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I did that rare thing yesterday: read the handbook for my Golf VR6. It cautions against filling up beyond the first time the fuel pump nozzle cuts out, because, in warm conditions, there is a risk that the space allowed for expansion will be lost, forcing the fuel to overflow. I can't find similar advice in the MB manual, but presumably it is valid for all cars, in which case we should be careful in trying to get the tank brim full for the calculation of fuel consumption. Any comments?
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Agree with VW.
The car I learnt to drive in once suffered this and spat four star all over the street for an afternoon. It was the height of summer, and the car was parked on a slope which didn't help. Paintwork was never the same again.
Can't see it being an issue at this time of year given the UK climate, but generally I ignore this advice anyway as I drive 50 miles after filling up, consuming ~5 litres and returning tank to sensible level.
If you are bothered about accuracy for mpg calculation, you could always fill up at the same station, same pump, first click every time.
Ed.
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Agree with Edisdead.
I only overfill past the first click if I am immediately going to travel some distance on smooth level roads eg Motorways and want maximum range.
The amount extra you can get in is less than 5 litres so thinking about it there's not really any point!
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There are a number of motorcyclists who will thank you for bringing this one to the attention of the masses. Even a few drops of fuel on a wet road can spell disaster for two wheeled transport.
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Thanks, No Dosh.
As a motorcyclist, I agree!
Now some bad design: Back in 1984, I purchase a new MG Metro.
If it was filled even anywhere close to 'the first click', and you tanked (pun intended!) round a left hand corner, the tank would then syphon itself pretty well dry through the breather pipe!
Thank heavens that in those days there was no such thing as a diesel Metro...
After a period of time where my dealer did not believe me, the then Austin Rover put their hand up and issued a kit comprised of a fuel cap that could 'breathe', and a modification to the breather pipe.
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If you always put the nozzle in at the same inclination the 'first click' shut-off should fill it to the same level each time, with regard to fuel calculations - no need to brim it. My partner had the fuel syphoning onto the rear wheel syndrome in a Metro and managed to turn it over and go down a hill on the roof with her child in a safety seat! This was a very long time ago and having a kid's seat was thought to be very progessive in those days, when seat belts weren't compulsory etc!
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If you always put the nozzle in at the same inclination the 'first click' shut-off should fill it to the same level each time, with regard to fuel calculations - no need to brim it.
Trouble is, not all pump "shut offs" behave the same. The local pumps near me first shut off at around the £5 mark, and I can then get a further £30 or so in after that. They are just too sensitive. Upon mentioning it at the till I was told I wasn't the only one to complain about it, but still nothing gets done about it. I only use that garage as a last resort these days.
Unless you use the same pump each and every time, you cannot rely on the "shut off" being the same as another pump.
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I thought that the cut off was triggered by a vac. pipe that as soon as it blocked with fuel switched off the pump. The only way to get more fuel in would be to let the tank contents settle a bit. Or pull the nozzle further out.
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If I stopped filling my dad's Toyota Carina E after the first click he'd only ever have 2 litres in the tank, what a pain. I parked the wrong side of the pumps the other day and had to put the nozzle in upside down, and it worked a treat, weird.
I remember the Police Metros around our way all had a yellow streak on the paintwork below the fuel filler, where it dribbled out on bends.
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My old Golf MK2 used to do a similar thing - if you had the angle of the nozzle slightly out, or pumped the fuel in a little too fast it'd just click off regardless of the actual fuel level in the tank.
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I have found that different brands of diesel throth (is that how you spell it?) differently, so the cut-out will vary
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A worker at my local filling station told me that the pumps towards the front of the forecourt have to have their nozzles replaced more frequently through the cut out kicking in too soon than those at the back. The reason being that most people will drive to the front pump rather than pull up at the back, so they get more wear and tear.
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Indeed, spilled diesel on wet roundabouts is a killer.
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Honda Jazz handbook also says stop filling after first cut off.
Funny car the Jazz because the fuel tank is about 3 feet away from the filler so the pipe connecting the two must contain a good few litres of fuel.
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Not quite on the subject, but it reminds me of something I have always meant to ask:
Does your car have a metal flap across the filler hole, sealing it when the nozzle is withdrawn? Mine does, and as I withdraw the nozzle it usually gives another small gush of fuel, which of course cannot flow down the pipe because the flap has now sealed. Do you ignore the trapped petrol and let it slosh down the overflow pipe, or stick the nozzle back in to let it down into the tank?
What is the purpose of this irritating device?
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>>Do you ignore the trapped petrol andlet it slosh down the overflow pipe, or stick the nozzle back in to let it down into the tank?
On the principle of "waste not, want not", stick the nozzle back in.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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At the risk of sounding *very* stupid - but hey I'm used to it - if I put the nozzle too far in I get the click very quickly. On the rare occasions that I actually 'fill up', I do have to perform sleight of hand movements to fool the filler-upper that I am actually serious about wanting more than a fiver's worth.
Getting carried away and letting it do what it wants when one only has a tenner on one is not good either.
HF
'Don't get to post very often anymore, and boy when I do I know you all wish I'd opted for oblivion'.
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HF,
it sounds like the diesel is frothing when you're filling up and fooling the nozzle into thinking the tank is full - hence why it is shutting off. Try *pouring* the diesel in at a slower rate, ie, squeeze the trigger half way in and not all the way. It will take a little longer but at least the pump won't keep shutting off every few seconds.
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Thank you, as always, DD. :)
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Dan G.
Throth - what a great way to spell it !
The correct way is of course "froth", unless you are from Essex or are under 21, wear a baseball cap backwards, trousers that fit someone considerable larger than you, drive a daft Nova and still go trick-or-treating, in which case it is "froff" :o)
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