Hello…I recently have had an issue when filling the gas tank in my 2001 Camry. For the second time now, and at a different gas station, the gas hose shuts off automatically even the gas tank is not full. When I begin to refill, it shuts off again. This reoccurs after like every half gallon. Please comment on what could be causing the problem. The car runs fine otherwise. Thanks.
It is either of two problems.
Modern cars have a ball-like device in the filler pipe to prevent gas spillage in the event of a rollover accident. If this device is “jammed” in place, it can prevent proper filling of the gas tank. The cure is to thread a long piece of thin hose down the filler neck in order to move the ball downward to its correct position.
The other, more common possibility is that someone has been overfilling the tank. If you or another driver of this car has been in the habit of continuing to force more gas into the tank after the pump at the gas station “clicks off” for the first time, then that has led to damage to the Evaporative Emissions System. The damage could involve a valve in the system, or it could involve the expensive carbon canister that is the heart of the system, or it could involve both.
If you need to replace the carbon canister, you can expect to pay about $400 for this repair. That is why there is a statement on the gas cap about not overfilling the tank.
It’s sounds like a problem with the ORVR (On-board Refueling Vapor Recovery) system.
Have someone remove the hoses to the carbon canister next to the gas tank and check for any restrictions in the hoses. There have been reports of spiders building nests in this system causing difficulty when refueling the vehicle.
Tester