Over Filling Your Gas Tank

What you might not be aware of is that something that seems as innocent as over filling your fuel tank can actually cause more harm than good. It’s tempting when you are at the pump to round the meter to the next round dollar amount, particularly if you are paying with cash.

Gas station attendants will sometimes try to do the same, avoiding having to give coins as change.

Once the sensor clicks, they might go for just .40 more to make it an even dollar amount. What can it hurt? Well, what you may not realize is that this can actually be harmful to your vehicle and cause some unnecessary damage to your vehicle's system, that can result in some costly repairs.

Charcoal canisters:

The charcoal canister, or carbon filter are designed for vapor only, when the gas tank is overfilled it can cause liquid gas to enter them therefore causing damage.

Vents:

The evaporation system that is meant to vent the fuel tank pressure can become damaged by overfilling. Expense you can avoid: When the tank is overfilled, all of the excess fuel is sent to the evap/charcoal canister. That will diminish the life of the canister which causes emission problems. Your car’s performance can be affected by gas in the system.

By making sure the tank is full by checking the gauge, a poor performing evap system can cause issues when fueling. There can also be an issue without the Check Engine Light being illuminated on the dashboard. Our skilled technicians can evaluate and make recommendations to help fix the problem and prevent further damage.

Tip: It is a good practice not to run a fuel tank below ¼ of a tank as the fuel keeps the fuel pump cool.