Gas pump overflow

Joined
Dec 16, 2009
Messages
131
Location
Rhode Island
When I first got my Impala I had an issue with the purge valve at the purge canister near the gas tank. It was sticking and would throw a CEL. Sometimes the pump would click off before full. I replaced it a year ago and haven't had an issue since. Today while pumping gas I noticed the pump seemed to be running about half the normal speed. I set the stop on the lever and left it pumping. At 14.9 gal the tank overflowed and gas began running down the side of the car. I had to manually release the stop on the pump lever to shut it off. It never clicked to shut off. I'm fairly certain I had the nozzle in a the way. It was a standard nozzle and not the vapor recovery type.

I told the clerk that there was something wrong with the pump, and she claimed it overflowed because I wasn't holding he nozzle. I've left nozzles filling while I stood by and they always shut off on their own. Does this seem like a pump problem or an issue with my car?
 
The nozzle may have been at an odd angle or not in far enough letting pressure off/out.On many pumps the increase of "air pressure" triggers the release on the nozzle.If not enough pressure the nozzle will keep running.When I worked at a station in my teens certain makes/models had more issues with it than others.Certain boats.......I would like to have taken whatever engineer designed their fill tube outback with a gas hose.Some of those you could not get a gallon a minute in.Most likely not a car issue.
 
Yep, bad nozzel. Used to fix them all the time. Usually a bad diaphragm back then, but they may have a different design these days.
 
Definitely a pump problem, and not all that uncommon. Many states I have traveled through have had all the hold notches removed from the handle and many have a sign that you will be responsible for fuel clean up if it overflows.
 
Funny this came up, 2 nights ago at a sheets station, i had a nozzle in my mazda. It took forever to fill as the flow was so slow, the nozzle never shut off. It was loud there, lot of cars music so i did not hear fluid come up the filler neck. My hand was on the pump handle and next thing i know its running down the side of the car on the ground. Never clicked off. So far it did not seem to mess up my evap system, but i was concerned. I got back on the highway , no problems.
 
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