Really weird problem: Have to fill with fuel very slowly

[Kido1986]

Past few weeks, the fill ups I have done have been very difficult. Every gas station I visit (I've tried multiple different stations, brands, etc), clicks off, as if the tank is full, as soon as I start pumping anywhere near full speed.

I originally attributed this to a few particular stations but then I returned to the station where I've been filling the car primarily for the past year and it does it too!

If I pull the handle more than 40-50%, it clicks off as if I'm full. At one station, it caused an overfill when my tank was near bone dry, filled fuel all over the car! I'm getting around 2 gallons per minute, if I'm good enough to never pull too far.

You can hear the fuel level getting high in the filler tube as if you're getting close to full, too. It's like my filler tube has shrunk. This has only been occurring over the past month. Car is nearly 2 years old, 29k on it.

Has anyone else experienced this? Going to take it to the dealer for this soon, just not sure when.

[Gaiseric]

It goes away and that's all I know, happened to me I thought it had something to do with air and pressure but Idk

[kodyo]

Found this article that might help:
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/globe-d...service=mobile

[kiichiro]

Check for kinked line

[HapaHaole]

Sounds like a possible EVAP system issue.

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by Kido1986

Past few weeks, the fill ups I have done have been very difficult. Every gas station I visit (I've tried multiple different stations, brands, etc), clicks off, as if the tank is full, as soon as I start pumping anywhere near full speed.

I originally attributed this to a few particular stations but then I returned to the station where I've been filling the car primarily for the past year and it does it too!

If I pull the handle more than 40-50%, it clicks off as if I'm full. At one station, it caused an overfill when my tank was near bone dry, filled fuel all over the car! I'm getting around 2 gallons per minute, if I'm good enough to never pull too far.

You can hear the fuel level getting high in the filler tube as if you're getting close to full, too. It's like my filler tube has shrunk. This has only been occurring over the past month. Car is nearly 2 years old, 29k on it.

Has anyone else experienced this? Going to take it to the dealer for this soon, just not sure when.

I also had this issue when my car was only a few weeks old. Turns out the tank has to be half empty before I can fill up, otherwise I would have the problem you described. I've asked a lot of people and this seems to be the thing with Japanese cars. With my previous Golf GTI I can fill up whenever I want regardless of how much petro I have left in the tank.

[Kido1986]

That's not the issue here; it happened when I was running on fumes as well

[White64Goat]

Have you tried turning the gas nozzle a different direction? I've had a couple of cars that you had to hold the nozzle at like a 4 or 8 o'clock position in stead of the usual 6 o'clock position.

[krayzie]

The dealer told me there's a vent for the gas tank that can get clogged up with spiderwebs or other foreign objects that can cause this problem, and once they clear this vent (which is a neck that runs parallel to the fuel filler), this problem should go away. They said they have seen this even with new cars sitting on the lot.

[mid_life_crisis]

Never experienced it with this car but my teenager's old PT Cruiser did it. It was brutal. You could barely get it to take gas at all. Turned out there is a filter in the evap system that gets screwed up if you "top off" the gas when you fill up, which his biological father taught him to do. Odd thing is that replacing the filter only worked for a while and it came back even though the kid swears he stopped topping the car off.

[andrew20195]

Originally Posted by krayzie

The dealer told me there's a vent for the gas tank that can get clogged up with spiderwebs or other foreign objects that can cause this problem, and once they clear this vent (which is a neck that runs parallel to the fuel filler), this problem should go away. They said they have seen this even with new cars sitting on the lot.

Originally Posted by mid_life_crisis

Never experienced it with this car but my teenager's old PT Cruiser did it. It was brutal. You could barely get it to take gas at all. Turned out there is a filter in the evap system that gets screwed up if you "top off" the gas when you fill up, which his biological father taught him to do. Odd thing is that replacing the filter only worked for a while and it came back even though the kid swears he stopped topping the car off.

Both of these situations could cause this problem. It basically comes down to either the vapor recovery valve is sticking or the air passage is clogged somehow.

[Kido1986]

It sounds blocked. You can hear it getting 'full' right away when you start pumping, like thereis air filling too much space.

Going to the dealer tomorrow to service

[neutron256]

This sounds like the evaporative emissions filter is clogged. When filling do you stop when it clicks off or do you pull the handle a few more times to top it off? Topping off like that can cause fuel to flood the filter and clog it.

[CaptDale]

Some people have had issues with the inside of the fuel filler hose collapsing. The inner liner falls off of the outer so you can't see it till you take off the tube and look inside. Dealer should replace under warranty.