Hello:
Noticed this 2 subsequent fuel ups so far.....last week, I fueled up at a Chevron station, and I would squeeze the trigger and I would hear/feel the gasoline coming through the hose/pump, and after a couple gallons the pump would shut off, as if the tank was full (it was not, gas gauge was at 1/2 and did lots of driving that day lol).

No, the gasoline wasn't leaking out of the tank, or under the car, or anything like that, no "unusual" gas smell or anything...

Well, that was 2-3 weeks ago...now last night, I went to fill up at a Shell station (let it be known, neither of these stations are my "typical" station of choice to fill up.....but I knew I needed fuel hehe) and yet again, the pump kept shutting off as if the tank was full....

And this time it was NOT full, it was almost on E....heh.


So, is this a mechanical problem with my vehicle? If so, what could it be?

Or is this just 2 "fluke incidents" of crazy/defective gas station pumps? As I said, these fill ups were spaced out 2-3 weeks or so...it was funny, cause my passenger was like [censored], are you having difficulties? And I was like no, it won't stay pumping! and I knew the gas tank was not "full" because like I said, it was almost to the E, and my typical fill up is 10 gallons, and the pump was cutting off even after like 2 gallons...


Could it be an obstruction of some sort? How does these pumps work? I'm guessing they work by vacuum or something, and as they gush the gasoline into the tank, they get a sense of how much emptiness is left in the tank?


Anyways, as a last resort I just barely put the petrol pump into my fuel tank, and pushed the trigger, and that actually seemed to work a "little bit" better, albeit having to actually "hold" the pump (rather than it resting in my fuel tank....).


Any ideas?

I've had this happen occasionally. Sometimes it's a pump that is pumping too fast. Other times, I didn't have the nozzle in far enough. I doubt there is anything wrong with your fuel inlet. Just use one of the lower flow settings.

Some of the pumps use an air pressure sensor to cut off the gas flow.As the gas tank fills, the air pressure increases(esp when the filler neck is reached)which trips the shutoff .Back when i pumped gas for a living there were a few models of car that would trigger the shutoff after a gallon or two.You had to pump the gas at a very low flow or position the nozzle where it was angled and allowed more air to escape.The gas stations you stopped at may have a different(higher) flow rate on their pumps from what you are used and if you pumped like you normally would it could trigger the sensor.There could be differences in the nozzle design or sensor setting that do not work well with your car.
Or it could just have been flukes.lol

Yeah, it happens. VERY ANNOYING when you're in a hurry. It's almost 99.9% an issue with the gas station. Don't worry about your car. If it keep happening every time you fill-up at every gas station, then start to wonder. But until then, just use another pump / station.

More than often it's smog pumps too, the ones with the bellows you have to jam against your filler neck.

My cutlass ciera used to do this randomly. Sometimes holding the filler "gangsta style" helps.

In addition to those good suggestions, inspect under the car to look for any damage to the filler tube or tank.

Use the lowest lock position on the nozzles if you did not try that already.

My Ford Explorer does this when I am filling it from just about empty.It's the air/fumes rushing out of an almost empty tank.

Ok. I kinda figured it had to be the pump itself. At the Chevron station (the first time it happened) it had me and my buddies thinking maybe the station just ran out of gas, cause I put $10 or so in, and then finally gave up, cause the trigger just wouldn't stay, and wasn't about to go spraying gasoline on the cement lol..I'll just have to pay more attention next time I pump. I generally stick to the same station, but being that I was inthe area, I used those stations.


And yea, we don't have "smog pumps" here, just the typical pump with the ring around the trigger to stop gas from possibly splashing back at ya. but I do know what you're referring to from my visits to California