I have. Keep us informed of how things work out.

hobbit · 05-30-2007, 09:43 PM

The pipe down into the tank is *tiny*, frankly. And there's a rubber
seal right around the neck where you put the nozzle in, with the idea
being to eliminate vapor emission from there. Displaced air instead
goes out through the charcoal canister where the smelly stuff is
captured and held and then pulled back through the engine later.
.
Bottom line, as said in numerous other threads: fill slowly, and
don't try to push too hard on top-up [if at all]. Especially in
winter when the bladder doesn't want to expand as much.
.
_H*

firebat255 · 06-01-2007, 12:38 AM

I'll just have to shop around until I find a station that works (the last station had no speed control, it was full on or full off).

Thanks for the feedback!

-Robert

fshagan · 06-01-2007, 02:07 AM

There are some faster pumps out there too. For a while, in California where there are strict requirements about the kind of nozzle the gas stations can have, we had both the coax hoses with the active vacuum pump pulling vapors back into the pump and "standard" nozzles that were very fast at delivering fuel. Now, they are all active vacuum, I think, but I think the fast delivery nozzles could be problematic with the small Prius fuel filler neck.

jukeboy · 12-17-2007, 01:07 PM

hmm, so I've used the trickle method ever since I got my prius (IIRC) 6 or 7 fills ago, but I've been cut off in the last 2 fills. 1st time I was down to 2 bars after 399 miles, which was the longest I've gone before refueling, but I only managed to get 7 gallons when it cut off. I tried pumping another 3-4 times but gave up as I was in a rush. this was at a mobil station.

another 171 miles later, I was already down to the 5th bar but decided to fill up at a shell station a few towns over. again, I used the trickle method but it cut off around 2 gallons, and I tried to continue but stopped after the 2nd cutoff as I didn't want to deal with the frustration.

could it just be a fluke that I got "bad" nozzles from 2 different stations and brands in dislocated locales?

darelldd · 12-17-2007, 02:27 PM

A couple of things I've learned:

1. You'll get better at getting gas into the thing the longer you own the car.
2. If you find yourself getting the click constantly, there's one way that has solved the problem 100% of the time for me: Turn the whole pump nozzle thing upside-down, and go again. You look silly, but it works just fine.

05-30-2007, 05:56 PM	#2
ny biker Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 441 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Friends: 0	I had a similar problem yesterday when I attempted to fill the tank. I still had 3 pips on the gas gauge but was about to start a long drive so I wanted to fill it up before hitting the highway. But the nozzle kept shutting off after only a few seconds. I tried changing the nozzle position (angle up more, down more, push in harder) but nothing worked. I gave up after getting only about a third of a gallon. I figured I had enough gas to get me into NJ where all the gas stations are full-service, so I would let a professional give it a try. (Not to mention gas is cheaper in NJ.) I wound up going to a station in central NJ where the attendant had no trouble filling the tank. It looked like the nozzle at that station was different from the one at the first station, so I think that might have had something to do with it. Yesterday was only my second fill-up since getting the Prius. The first fill-up (near my house) involved no problems, so I'm hoping this will be a rare occurance. __________________ 2007 Silver Pine Mica with package #4 Purchased April 22, 2007 (Earth Day)

05-30-2007, 06:47 PM	#3
Neicy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Wakefield, MA. Posts: 804 My Car: 2009 Prius Model: Package: #2 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 6	First Welcome to the boards. Many people have run into difficulty with gas pumps not shutting off or stopping too soon. Sometimes it's the particular pump or station. However one thing I have seen is that trying to fill too fast will definitely cause the pump to stop. I usually make sure the nozzle is completely inserted as far as it will go, so that the vapor seal is as close to the opening as possible, then slowly press the nozzle. I personally have not had a problem but my husband has and it seems to be certain pumps and/or stations that he has problems at. Read some of the knowledge base threads that explain how the bladder works and try different stations and pumps. Other more knowledgeable members I'm sure will add more to this thread than I have. Keep us informed of how things work out. __________________ Neicy 2009 Silver Pine Mica Pkg #2 2 Scangauge IIs v 3.15 with X-gauge

12-17-2007, 01:07 PM	#7
jukeboy Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: SGV, SoCal Posts: 96 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: II Package: N/A Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 1	hmm, so I've used the trickle method ever since I got my prius (IIRC) 6 or 7 fills ago, but I've been cut off in the last 2 fills. 1st time I was down to 2 bars after 399 miles, which was the longest I've gone before refueling, but I only managed to get 7 gallons when it cut off. I tried pumping another 3-4 times but gave up as I was in a rush. this was at a mobil station. another 171 miles later, I was already down to the 5th bar but decided to fill up at a shell station a few towns over. again, I used the trickle method but it cut off around 2 gallons, and I tried to continue but stopped after the 2nd cutoff as I didn't want to deal with the frustration. could it just be a fluke that I got "bad" nozzles from 2 different stations and brands in dislocated locales? __________________

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05-30-2007, 05:42 PM	#1
firebat255 Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 2 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Hello. I bought my Prius (2007, pkg2) about three weeks ago, and am happy with it so far. Problem: During both visits to the gas station, the nozzle has been automatically shutting off after a few seconds. I have had this problem with other vehicles, but very infrequently, so having it twice in a row with the Prius is causing me some concern. On the first fillup, I was able to slowly control the flow by gently squeezing the handle. On the second fillup, I pulled the nozzle away from the tank, such that it wasn't making a seal around the narrow opening, and was able to fill the tank (possibly overfill). I read in the car manual that the tank has a narrow opening to prevent the wrong type of fuel from being used. It certainly feels tighter to me. I do not know exactly how the gas nozzle works, but I imagine that it has an air/pressure valve that switches the flow off when the valve is immersed in fluid. My guess is that the seal around the nozzle is so tight that the valve is shutting off prematurely. Two fillups is not the greatest sample size, so this may be a coincidence. However, I would appreciate any feedback that any may have concerning this problem. Thank you, -Robert

05-30-2007, 09:43 PM	#4
hobbit Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bahstahn Posts: 3,626 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 216 Times in 118 Posts Friends: 0	The pipe down into the tank is tiny, frankly. And there's a rubber seal right around the neck where you put the nozzle in, with the idea being to eliminate vapor emission from there. Displaced air instead goes out through the charcoal canister where the smelly stuff is captured and held and then pulled back through the engine later. . Bottom line, as said in numerous other threads: fill slowly, and don't try to push too hard on top-up [if at all]. Especially in winter when the bladder doesn't want to expand as much. . _H*

06-01-2007, 12:38 AM	#5
firebat255 Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 2 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I'll just have to shop around until I find a station that works (the last station had no speed control, it was full on or full off). Thanks for the feedback! -Robert

06-01-2007, 02:07 AM	#6
fshagan Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,775 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	There are some faster pumps out there too. For a while, in California where there are strict requirements about the kind of nozzle the gas stations can have, we had both the coax hoses with the active vacuum pump pulling vapors back into the pump and "standard" nozzles that were very fast at delivering fuel. Now, they are all active vacuum, I think, but I think the fast delivery nozzles could be problematic with the small Prius fuel filler neck.

12-17-2007, 02:27 PM	#8
darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern CA Posts: 5,336 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 18 Thanked 44 Times in 32 Posts Friends: 12	A couple of things I've learned: 1. You'll get better at getting gas into the thing the longer you own the car. 2. If you find yourself getting the click constantly, there's one way that has solved the problem 100% of the time for me: Turn the whole pump nozzle thing upside-down, and go again. You look silly, but it works just fine.