Gas From Pump Slowly Goes In, Then It Spills Back Out... (help!)

Funny you mentioned TIS, I'm signing up later today as I found a neighbor who is mechanically inclined with tools (not sure if I mentioned before, but fire destroyed home and lost everything while continue battling insurance, lender, and loan servicer) and willing to help. He could use Toyota TIS data as well and I'm planning on the two-day subscription, so waited until he's free to use access also (pretty sure TIS smart enough to not allow dual logins, so I need to get Prius data and then he can get his).

Though it'd be great if the charcoal canister is free from fuel exposure, not holding my breath, and in process of trying to source affordable replacement values as necessary. Neighbor goes to nearby salvage yard for replacement items when feasible. I know this is inconsistent with the practice of employing systematic approach to troubleshooting, which TIS will hopefully address, but bisco stated in related post elsewhere the bladder is commonly problematic with the Gen II.

Assuming at least one of the purposes of the bladder is to minimize gas vapors (source of fire/explosion), is it safe to assume the gas put into the tank but then pouring (or gushing) back out is related to the bladder? Then again, the bladder could be functioning perfectly, but it's receiving bad data from elsewhere telling it to expand, which is the root of the problem.

Hey, thanks again for your replies. Like everyone, I have outside stressful things I'm dealing with and having you get back to me - even if with a swift (but gentle) kick in the a$$ to get me focused on the right thing - is deeply appreciated!

Take care. And hey, if you have *any* finance, investment, valuation or related questions (is my broker ripping me off? what mutual fund makes sense for me? what asset allocation is appropriate? I'm looking to buy/sell my shop, how much is it worth?) PLEASE DM me and I'm more than happy to do whatever I can to return the countless favors you've done for me!

 

Okay, what you said makes a lot of sense. I'm prone to over-thinking things most of the time.

This is where I got the idea related to the bladder (which I probably took out of context, so my bad):


Of the 3-4 possible items that may need replacement (thinking mostly valves and charcoal canister), are there any you recommend against getting from a salvage yard or going with a non-OEM part?

 

Lol, love the last paragraph of your response. I'm in the same camp as you. Tank starts getting low, fill until clicks off, smile at the well under $20 price tag, and happily go on my way for ~2 weeks; Wash, rinse, repeat, no worries.... (except when the gas starts slowly flowing back out, different story). Think it was the slow pouring gas back out that made me imagine a bladder inflating and pushing out the gas. That flawed logic falls apart when I think about how the gas spurts out when it flows into the tank moderately faster (with a 1/5 squeeze of the handle).

KEY QUESTION:
I'm going to access TIS in a short while and begin pouring over the information with a focus on getting the car to accept gas and not spit it back out. After going through the first 3-4 steps in the process (mostly confirming fuel isn't where it doesn't belong and emptying it, if appropriate) how would you recommend I test to see if the problem is resolved (or at least marginally fixed)? I may have, at best, 1/4 tank of gas and the closest gas station is about 2 miles away...

Sorry, now I think about it (long night; family emergency and had to pick daughter up from college and returned about an hour ago) I should buy another gas container, fill it up and see if it accepts it. Not sure how much the tank needs to be put back together, but suppose we'll (neighbor and I) figure it out by trial and error if nothing else. Thanks again.

 

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your thoughtful responses - extremely helpful! My daughter (starting senior year in college) is having a manic episode, which is a soul-crushing experience as a parent that makes almost every aspect of life challenging. Your guidance is appreciated more than words can express. Tomorrow (today) I should get a chance to dive into this and, thanks to your help, I believe I have a shot at getting this back up running. Thank you again and hopefully my next post will include intelligent, thoughtful questions. Best, John

 

I'm into TIS. Where do I find step by step instructions on locating the carbon cannister, for example, and assessing if it is damaged or not? Similar to what was provided on previous page for fuel control valve (?) etc.?

 

I'm in the Tech Manual, Engine Control Systems II and Chapter 7 has the EVAP System Diagnosis materials.

 

Any recommendations where on site to go to find quickest way to take DTC codes and get info on how to diagnose/fix?

 

Does the 2006 Prius have a Closed Tank, Late Type or Early Type EVAP System? (Please don't say all the above, lol)

 

Located New Car Features (NCF) Tab and found additional useful info on Evap

 

Thanks, Found the NCF tab (esp. re Fuel Evap) and the Prius Repair Manual, so pretty much gathered everything on EVAP & ORVR, including the conceptual aspects of the system that's likely relevant. As you mentioned, not light reading but very comprehensive.

Gathering the process for troubleshooting my current DTCs, which is going well.

Only thing I haven't found yet is materials that look like below. Any pointers? It similar to what I've seen in the Repair Manual, but not the same...

 

Also, is it correct to focus on information in the Engine Control System, Emission Control/Advanced Emissions, and Fuel Tank TIS sections for this specific problem with refueling? Just to cast a wider keyword search net, in addition to "evap" and "orvr" I've used "bladder," "tank," and "canister" and it appears most paths (that appear relevant) generally lead back to those three sections.