Am I the olny one or can everyone else put another 2 gallons in their car after the trigger clicks when you are filling up with gas? Does anyone know why it won't just fill up all the way?

 

Nah, i'm with you on that one. The first time i got the car it took 12 gallons. Now when i fill it up it only takes like 10. The gas pumps work off of registering fumes tho. So maybe the way our cars are they don't vent enough fumes (meaning maybe the nozzle fits tightly) out so the pump thinks it's fuller than it really is.

 

well i have heard of some cars having this problem, try pumping the gas slower to relieve more pressure in the tank.

 

i just did this the other day. put another 5 bucks worth of fuel in there... filled her right to the brim. it is the pump. when it gets any kinda backpressure or splash back, it thinks it is full.

 

If its empty I hold it down for about a half a tank and then just let it run on the first click till it stops. Then I just barely hold it down so it just trickles. I quit when has is pooling just below the cap everytime. holds about alittle over a gallon more that way.

 

Not to be nit-picky, but you guys are hurting your mileage by doing that. If you don't care about mileage, that's cool and the point is moot, but we're in the fuel efficiency section, so I assume you do. You're also probably paying for gas that you're not actually getting into your tank thanks to the EVAP recovery system they have installed into the pumps, designed to keep pollutants out of the air (might not be MUCH gas that you're not getting, but it's there). I go to three or four different gas stations, and I always get a full tank on the first click. Filling the tank more slowly is definitely beneficial, I always run the pump on the lowest notch.

If the nozzle is clicking too soon and you're only getting 3/4 or 7/8 of a tank, make a note of it, come back and try the same pump, same nozzle, with a different car. If the pump clicks off at a similar point, the EVAP system in the pump is probably in need of a look-see, notify the attendant (who just might notify the owner if you're lucky) and you'll probably save a lot of other drivers money by having the station owner get the pump repaired. Go to a different pump, or a different station the next time if you can.

If other cars can fill up properly, meaning a full tank on the click-off, on the same pump (esp. another Cobalt), or if you can't get a good fill-up at ANY station you go to, get your car checked. I don't know about the Cobalt, but my '00 Neon had a problem about 3 years in where it wouldn't even let the pump sit on the first notch without clicking off within a second or two. Turns out I had jammed the nozzle in too hard at one point and damaged something (still don't know what), leading to splash-back and premature click-off of the pump.

 

Our cars do have a 2 gallon reserve, that might be it
I don't keep clicking once it shuts of the first time
Saw some girl at the gas station click the pump about 40 times
I wanted to run for cover and kill her at the same time

 

physics teacher said something like after it clicks and you try to get it to the last drop, the gas evaporates before it can be used cause its sloshed around so much.....i dunno just what he said

 

Just don't get splash back. Thats not good for the paint...

 

It ends up filling up the evap system, which is normally used for expansion of the vapor and such. Not advised, can result it wasted gas as excess pressure forces fuel vapor out into the atmosphere since the system can't work as designed.

 

when it clicks, you can put a little more in if you gently press the trigger
I'm going to try it to just stop at the first click next time
if I get the same miles per tank, then I know I wasted a gallon of gas

 

in a way its always good cuz its not good for ur fuel pump if you fill it up all the way to the top intill it cant hold no more.

 

Youre not supposed to fill the thing up to the top of the filler neck

When it shuts off youre usually very the top of the tank, fuel has just covered or is very close to the opening in the tank, thats all the fuel youre supposed to put in. As Joe said when you "rim it" like you guys are talking about youre filling up the fuel tank vent system, and if your one of those geniuses thats likes to fill up with the key on you can acutally fill up the EVAP system lines, the EVAP carbon canister, the EVAP vent lines..... Youll get quite a bit of extra fuel in there, I had a Cobalt towed in becuase it wouldnt run right at the gas station after a fillup. This person had put almost 15 gallons of gas in the car, and filled essentially the entire EVAP system with fuel, all the way up to the purge valve in the engine bay. As soo n as the car started the purge valve would oipen and this was just literally suckin in as much fuel as it could. Fuel was dripping out of charcoal canister, it was awesome. Only time Id ever seen that haapen to such a degree. Cost the owner over $400 when it was all said and done, and the gas station attendant and the owners story jived,it clicked off once and then they put it on slow fill. This happened.

 

I remember learning all about this in Evap class. We had a car come in just like in Maven's story.

 

i have had the problem at even half tank before i just clicked off. i do however never go below 1/4 tank and never put in over 10.8 gallons.

 

I just guestimate, my needle is acurate, half means about 6.5 gallons.

 

Yea bro I was a dealer tech for 6 years and first thing we learned in EVAP class was to advise the customers that once its full not to let the attendent keep topping it off.

 

shouldnt do this. your filling up all the evap lines. your making the system not work as intended

 

So if we did fill up the evap lines will it just fix itself the first few times and we shouldn't do it again or did we screw it up the first time we did it.

 

As long as you didnt flood them completely and the car continues as normal you are fine but it is never something you should knowingly do