I Like Hondas

Tonight I was filling up at the gas station with my friend and it clicked when it was full and I did an extra little tap on the pump. He told me not to do it because that gas doesn't go to the actuall gas tank but an overflow. And if the overflow gets full the car wont start. Is there any truth in that?

Perfectionist

Kind of true. You run the risk of getting liquid fuel in the vapor recovery system. Might trigger a CEL. There is no "overflow". The car will start, though.

I Like Hondas

Cool, thanks for clearing that up.

CynthiaK

Has anyone else had a problem with the pump handle safety shutoff tab not clicking off when filling up at the pumps?

I have been to two different Valero gas stations in the past month and had gas overflow out of my tank, down the side of my car and onto the ground because the pump handle never clicked off. The first time it happened I figured it was a faulty handle and reported it to the clerk (who didn't seem to care). The second time I also reported it and got some money back, but since it happened at two different locations (still both Valero), I began to wonder if it wasn't a defect in my car. Is this a common problem? I previously had a 1995 VW Golf and never had this problem in all the 15 years I owned it.

Thanks!
Cynthia

TunerN00b

There is a vent tube that the pump uses to shutoff when the fuel in the tank reaches the bottom of the tube. If the tube broke short, developed a hole, or is missing, then the scenario you describe here could happen.

Some people cut down that tube to increase the amount of fuel you can get into the tank in some cars (Jeeps especially).

Worried driver

I drive a Honda CRV 2004 which I bought new. Over the next five years, the gas actually fountained out of the tank on me four times. The first time, the dealership must have thought I was nuts - I certainly did. That had NEVER happened to me with any other car I've ever driven. But then a year would go by and it wouldn't happen again.

I NEVER over-fill the tank. When the pump clicks off, I take the nozzle out and put it away and by the time I turn back to the car to put the gas cap back on, there's gas pouring out, running down the side of the car and onto the tires and hot brakes. This is definitely a fire hazard.

But the problem was so intermittent that the dealer couldn't replicate it, and so there was nothing to be done, they told me. Just less than two years ago, it happened again and I'd had it. I took it back to the dealer (out of warranty unfortunately) and insisted that they find out what the problem was. They told me then that there are valves inside the tank and that one of the pressure valves had gone bad and unfortunately, the pressure valve was integral to the tank so that the entire tank had to be replaced, a quite expensive repair. However, the repair manager was very good in negotiating the price with Honda and the end result was that I paid for the tank (about $300 I think) and was not charged for the labor.

Now, here I am again, just about two years later after a brand new gas tank was installed, the problem suddenly happened again. Gas flowed freely, actually spouting out of the tank when I removed the gas nozzle. Again, I had not overfilled it. I almost always use Marathon gas, as I was told to do.

I am very, very concerned about the fire hazard of all that gas hitting hot brakes on my car. This is going to be one of those fireballs that goes viral on the net! It's awfully scary when it happens. I have lost as much as a half liter at least, of gas in this manner. It has now happened to me FIVE times since I bought this vehicle. This seems to me to be a HONDA DESIGN FAULT and I do not feel that I should be replacing gas tanks over and over again. Can you help me to better understand what's going that would cause the gas to overflow and how it can be corrected?

bgirl711

Thanks for the response Worried driver. I never considered that the problem could be related to the speed of the gas pump. I guess the dealership hasn't either because they are still planning to replace my fuel tank. Not sure if I should cancel the repair or not.

holmesnmanny

If your car is new enough they should be doing it for free considering how dangerous it is to have fuel spray all over the place and you. If not, contact your district honda office and ask if they can do a goodwill service.

Hondaguy83

Your car will always start even if its over filled. There's no reason y it wouldn't.

Hondaguy83

Many cars have a float that seals off the vent valve to the canister called a fuel vapor control valve.

bgirl711

That makes sense to me and I will certainly try, but so far they have not agreed and I'm expecting to be out at least $1200. My car is now 8 years old so they are probably less inclined to cover the cost for that type of repair. However, I'm still hopeful that after some discussion they will agree to reimburse.

Another interesting twist - I was expecting my car to be ready on Friday but they called me and said that they would need to keep it until Tuesday because the replacement tank they just installed also had "a leak". A brand new leaking tank sounds odd to me and makes me wonder if they are repairing the wrong part. I'm just glad they realized the repair did not work before I took it home.

This whole situation is so strange and has shaken my confidence in Honda products.

holmesnmanny

I'm not sure where you live but you might be best served if you live in a major metropolitan area to contact a local news station if you know of one that has a reporter that doesn't "on your side" segments. These guys normally bring enough attention to something such as yours that the company decides to take action so that they don't get negative attention.