I arrived home Saturday afternoon and saw that gasoline was on the carport floor and was dripping out the fuel tank door. The temperature that day was 98F. I has filled the tank on Friday morning and it was an equally hot day and no problem. Is the heat causing this to happen or somthing else? Any solution other than to not fill tank completely?
If you pack the tank with gasoline when the ambient temperature is cool and the temperture increases later, this can cause pressure to build in the gas tank. This pressure can then force gasoline out of the fill tube.
Tester
Even though the ambient temperature the day you filled your car was high, the gas was stored under ground and probably only about 60?. Once it hit 98? things changed.
Most manufacturers say that we should not “burp” the gas tank as we fill up. Once the pump clicks off, quit pumping. This allows the tank to have some air capacity where the pressure Tester mentioned can reside safely without hurting other components of your emissions system. The exception MIGHT be where you were on a road trip and expecting to be a gallon lower in the next 20 minutes.
Just don’t fill it to the top on such hot days. Tester nailed it, gas will expand on such a hot day. Where was it 98 degrees on Saturday? Rocketman
Thanks for the feedback. That was my theory, but it helps to have positive reinforcement. I live in Guadalajara Mexico, which explains the heat. Here we can’t pump our own gas so I’ll mention the advice to the attendant next time.