Gas tank not filling up...

SaMaster18 · 07-19-2012, 04:12 PM

Hey guys, so today I went to go get gas and the tank wouldn't fill up all the way.

This happened once before, but that time I fiddled with it a bit and it finally filled the tank up.

I normally fill up around 1/4 of a tank, so I usually put in between 9-11 gallons to fill it up all the way to full. Today, about 3 gallons went in and then the pump released... I knew that wasn't right, so I fiddled. Another 3 or so gallons went in and then it released again. Still low. I decided to hold down manually, but the pump kept forcing me to release every 3-4 seconds. Finally, I gave up after putting in about 8 gallons. When I got back in the car, it was only 3/4 full (I knew this was going to happen).

Anyone know what is wrong? How can I fix this?

Someone told me I might have air pockets in my gas tank which is forcing the pump to release... but after 5 or 6 times of holding down the pump and having it force release, I didn't want to keep trying until I got to 10 gallons...

any help or info would be appreciated!

#Tee · 07-19-2012, 04:15 PM

lol he said air pockets, try another pump before you blame the new car.

SaMaster18 · 07-19-2012, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StretchNpoke

lol he said air pockets, try another pump before you blame the new car.

I have. It's happened at two different pumps. One, as I said, filled the car up once I fiddled a bit. But the one today just wouldn't fill up my car.

Gas station is pretty respectable, and it definitely sees nice new cars being right in Beverly Hills... if this was happening with all of the cars that go there, I don't think they would be in business.

Patrick303 · 07-19-2012, 04:21 PM

Whenever I've experienced this, it's usually due to the nozzle not being pushed all the way into the car. This causes spash back that triggers the pump to shut off.

#Tee · 07-19-2012, 04:25 PM

Ive experienced this as well, and didnt happen on other gas pumps. Prolly needs some maintenance.

SaMaster18 · 07-19-2012, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StretchNpoke

Ive experienced this as well, and didnt happen on other gas pumps. Prolly needs some maintenance.

I'll get it checked out if it happens another time.

Thanks for the answers guys. Just a weird issue... never heard of it happeneing before. Thankfully it's my only issue, everything else about my car has been perfect!

E90Company · 07-19-2012, 04:36 PM

Just move out to Florida where we have good pumps and 93

All seriousness, it's the pump, not your car.

Turb0Surge · 07-19-2012, 04:39 PM

LOL that was a funny read. Definitely the pump and not the car.

SaMaster18 · 07-19-2012, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E90Company

Just move out to Florida where we have good pumps and 93

All seriousness, it's the pump, not your car.

Haha. I do have family out there. I love the Boca and Miami areas.

I would love to have a second home there one day (I'm still attending university at the moment... so I don't really even have a first home unless you count my parents')

Regardless... why would this happen with two different pumps at two different gas stations? And it's not like it has been happening ever since I got the car... it just started the last two times.

If it happens again, especially if it is the next time I gas up, I'll probably take it in to get checked out anyways

Turb0Surge · 07-19-2012, 04:41 PM

What patrick719 said. Maybe you're not putting it in all of the way.

(no that's what she said jokes)

John 070 · 07-19-2012, 04:48 PM

What you're experiencing is actually FFRA (Federal Fuel Recovery Act of 2012). Each time the pump stops, the price per gallon is increased by 30 cents. I had it happen to me too--last week gas was 3.189, and today it was 3.629. It's annoying, but we all have to help recover the fuel.

fidiv · 07-19-2012, 04:52 PM

when this happens to me, its usually at chevron. i've found their pumps to be especially troublesome.

VTECaddict · 07-19-2012, 04:55 PM

It's happened to me many times at different stations/pumps. What usually helps for me is setting it to the first stop so it's not pumping as fast, and hold the pump so the handle faces towards the back of the car.

DFW_M · 07-19-2012, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

What you're experiencing is actually FFRA (Federal Fuel Recovery Act of 2012). Each time the pump stops, the price per gallon is increased by 30 cents. I had it happen to me too--last week gas was 3.189, and today it was 3.629. It's annoying, but we all have to help recover the fuel.

I believe that was a FFRA 2000/2004...

Anyway, to the fellow IS OP:
I have experienced the same, mostly with the stupid Shell nozzles... Have not seen it with Chevron that does not have that plastic crap covering the nozzle

SaMaster18 · 07-19-2012, 05:29 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I'll try and change my gas filling up techniques lol.

MrRetep · 07-19-2012, 05:46 PM

meh happens to my car all the time with different pumps different gas stations...almost like the gas doesnt move into the tank fast enough so it stops the pump. I've found that leaving a tiny gap on side of the nozzle to either let air in or out (not sure which one it is lol) allows for stopless filling.

A4Andre · 07-19-2012, 06:01 PM

Happened to me before when i owned an audi. The attendant changed the fas nozzle and all was good.

jakobv84 · 07-19-2012, 06:03 PM

Same thing for me.. very annoying. Happens every now and then with a pump. I usually end up just filling it up for like $15 until I can't take it anymore and then drive on. I'll try the turning it so handle faces rear of car technique, but even holding it slowly up manually sometimes doesn't work for more than a few seconds.

JS82 · 07-19-2012, 11:19 PM

Same thing happened to my car a couple of months ago.
Wouldn't fill up all the way (only 3/4) and the remaining mileage was off.
Ran out of gas and got stuck with an empty tank because of that.
Turned out to be a bad fuel sensor that had to be replaced (covered under warranty).

kdbryce · 07-19-2012, 11:31 PM

if this is what i think, it used to happen to me

certain pumps wouldn't fill all the way

i just held the "trigger" down about halfway instead of all the way and it worked.

annoying and slow, but does the trick. worth a try.. could be the same thing

SaMaster18 · 07-20-2012, 12:03 AM

Thanks for all of the replies guys. Glad I'm not the only one with this problem. Im gonna change my gas pumping 'technique', but if it doesn't work, I'm gonna get it checked out.

Sam335ix · 07-20-2012, 07:19 AM

Try putting water based lube on it, I always do before I stick it in.. Oh wait wrong forum :-)

07-19-2012, 04:12 PM	#1
SaMaster18 Brigadier General 6479 Rep 4,098 Posts Drives: '23 G80 M3C xDrive; '13 e92 M3 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Southern California iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 BMW M3 [8.72] 2023 BMW M3 Competi ... [9.63]	Gas tank not filling up... Hey guys, so today I went to go get gas and the tank wouldn't fill up all the way. This happened once before, but that time I fiddled with it a bit and it finally filled the tank up. I normally fill up around 1/4 of a tank, so I usually put in between 9-11 gallons to fill it up all the way to full. Today, about 3 gallons went in and then the pump released... I knew that wasn't right, so I fiddled. Another 3 or so gallons went in and then it released again. Still low. I decided to hold down manually, but the pump kept forcing me to release every 3-4 seconds. Finally, I gave up after putting in about 8 gallons. When I got back in the car, it was only 3/4 full (I knew this was going to happen). Anyone know what is wrong? How can I fix this? Someone told me I might have air pockets in my gas tank which is forcing the pump to release... but after 5 or 6 times of holding down the pump and having it force release, I didn't want to keep trying until I got to 10 gallons... any help or info would be appreciated! __________________ @anglesstudios @em3thusiast '23 G80 M3 Comp xDrive Isle of Man Green on Kyalami Orange full leather - Carbon Buckets - CS Trans/Diff/Steering Coding 2013 E92 M3 Mineral White on Bamboo Beige noviello leather - DINAN Stage 1 and Free Flow Axle-Back Exhaust
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07-19-2012, 04:15 PM	#2
#Tee Major General 566 Rep 5,365 Posts Drives: yes Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Socal iTrader: (2)	lol he said air pockets, try another pump before you blame the new car. __________________ You can follow my builds on IG: Tee212
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07-19-2012, 04:21 PM	#4
Patrick303 Lieutenant 781 Rep 476 Posts Drives: 2022 e-tron S Sportback Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Denver, CO iTrader: (2) Garage List 2022 Audi e-tron S [0.00] 2024 Porsche Taycan 4S [10.00] 2017 Ducati Monster ... [0.00]	Whenever I've experienced this, it's usually due to the nozzle not being pushed all the way into the car. This causes spash back that triggers the pump to shut off. __________________ 2022 Audi e-tron S Sportback 2017 Ducati Monster 821
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07-19-2012, 04:25 PM	#5
#Tee Major General 566 Rep 5,365 Posts Drives: yes Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Socal iTrader: (2)	Ive experienced this as well, and didnt happen on other gas pumps. Prolly needs some maintenance. __________________ You can follow my builds on IG: Tee212
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07-19-2012, 04:36 PM	#7
E90Company Major General 208 Rep 6,136 Posts Drives: Car Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: FL iTrader: (2)	Just move out to Florida where we have good pumps and 93 All seriousness, it's the pump, not your car.
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07-19-2012, 04:39 PM	#8
Turb0Surge Lieutenant Colonel 111 Rep 1,555 Posts Drives: BLACK e90 335i Join Date: May 2012 Location: Lincoln, CA iTrader: (0)	LOL that was a funny read. Definitely the pump and not the car. __________________
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07-19-2012, 04:41 PM	#10
Turb0Surge Lieutenant Colonel 111 Rep 1,555 Posts Drives: BLACK e90 335i Join Date: May 2012 Location: Lincoln, CA iTrader: (0)	What patrick719 said. Maybe you're not putting it in all of the way. (no that's what she said jokes) __________________
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07-19-2012, 04:48 PM	#11
John 070 Lieutenant General 1859 Rep 14,850 Posts Drives: 335i cpe Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ZSP/ZPP/ZCW iTrader: (0)	What you're experiencing is actually FFRA (Federal Fuel Recovery Act of 2012). Each time the pump stops, the price per gallon is increased by 30 cents. I had it happen to me too--last week gas was 3.189, and today it was 3.629. It's annoying, but we all have to help recover the fuel.
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07-19-2012, 04:52 PM	#12
fidiv Private First Class 6 Rep 100 Posts Drives: 2008 e90 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (2)	when this happens to me, its usually at chevron. i've found their pumps to be especially troublesome.
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07-19-2012, 04:55 PM	#13
VTECaddict Where'd my VTEC go? 492 Rep 6,068 Posts Drives: 06 330i 6MT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (4)	It's happened to me many times at different stations/pumps. What usually helps for me is setting it to the first stop so it's not pumping as fast, and hold the pump so the handle faces towards the back of the car. __________________ AW/Terra \| ZSP \| ZPP \| ZCW \| iDrive \| CA Mods: BC BR coilovers \| Blacklines \| M-tech rear \| dual exhaust \| M3 steering wheel \| BMW SSK \| ZHP shift knob \| High-kick CF spoiler \| NBT Retrofit M3 front control arms \| M3 rear guide rods \| Manzo rear toe and camber links \| Monroe rear shock mounts \| Varrstoen ES1 19x9.5+20 Front, 19x11+25 rear
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07-19-2012, 05:29 PM	#15
SaMaster18 Brigadier General 6479 Rep 4,098 Posts Drives: '23 G80 M3C xDrive; '13 e92 M3 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Southern California iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 BMW M3 [8.72] 2023 BMW M3 Competi ... [9.63]	Thanks for the info guys. I'll try and change my gas filling up techniques lol. __________________ @anglesstudios @em3thusiast '23 G80 M3 Comp xDrive Isle of Man Green on Kyalami Orange full leather - Carbon Buckets - CS Trans/Diff/Steering Coding 2013 E92 M3 Mineral White on Bamboo Beige noviello leather - DINAN Stage 1 and Free Flow Axle-Back Exhaust
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07-19-2012, 05:46 PM	#16
MrRetep First Lieutenant 110 Rep 361 Posts Drives: 435i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Irvine CA iTrader: (3)	meh happens to my car all the time with different pumps different gas stations...almost like the gas doesnt move into the tank fast enough so it stops the pump. I've found that leaving a tiny gap on side of the nozzle to either let air in or out (not sure which one it is lol) allows for stopless filling.
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07-19-2012, 06:01 PM	#17
A4Andre Private 12 Rep 70 Posts Drives: 2008 328xi Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NYC iTrader: (2)	Happened to me before when i owned an audi. The attendant changed the fas nozzle and all was good.
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07-19-2012, 06:03 PM	#18
jakobv84 Private First Class 3 Rep 184 Posts Drives: 2009 E60 525xi Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark iTrader: (1) Garage List 2007 E90 335i [0.00]	Same thing for me.. very annoying. Happens every now and then with a pump. I usually end up just filling it up for like $15 until I can't take it anymore and then drive on. I'll try the turning it so handle faces rear of car technique, but even holding it slowly up manually sometimes doesn't work for more than a few seconds. __________________ '09 525xi \| Comfort Access, Moonroof, Softclose, PDC, CIC upgraded '07 335i E90 (sold) // '03 Porsche Boxster (sold) // '07 Alfa Romeo GT 2.0 (sold) // '06 325i E90 (stolen) // '99 Alfa Romeo 156 (sold)
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07-19-2012, 11:19 PM	#19
JS82 Captain 31 Rep 659 Posts Drives: '08 E92 328i 6MT Jet Black Join Date: May 2010 Location: PA USA iTrader: (12)	Same thing happened to my car a couple of months ago. Wouldn't fill up all the way (only 3/4) and the remaining mileage was off. Ran out of gas and got stuck with an empty tank because of that. Turned out to be a bad fuel sensor that had to be replaced (covered under warranty).
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07-19-2012, 11:31 PM	#20
kdbryce I have to return some video tapes 369 Rep 4,712 Posts Drives: e70 X5M Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Albany, NY iTrader: (0)	if this is what i think, it used to happen to me certain pumps wouldn't fill all the way i just held the "trigger" down about halfway instead of all the way and it worked. annoying and slow, but does the trick. worth a try.. could be the same thing __________________ 13 Carbon Black e70 X5M - 13 Black Sapphire e92 335i - 10 Le Mans Blue e92 335i - 09 Monaco Blue e92 328i xdrive - 07 Sparkling Graphite e92 328xi
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07-20-2012, 12:03 AM	#21
SaMaster18 Brigadier General 6479 Rep 4,098 Posts Drives: '23 G80 M3C xDrive; '13 e92 M3 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Southern California iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 BMW M3 [8.72] 2023 BMW M3 Competi ... [9.63]	Thanks for all of the replies guys. Glad I'm not the only one with this problem. Im gonna change my gas pumping 'technique', but if it doesn't work, I'm gonna get it checked out. __________________ @anglesstudios @em3thusiast '23 G80 M3 Comp xDrive Isle of Man Green on Kyalami Orange full leather - Carbon Buckets - CS Trans/Diff/Steering Coding 2013 E92 M3 Mineral White on Bamboo Beige noviello leather - DINAN Stage 1 and Free Flow Axle-Back Exhaust
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07-20-2012, 07:19 AM	#22
Sam335ix Major 89 Rep 1,274 Posts Drives: 335 ix performance edition Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Redskin Country iTrader: (0)	Try putting water based lube on it, I always do before I stick it in.. Oh wait wrong forum :-) __________________ 2011 e90 KW V1, JB4, BMS Dp, BMS Intake, CP, Alpina Flash, ISO, E85 Coming soon to the garage: 2014 M3 Maybe M5
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