Stupid Question - Filling Gas

[NJBronk]

Like many I’ve read about here, I can’t simply fill my gas tank normally without it switching off right away. So I try to just fill slowly.

Here’s the stupid question: if I can’t rely on the pump just switching off when it’s full, how do I really know when to stop? Do people really fill up into the filler neck?

I’ve just been putting 3-5 gallons in each tank trying to guesstimate when I’ve used that much, but without ever really knowing when I’m full it’s hard to track…

Obviously, my fuel gauge isn’t reliable either.

Any ideas?

 

[Broncobowsher]

Each of mine took a different angle. My last one took an upside down angle for the aux tank and the man tank took clocking it over to the 3 O'clock position. And fill on the slower notch.

Just pay attention. You can often hear the filler neck filling up. Learn the gas gauge and know about how much to expect to put in. I do this with my daily driver as well to this day. I pull into a station and look at the gauge and can guess to about a half gallon how much it will need. When I am expecting 17 gallons and it kicks off at 14, I know to try for more.

 

[MarsChariot]

Same here. I fill slowly but it shuts off. But sometimes not quickly enough. So I lean down and listen for that doppler-like sound/gurgling that sounds like approaching fluid in a pipe. Of course that last two seconds is when some idiot decides to deploy his active exhaust as he peels away from the nearby stop light and I miss the the sound.

 

[NJBronk]

So are you all trying to get to the point where it just hits the bottom of the filler neck? I am afraid of overfilling, especially in the hot weather, knowing my venting probably isn’t great.

 

[MarsChariot]

Ah yes. In hot weather it is a different proceedure and what you are doing with estimation is about right. The venting problem is often related to the abence of built-in expansion volume in some aftermarket tanks or poor evap/vent lines in later stock tanks.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I always timed the fuel stop so I was going to drive at least 10 miles. And be sure to use a little out of both tanks right away. I filled the main once, but drove on the aux. Got to work and parked it in the sun. Main tank got warm and dribbled fuel out. The hole in the asphalt was there for nearly 20 years, until they repaved.

 

[MarsChariot]

I always timed the fuel stop so I was going to drive at least 10 miles. And be sure to use a little out of both tanks right away. I filled the main once, but drove on the aux. Got to work and parked it in the sun. Main tank got warm and dribbled fuel out. The hole in the asphalt was there for nearly 20 years, until they repaved.

Exactly what I do. If the main tank gets filled, I drive it at least 10 maybe more to create that expansion volume. Never on the way home with only a few miles to go. And ditto, I filled it up once, drove to work and sat in the heat, and sure enough fuel dribbled out. Security had to come out and dump kitty litter on it as a public hazard. I had to take a cup of water out and try to wash as much off as I could.

 

[tspiers]

Listen intently as you pump, bring a towel to wrap around the base of the pump between the cap opening and then drive long enough to your next destination so enough fuel is expended so that the fuel expansion in the tank on hot days does not come pouring out. Always a challenge and sucks if you lose any of the gas you just put in especially if you are running non-ethanol high octane gas .