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Question for auto mechanics

CS8161
Bought my wife a 2001 Mercury Sable, one owner car, super clean, low miles, runs great, but when we go to fill up the gas tank, no matter if you put the nozzle all the way in, halfway in, wherever, it is very hard to get the pump to keep running, it keeps kicking off like the tank is full, even when its empty. What causes that, is it air in the tank?
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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • wwg55
    That is why it has low miles, the previous owner couldn't put gas in it.
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  • wwg55
    seriously the vent that lets the air aout as the gas goes in is probably blocked, most likely a rubber hose pinched off somewhere between the tank and the filler neck
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  • Tartersauce
    Pop open your hood and look for the charcoal canister. Could be behind your plastic bumper cover also. Find the line that runs from your gas tank to that charcoal canister....it is supposed to receive vapors from the gas tank to save our planet...and sends those vapors to the engine when it is running.

    There is likely a malfunctioning valve on that canister preventing gas tank fumes from leaving the fuel tank...and the gas station pump is detecting excessive pressure due to the faulty valve/canister.

    My theory anyways. Emission systems suck.
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  • Sawz
    My f350 does the same thing on the rear tank. its the filler hose has a tight bend in it. Some guys fix it by cutting the hose a bit and putting it back on. Ive just learned to hold the nozzle up so the tip centers in the hose better . pain in the butt
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  • Cubslover
    Some filler necks can't vent fast enough on those high flow fuel pumps, you'll just have to fill it slower. No problems, nothing wrong.
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  • tr fox
    quote:Originally posted by Tartersauce
    Pop open your hood and look for the charcoal canister. Could be behind your plastic bumper cover also. Find the line that runs from your gas tank to that charcoal canister....it is supposed to receive vapors from the gas tank to save our planet...and sends those vapors to the engine when it is running.

    There is likely a malfunctioning valve on that canister preventing gas tank fumes from leaving the fuel tank...and the gas station pump is detecting excessive pressure due to the faulty valve/canister.

    My theory anyways. Emission systems suck.






    Or it could be that charcoal cannister has been damaged and is not functioning right. This can happen when, as we all do, when filling up and letting the pump run by itself and it automatically shuts off, don't most of us try and "top" off the tank? Sometimes this can cause an overfill and run gas into the charcoal cannister when said cannister is only designed to accept fumes.
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