If “Don’t Top Off, Bill” is a Costco customer this could be his problem: At my Costco station the gas nozzles must be pressed against the gas tank nozzle to maintain flow into the tank. When this pressure is released the gas flow cuts off and cannot be restarted without starting a new purchase. Costco’s aim, to prevent topping off, works but it can prevent fill-ups if the purchaser doesn’t pay attention.
Good to know, thanks
I couldn’t get any gas in my Vespa due to this new gadget. The attendant showed me that you could override it by pulling backwards on the rubber bumper part. I had to do it the entire time to fill (it took 0.7 gallons!). It sounds like it would not work if the pump had already shut off.
A while back I saw a well dressed young guy top off while yacking on his cell phone, he dumped about a half gallon down the side of his car and the ground before we could get his attention and get him to stop. How he was so oblivious to that befuddles me.
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I’m tempted to suggested the problem may in fact not be Costco, but your car’s evaporative emissions system
And just because the check engine light isn’t on and there’s no codes still doesn’t mean everything’s working perfectly
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I would havexpected the automatic shut off to instantly stop the flowhen gasoline reached the nozzle.
I locate and memorizEMERGENCY SHUT-OFF BUTTONS.
Years ago a good spill occurred at a gastation in Lakewood, Coloradope.
A man discovered his pickup truck was on fire and logically pulled into the gastation for help.
Somehow they managed to burn the whole place down.
What state is this in? In Florida I’ve never had any problem using the pump to completely top off my tank.
CSA
North Chesterfield, Virginia (near Richmond)
It wasn’t a problem until a few months ago. Then the attendant was busy informing us of the change. Now we know.
The one near Chesterfield Towne Center? I’ve used the one on Broad street in Richmond, and never had the problem.
You must live in an area that has those spring-loaded vapor sealing gas pumps. You can buy an adapter for those for filling up a motorcycle (or moped) without trouble. One type is a metal clip that holds the rubber bumper part with the spring compressed. Another type is a big yellow rubber ring that you put on the mouth of your gas tank to hold the bumper but still get a seal with it to trap the gasoline fumes. I have a couple of them somewhere, but I can’t remember what they’re called.
I’ve seen those in California.
I live in California. Those hose condoms are everywhere and I ride motorcycles and scooters. Over time you learn to hold the thing back with 2 fingers of one hand while you fill the tank the old-fashioned way with the other. Most of the bikes I fill have a rod across the opening down inside a short way and if you don’t hold the bellows back you can not buy gas at all. Honestly, it’s just no big deal.
Has not happened by me yet, but 2 major gripes. The gas cans for lawnmowers etc no one at the store could help me figure out to work it, so I bought an old one at a garage sale. A year ago out 3 gallon gas can got stolen from our boat. The new one, can vent air in, but not out so while sitting in the sun was spewing gas out the motor into the water because the pressure was to much. I have to loosen the cap on the tank and all is good.
When I’m in the north I use Rec-90 (ethanol-free, 90 octane unleaded) gas in mowers, trimmers, and boat motors to prevent damaging the motors, particularly during long winter storage.
It is more expensive, but worth the cost to me, and strictly for off-road use (no road use taxes). Usually it is located away from the regular ethanol pumps at stations to avoid confusion and to make it easier to fill containers.
Anyhow, I’d be curious to know if Rec-90 nozzles (at stations with those vapor sealing gadgets on their pump nozzles) have just normal nozzles on them or if they even sell Rec-90 at all.
CSA
They had those around here many years ago. They lasted a couple of years and then disappeared. A major PITA to deal with and these did not complete the sale if you let off pressure. They could easily be restarted by resuming pressure and pulling the handle again. They were replaced by vapor recovery systems that don’t need this problematic adapter. Good luck if you live where they have been installed…
Yes, the new gadgets were just installed here. It looks like it just takes two hands on the nozzle to override it.
Question: if I used it as sealed (car or moped), where does the vapor go? back up another hose and back to the stations big tank? Is the big tank sealed when it is filled? Where does that vapor go? …back to the truck? When does the truck get vented?
I think most of your theories are correct. I believe the vapor goes into a system that condenses it and channels the liquid gasoline back to storage. The storage tanks are also vented into the recapture system. Just another reason why gas costs about $1 more a gallon here in California.
Of course, openly venting it to the atmosphere also has its costs. Great answer to my questions!
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Another elegant engineering solution to fix a non-existent problem.
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