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Gas clicks off before it’s full

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by BradC, Jan 7, 2020.

  1. BradC

    BradC Member

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    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Both of my 2014 cars do this odd thing where sometimes the gas clicks off before it’s full. When that happens, it keeps doing it even if I take the gas nozzle out and try to reseat it.

    It will typically put in half to one gallon before clicking off again. I know the gas tank is nowhere close to full when I start, so that’s not the issue.

    I end up watching the amount of gas being put in and guess when it’s probably close to full, since I don’t want to keep doing it and risk an overflow.

    Neither car does it all the time, and I can’t figure out why they do it sometimes and other times they’re fine. I’d say they’re fine at least 80-90 percent of the time.

    Do others find this happening too?

    Thanks.
     
    #1 BradC, Jan 7, 2020
  2. Fifen

    Fifen Member

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
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    Two
    This was happening too a some gas pumps. I fixed it by not putting the nozzle all the way in.

    I read some things online saying that the fumes coming out can sometimes trick it into stop filling

    SM-G965U ?
     
    #2 Fifen, Jan 7, 2020
    BradC likes this.
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The flow of air/vapor coming back up the filler neck is exactly what's supposed to trip the nozzle off, that's how they're built.

    Calibrating it right is tricky, and newer cars do a lot more to capture vapor during refueling than old ones did, so in a car like the Prius you'll find a bunch of extra hoses and valves up the filler neck that the car sort of uses to emulate the older car that the nozzle is expecting to see, and trigger it to trip off at the right time.

    It's still hard to build something that way and have it work right with every pump.

    My habit is to never squeeze the nozzle past the first, slowest, click. Maybe it takes a tad longer to fill the tank, but I hardly ever have the trip-off-early problem. The slow rate ends up not being too much for the nozzle.

    If I'm passing through a state where they don't allow the nozzles to have clicks, then I stand there and hold it squeezed to about where it feels like the first click would be. Usually goes fine.

    I occasionally hit a finicky pump that insists on clicking off early even then. I don't go back to that pump.
     
    #3 ChapmanF, Jan 8, 2020
    BradC and Ed Beaty like this.
  4. BradC

    BradC Member

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    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thanks for the replies. Good to know it’s not a problem with the car. I didn’t think so, but you never know.
     
    #4 BradC, Jan 8, 2020
    Tim Jones likes this.
  5. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
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    ----USA----
    One time I tried to see how much fuel I could get in my v and it screwed up the gas gauge. It would read incorrectly until i drove it a few days then filled back up normally.
     
    #5 Tim Jones, Jan 12, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2020
  6. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Like it showed empty for those few days after the extreme full fill up?
     
    #6 Grit, Jan 12, 2020
  7. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

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    I can't remember..... I think it wasn't going down.... I posted it on here long time ago and I was informed just drive 200 miles or so and then refill till pump shuts off and that was it.... worked fine since.

    CAUTION: Do Not Fill up a Prius v all the way to the top..... I mean to the top where you can see the fuel.
    You Will be Sorry for a couple of days. ps... might be the same with prius.
     
    #7 Tim Jones, Jan 13, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2020
  8. Siward

    Siward Active Member

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    I had a gas pump clicking issue, but not for the Prius.

    The gas pump clicked constantly for my 2011 Hyundai Sonata. In the end, my mechanic replaced the canister valve and evap canister. This repair would have been free if it was covered under emissions warranty, but my car mileage was too high. The gas pump clicking went away after the repair.
    Gas pump keeps shutting off help! | Hyundai Forums

    The cause is something about a ventilation path being blocked. I don't know if this applies to the Prius.
     
    #8 Siward, Jan 13, 2020
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