Freaking out from an overfill!!!

I'd suggest that you try to drive 30-40 miles ASAP to create some headroom in the fuel system. Until you have a chance to do that, if you don't park in the hot sun (so that the fuel might expand into the charcoal canister) you'll probably be OK.

Also, think of this as an opportunity to see how much headroom normally exists with your usual fillups. How many miles will you be able to drive until your fuel gauge drops from 10 bars to 9 bars. How much more driving range can you get out of a fillup, etc.

 

If you're not getting any warning lights, the car will probably be alright. At least that's what others here have posted.

Many gas stations/pumps have warnings that the person doing the filling needs to remain nearby, precisely because of the reason that the auto shutoff doesn't always work. From my experience, filling slowly will often cause the auto shutoff to fail more frequently than when the nozzle is set on the fast fill setting.

I have a 2009. This weekend I had one pip left on the guess gauge, although it had not yet started to blink. I went to the gas station where I usually fill up. I set the pump latch on the fast setting. When it clicked off, I started pumping again very slowly (but holding the handle with my hand this time). When the pump read 10.9 gallons, I stopped and looked. The gasoline was almost coming over the filler neck! I put on the cap, and drove the few miles home. Tonight I drove another few miles. No warning lights, and the performance is still great.

I've never filled my 2009 that full, precisely because of not wanting to damage the evaporative recovery system. But at least this time it doesn't seem to have caused a problem. As the temperature has been in the 60's these last few days, and the car is parked in the garage when home, I wasn't worried about expansion into the charcoal cannister. But I think that Patrick's advice is very good if you are in warmer weather or park the car in the sun.

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On a slightly different note:

I use to fill on the slow setting. But I wasn't completely satisfied with the amount of gas that I was being able to put in at fillups. It was typical of what many owners report, but I wanted to see if I could do better. So the last couple of tanks, I tried a new technique, where I fill on the fast setting. After the first click, I set it on the slow setting, and fill until it clicks off again. Then I'm done.

The problem this time is that I was holding the handle at even a slower speed than what I would have gotten had I used the slow setting with the latch.

Anyway, the fast fill followed by a slow fill to the second click off, seems to work best for maximizing my fills.

 

You aren't going to get a lot of sympathy. There is a reason (actually several) that you are supposed to stay with the filler when refueling.

Tom

 

Ouch. I have overfilled too (not exactly the same way). Gas was pouring down. Shut it off quickly, no lights afterward...I did try to burn it down quickly and parked on the most level ground I could for days. No lights no problems since.

 

I stay right by the pump watching how much gas is going in. I have a good idea of how much it should take based on the tripmeter.

I know it's a pain, but remember to watch the pump.

At least we put in less than 10 gallons which is not so bad. 0 gallons would be much better.

 

I had this happen twice within the first 6 mos. of owning the car. No long term affect. It hasn't happened since. I believe that it may be related to not getting the nozzle completely into the seal at the top of the filler tube. See warning decal on the filler door.

 

Why did I bother posting? Because your refueling technique is irresponsible and dangerous. I am hoping you will learn something from it, or if not you, perhaps another reader.

Tom

 

Actually, Nerka, Tom was just correctly stating a fact, not being "holier than thou". You didn't just ask for information....you also maligned the station and attendant when you said the following in your original post:

Anyway, for all we know, Tom may actually be holier than you

 

It's fine**. If anything, make sure you clean the area around your gas tank REALLY well. Gas has a way of doing damage to your paint. Actually, I would say that you should be more worried about the paint then the vehicle's fuel system.

**I don't encourage people to fill their tanks until you can actually see fuel in the filler neck.

 

*Always* stay at the pump, preferably with your hand on the nozzle at all times. If you leave it, much more serious than the overfill the OP experienced is the possibility of a fire upon returning to the pump, as in this example:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3x-8tj49ac]YouTube - Gas Pump Fire[/ame]
Sliding in and out of a vehicle commonly creates a charge separation between you and the car, which discharges as a spark when you next touch the car or gas pump nozzle.

 

MMMMMmmmm that is a *nice* sweater. Perhaps it depends on who is wearing it

 

From your previous self description, I'm thinking that it probably wouldn't fit you. :madgrin:

 

I've heard that its not easy to see Tom's face because of the glare from the halo. :madgrin:

 

I had an incidence before that someone on the cell phone mistook my car as his (they weren't even the same color or size) and pulled the nozzle out while it was still auto-filling. He ended up spraying gas everywhere.

 

Another reason to hate cell phones. Observation has led me to the conclusion that IQ drops about 50 points while using a cell phone...and I'm beginning to believe that there is a residual loss even after they hang up.

 

Its the proximity of the RF radiation. Even worse, Bluetooth headsets turn them into rude self absorbed zombies. :madgrin:

 

Don't get me started. I would pay good money for a device that would send a mild to moderate electrical shock through nearby bluetooth headsets at the press of a button. I would use it frequently while shopping. :evil: