Gas pump accuracy?

good to know.. guess i wont be topping off anymore...

"GO Mavs" ...

I never topped off, anyway. Seemed kind of obsessive-compulsive to me.

Natalie

i am ocd ;-P

"GO Mavs" ...

But you're definitely not the only person who does that...

Natalie

Yep. That happened to me 3 days after I got mine.. Not on purpose though.. I was getting gas and the cutoff didn't work right, and it spewed gas all out the nozzle, side of the car, etc.. Sure nuff, about a day or two later, and the OBD2 light is going off.. Checked, and was evap emission problems..

- P0441 (Evaporative Emission Control System Incorrect Purge Flow)

- P043E (Evaporative Emission System Reference Orifice Clog Up)

- P043F (Evaporative Emission System Reference Orifice High Flow)

- P2401 (Evaporative Emission System Leak Detection Pump Control Circuit Low)

- P2402 (Evaporative Emission System Leak Detection Pump Control Circuit High)

- P2419 (Evaporative Emission System Switching Valve Control Circuit Low)

Those were the exact codes on my particular car.. I ended up not doing anything about it at that time, as it didn't seem to effect runability or mpg. I assumed I flooded the canister, which I'm pretty sure it did now. It finally dried up, and I haven't had it go off in about 7-8 weeks, and maybe 1500? miles later. When it was first starting to dry out, the light would go off for a while, then get irritable probably due to low flow, and come back on for a while. Then finally it went out, and has been out since. So if anyone floods their canister, I'd wait a while to see if it will dry up before doing anything about it.. Mine fixed itself, but it took a couple of months.. Also, the warmer temps of spring seemed to help speed things up. When I fill, I click off and very little more. I'm also very careful not to get gas in either of the ports inside the gas tank compartment. You can see them if you look in there. MK

They are not really bogus.. You probably had low flow, or something along those lines. When you load the canister with gas, naturally it's partly clogged, but you can also clog vapor orifices, vapor valves from canister crud, etc.. If the light was on, it was not bogus. You had an evap emissions problem to some degree. But like mine, yours fixed itself due to drying out..:) MK

One other caveat:

Gas stations use either of two types of vapor recovery, vacuum and balance, to reduce smog. Both require the use of special hoses which are, in reality, a hose within a hose. Remember those old monstrosities which had two hoses connected to the nozzle. Vacuum systems are identified easily by a smooth, hard-surfaced hose, whereas balance systems use a hose similar in appearance to your vacuum cleaner, i.e. accordion folds.

The former is an active system that recovers vapor displaced by the fuel you pump into your tank via vacuum pumps. The vapor is returned to the UST (underground storage tank).

The latter uses the vacuum created when fuel is removed from underground tanks, which passively recovers vapor displaced by the same fuel you put into your vehicle, and returns it to the UST.

In either case, particularly vacuum systems, the fuel which spits upward during over-filling makes its way to either of two destinations. The ground or back into the UST.

Your wallet is the loser.

And our lungs the winners.

Jeff

UNLESS you've spilled it on the ground. We all lose then.

I think it is illegal to top off in many locations, and many pumps have warnings not to top off...

Listen to Ray and you can avoid all sorts of problems ;-)

BTW, most check engine light items will not noticeably affect drivability or MPG. If the light is flashing, turn off the engine and call for a tow.

Heh, heh, like *having* to get the last 1/4 inch in!!

Onan was struck down for doing that.

In my case the codes were P0440 and P0441, I do believe. That was when I stopped overfilling.

Agreed. I do stand corrected. Bogus, in the sense that it didn't require anything to be actually repaired and/or replaced!!

"sharx35" ...

Feh- who can feel a measly quarter inch?!

Natalie

Yeah, as if anyone pays THOSE warnings any more heed than they do software EULA's or those warnings on DVD's about copying them.

Thanks for that info--I was almost about to do that when the Check light came on steady after overfilling.

At your service (cervix) ma'am! Delighted (dilated) I'm sure!