legacycentral bbs

Not sure if this is the correct forum...

When I fill the car up with gas when its low, the first several minutes of filling, the fuel pump handle releases like it thinks the tank is full. I'm guessing this is because of fumes escaping from the tank, which causes this? Anyways, this generally wouldn't be that big of a problem, but since I'm living in Oregon atm, the state stupidly makes it illegal to pump your own. That means, some moron pumps it for me. They typically start it and then walk away -- only to have the fuel pump stop a few seconds later. This goes on for several minutes, annoying me (for having to wait even longer for something so simple) and I'm sure the attendant.

Is there anything I should check to possibly fix this?

not sure what will fix it, but it happens with my '91 N/A wagon as well.

I _DO_ know, however, that if you don't put the pump handle all the way into the filler neck it won't do this, so I suspect that you are right about the fumes escaping.

maybe adding a better vent on the fuel tank would help?

Mine does that too on my 93 SS. I have to have it half hanging out and half handle position while holding on to it. Glad I'm not the only one! It really sucks when it is -20 and windy.

I have also noticed even with my xt6 that this happens more frequently with certain pumps....

like the ones at the gas station I always had trouble with the legacy at!

All Subaru's do this, I fixed the problem by joining the Navy and getting the hell out of Oregon....Only to spend the next 8 years in Washington.

Its the pump - not the car... Older pumps in my area give me the same problem - newer ones do not.

anybody ever found a fix for this?
It's driving me insane.

It IS the pump. While I lived in Klamath Falls, I favored this specific gas station since it was on my route to/from school. It *always* had this problem of stopping prematurely.

Been to dozens of other gas stations around the country and rarely have the same problem.

does it only at one gas station on my 01. i have to put it in a specific position for it to work. so its not your car.

well i've found three gas stations that do it for mine.
I'm wondering if something collapsed the filler neck, as i've seen the inside of the gas tank from the sender hatches, and everything looks fine.

On my '92 this happens at every pump. I have to change the pump around a couple of times until I hit the 'sweet spot'. lol

Doesn't this have something to do with the charcoal canister? I remember someone on another Subaru forum talking about how when we fill the tank right to the tip it can go into the charcoal canister and create this issue.

how would that even work?

It may be related to the charcoal canister and the newer style pumps that take the gas fumes back up through the nozzle.

If the vapors are very rich or it gets liquid in the dispenser nozzle, the pump will shut off.

If the charcoal canister/evap system isn't working right, there may be more vapors in the tank that could be causing the pump to shut off prematurely.

It's stretch, but that's about all I can think of.

interesting thread
got the same problems and I'm on the other side of the pond. The filling only works if I turn the pump nozzle 15 degrees to the right.

This thread makes me so happy as now my entire junior high /highschool days have been justified in one post

it does happen on most cars , especially after driving on long distances with low fuel , and moreso more often on hot days with low fuel and even MOreSo with fuel-injected vehicles

hot pavement heats the fumes in the empty tank causing it to balloon somewhat , when you remove the gas cap it goes fussssssssssss and smells real rich

IF you jam the nozzle into the opening it will create a seal and as you add fuel to the tank the fuel expands and causes the rush of air out the neck and does in fact push the plunger inside the fuel nozzle in reverse causing the pump to shut off - the plunger is sensitive to a flood of bubbles and moreso a rush of air

2nd job ever for me as a irving gas jockey ... no i am not bragging'

the fix is to back the nozzel out of the tank an inch or two and dial it back a notch or two , depending on the diameter of the nozzle and the fill hole

the pump will stop when the frothy bubbles flood the neck and up the free section of the nozzle where fuel does not rush out as it is devided into two sections - and because the filler neck design is somwhat tapered - pressure builds near the tip and moves the plunger always before rushing fuel will

this all of course assuming you have a full throttle grip on the pump trigger - if you try to fool the plunger you will by going super-duper slow

points of caution

in a gas can example , you can fill the fuel into the can half way , submerse the nozzle past the fuel level and the pump will continue fueling the can with a submersed plunger

**also one might be carefull in the winter as blowing snow will freeze the plunger inside the nozzel and cause the exact oppsite and overflow the tank

my 00.1,000,000 cents as i spent way to much time pumping gas in grade school

Thanks N1446 that was an epic post!