Anne's AWD Note Log

2013 Subaru Legacy
Property of wally. Added Feb 23 2014

Showing all notes

Oct 24 2017

If you wish to fill the tank full, you should allow the handle to click off by itself — once — then hang up the nozzle and pay for your gas. Topping off is when you keep clicking the handle to get a bit more and a bit more gas in the tank. This is a problem with modern cars - anything in the last 30 years, basically. These cars have vapor recovery systems. These systems take the vapors off the top of the tank at the filler hose and keep them from entering the atmosphere. It is a pollution reduction system. This system has a charcoal canister. It is designed to deal with vapors, not liquids. If you keep clicking the gas pump handle to put a bit more and a bit more gas in there, you risk filling the vapor recovery system with liquid gas. This can damage the vapor recovery system, turn on your check engine light and cost you money. Let the gas handle shut off by itself - once, then hang up the hose. Do be aware, that sometimes those handles don’t click off by themselves every once in awhile, so stand close as you fill your car and be ready to turn it off yourself if necessary. NOTE ADDED: The above works if your car’s evaporative emissions system is in working order and the gas station nozzle is in working order. If the gas station nozzle doesn’t work, use a different pump or a different gas station. If the gas nozzle clicks off before your tank is full and this happens most of the time, regardless of what station or pump you are using, then there is something wrong with your tank’s evaporative emissions system and you should probably get it fixed.

Added by wally on Oct 24 2017 at 7:33 pm