I have a 1999 Camry with 90k miles and recently when I go to fill up the gas tank, the gas pump clicks as if the tank is full even though it is not. What is causing this and how do I fix it? Thank you
Have you been topping off the tank? If so that’s why. Take a look in the glove box and under the fuel cover and see if it does not warn you not to top off the tank. That could be the cause of your problem. You may have damaged the vapor recovery system.
It must have been an accident because when I fill up the car, as soon as I hear the click, I stop putting gas in the car.
Use the search feature of this board to see many past discussions. Try “slow fill” and “pump clicks off”.
Find a flexible switch about 4 feet long and run it down the filler neck which may dislodge a stuck anti-spill roll-over check valve. This is the usual problem.
Have you been topping off the tank? If so that’s why. Probably not on a 1999 Camry. Both the four and six cylinder engines vent the gas tank to the top of the filler pipe during fueling. The drawing is a little ambiguous, the vent line may come off something called a “Fill Check valve”. If it does and that valve were to stick closed, that might cause problems during fueling.
The fuel vapors exiting the tank while the pump nozzle is filling are supposed to go through the vapor recovery canister. This is part of the Onboard Fill Vapor Recovery system. The gas remaining after the vapor has been adsorbed by the activated charcoal is either dumped overboard or up high on the filler neck. There is a shut off valve that closes the fill vent when the tank reaches the correct filled level. This valve will prevent liquid gasoline from going into the recovery canister. There is a second shut off valve for the evaporative recovery line to keep liquid gasoline from getting to the canister during ordinary operation. This float valve is higher than the fill float valve allowing a useable vapor space above the liguid. If the fill shut off valve becomes stuck closed; the tubing to the canister becomes clogged or kinked; the canister open valve is stuck closed; the canister is saturated with liquid fuel; or the canister air dump valve is not opening, the tank will not vent correctly and the pump will click off too soon.
You will need to have those parts of the system checked. IIRC Toyota tanks don’t have a antiback flow or spill valve on the filler tube.
Hope this helps.
It’s still not entirely clear to me whether the 1999 Camry has Onboard Vapor Recovery System or not, but while researching it, I came across this thread http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=223757 wherein several people assert that gas fill problems on Camrys can be caused by spider webs filling up a hose (presumably the “Air Drain Hose”) on the charcoal cannister and that cleaning them out cures the problem.
My gut feeling is that they can’t possibly be serious, but I’ve been wrong before and it certainly would be nice if an annoying problem can be cleared up that easily and cheaply. The Cannister is apparently located under the car and to the rear of the gas tank. I’d check but the Camry has gone visiting, and besides, it’s dark and too damp out there tonight to go crawling under cars.
There are a lot of spiders on my yard; this is a possibility. Thanks