Gas station pumps and my car don't get along

PurdueGuy · 12-05-2005, 05:28 AM

I don't know if this is my car, or the pumps, but since it doesn't happen with our LeSabre, I'm led to think it's something about the car.

Whenever I go to fill up with gas in our '99 SC1, I have trouble setting the arm that clicks into place so that the pump will keep pumping without me standing at the handle. If I lock the handle in place all the way, as if I were squeezing the handle all the way, it shuts itself off, like when the car is full of gas. It will do this after only a second or two, no matter if the tank has 2 gallons or 10 gallons it in. Usually, I can get away with setting it on the first click, the one that squeezes the handle the least, and it works fine. Sometimes it wont' even do that, and I have to stand holding the thing barely squeezing it, gas trickling into the tank.

This is frustrating, not only because of the inconvenience of having slow pumping, and sometimes having to manually stand there, but it also messes with my fuel economy records. The records are just for my own info, but it still screws them up any time that I have to manually operate the pump.

Is this just a characteristic of the car, or is there a way to fix this?

GoldieGoldie97 · 12-05-2005, 05:39 AM

note: here in jersey, we have crazy foreign people to do it for us..

however, i have done it myself w/ goldie, and i found that like the toyota and maxima, you have to hold the handle up near the back *somewhat like tipping it into the gas hole*, then click the handle to lock it, then drop it down to let it sit.

took me a good 5 minutes to get the damn gas to flow into the tank! quite embarrasing if i may say so myself..

vms150 · 12-05-2005, 05:59 AM

here in MA they disabled all the click in things cause someone like somehow left it on and it fell on the ground and never shut off and it poured like 80 gallons of fuel into the rain basin which then goes to the river. blah blah blah, EPA had a fit, i kno the deal, but anyway i take my gas cap and just stick it in between the actual "trigger" i'll call it and the bottom part of the handle. works like a charm and shuts off when full

PurdueGuy · 12-05-2005, 06:06 AM

That still wouldn't work, at least not with the pumps around here. When they click off, it disingages the handle, so it can still be squeezed, but it wont' pump anymore. Wedging something in there would be just like me standing there holding the handle tight - when it clicks off, the handle is still held tight. Instead, I have to squeeze the handle juuust the right amount so that it actually pumps something, but not so much it shuts off.

vms150 · 12-05-2005, 06:19 AM

hmmm, have you tryed getting the handle at vertical as you can and doing it that way becuase that is how i have to get mine started then i can let it just rest and stick the cap in

Coldsolderjoint · 12-05-2005, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldieGoldie97

note: here in jersey, we have crazy foreign people to do it for us..

+1

ionmy1 · 12-05-2005, 02:58 PM

the fuel flow from the nozzle is too much volume wise for the size of the intake tube to the gas tank... so basically so much fuel is flowing it clogs the line for a sec and the pump thinks you're full so it shuts off. I've had the problem with smaller cars before (including 93 SW2). Just dont put it at full throttle...

my99sl1 · 12-05-2005, 03:08 PM

hmm i don't think i ever had a full tank on my car lol

PurdueGuy · 12-05-2005, 04:17 PM

I'll try the putting it in at an angle thing, probably today (I think I'm down to 1/4 tank anyway). Thanks!

Randomidiot · 12-05-2005, 11:59 PM

You could also try not shoving the nozzle in so far. I had that problem on my old 76 Grand Prix. If I just shoved the nozlzle in and started it, I would have to keep redoing it. If I shoved it in partway and clicked the handle, it would go until it was full.

Of course, I needed a new tank full by the time I got to the next gas station, but still.