Filling up the 458 with gas

Was your car an EU car as well? I have a US 458 wondering if mine might have it. Need it to put in stabilizer for winter!

 

Yes, I’d say so. I never had any issues with petrol pumps here in the UK on my 458, worked fine. The funnel in the toolkit is to protect the car when filling from a can without a long spout, and to open the sleeve within the outlet. I don’t remember anyone ever saying to me about using it at a pump

 

My car is a USA so you should have it as well

 

Great. Mine is up on a lift right now so before moving all the cars and pulling it down figured I'd check to see if it probably did. thx

 

So years after owning the car... I've just realised that's what that oddly shapped piece is there for!

I could have died of old age and still would've never guessed! Thank you Mel and Jerry!

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

My car must not be a virgin because it was so loose...

 

I had cases where nozzles in some gas stations are worn out in the lower end of the nozzle. As a result it does not make contact with the gas receptacle on the 458. I just rotate the nozzle handle to the 3 O'Clock position and it works perfectly every time.

 

Only thing I find annoying when filling the 458 up is when I forget the manettino in the Sport position, and nozzle constantly stops as if tank is already full. A common occurence in all 458s I'm told. Turn the manettino to Race or above for some 10km: problem solved, uneventful filling up.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

I found that the nozzle hoods on California gas pumps don’t engage sufficiently to allow or keep the pump operating. The solution I’ve found is to use a gasoline-resistant O ring to fit between the nozzle hood and the car’s filler. One that fits pretty well is this grommet for a Mopar B body. You can’t just leave it there but use it only when refueling. The seal it provides also prevents gas vapors from escaping to the atmosphere, so you’re not hurting the environment, either.

https://www.fillernecksupply.com/1963-1976-mopar-b-body-fuel-tank-grommet-filler-neck-seal/?gclid=CjwKCAiAlb_fBRBHEiwAzMeEdovprEWPdvtQws9l-H0PMJ9zxRx43G5HOhXAY4FDjQVRfAs5ufbHkhoCWAYQAvD_BwE

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I'm confused. Please elaborate. I haven't heard of the issue with the pump stopping on these cars, and I'm trying to figure out how the manettino switch can help by putting it in Race mode? It really makes no sense to me, I can't make the connection.
Thanks

 

I've never heard of Changing the manettino position had any effect on fuel acceptance in the 458. My only issue ever in my 458 accepting a full fillup was recently when I hadn't driven it in a few weeks & low fuel remained in the tank. Upon filling it did not accept the full fill. I assumed it was air in the tank or most probably lousy pump maintenance /gas station Used a well maintained station next fill no problem as usual!.

 

This would have been great as I owned 3 458’s and all had problems filling up in Cali. Thought it was moronic of ferrari to know it’s an issue but have not thought of a solve.

 

Hi Chris,

I'm afraid I can't elaborate that much further. I have only an empirical knowledge, as I'm not an engineer nor particularly mechanically inclined.

Basically:

1) Filling up after several miles driving in Sport mode:
- Nozzle keeps going off, as if tank is already full. Folks at gas station thinks I'm crazy. The lightest pressure on the lever makes it go off. I try to rotate it a bit while still applying very gentle pressure. After some 15 times, it gets better but it's still very difficult if not impossible to apply full pressure to the nozzle, as it will go off everytime you increase pressure.

2) Filling up after switching from Sport to Race, and keeping it in Race for a few miles before pulling over to fuel up:
- Nozzle is perfectly normal. You can apply full pressure to the lever from the start and it fill your tank uneventfully.

I got this tip from a friend with a 458 Spider who had the same problem. Works everytime on my Italia.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

There may be a tech explanation. In Race mode, the car might access and purge the emissions canister. Often a clogged canister will cause insufficient venting to allow for easy refueling. The displaced air has to go somewhere. I’ll have to try that but right now have no issues so long as I use my doughnut.


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Donut is to compress dead man switch in the fuel handle that the locking cap doesn’t quite interoperate with.

The fuel top off sense is what Nuno is referring to I think.

SV

 

I still can't make sense of it, but thanks for the info! If I ever have an issue with the nozzle clicking off prematurely, I will try your method out.

 

Yes, two different things.


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Wait, I thought the trick is to use your other hand to pull the nozzle hoods/cover toward me to get the fuel pumped into the car tank?

 

Using a rubber grommet as a spacer is better. No gas on your fingers and they won’t get tired from holding the hood back.


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That always works for me. It’s a pain in the ass but much easier then worrying about it.


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Amazing Nuno …

Never ever had problems to fill her up …. only paying that bill

 

Interesting Nuno. I have never had a problem filling up my 2013 Spider, but I always have it in race mode or CT off. I might have to try an experiment to see if having it in sport mode prior to filling up effects the flow of fuel from the pump. As others have said, I can't see how it would affect it. None the less, it's interesting information!

 

I hear you, Mel.

In my country (average prices):

RON 95: 1.59€ / 1.69€.
RON 98: 1.79€ / 1.89€

Self-service gas stations over here only let you pump in 100€ worth of fuel, so in order to fill the 458 up, I have to go back and forth the counter twice.

Driving in Sport mode sure isn't as fun, but if owners are inclined to give it a shot, drive a good couple hundred miles on Sport (or go through an entire tank on Sport) and then fill the 458 up. See if lets you pump fuel in at the same uneventful rate as in Race or CT Off.

I thought it was a problem with my car alone, but a friend with a 458 Spider told me that he had the same issue when driving in Sport and as far as he knew, it was normal.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

I know this is an older thread, but it seems the best place to discuss my recent problem putting gas in my 458. I'm in CA (San Diego) and had never had a problem in two years with my 458 until recently. I'm a little over-zealous about keeping my cars full, so typically fill all of my cars before they are less than half full. With my 458 it is almost never more than 1/3 empty. Plus, driving to the gas station is just another excuse to drive my 458.

Recently, I had been driving a lot and didn't make it to the gas station until it was about 2/3 empty. I went to the gas station I always go to and the pump would just not engage and start gas flowing. I tried a few different pumps at the station and the same thing happened. Fortunately I went to a different station farther away and everything worked fine. Since then, I've returned to my normal station three times, with the tank more than half full and have had no problems.

Per earlier suggestions, I always drive in Race mode. I'm interested in theories about the gas level affecting the ability to engage with gas nozzles, particularly the stupid nozzles in CA.

 

My best guess is something with Quantum mechanics. The observer effect which is the theory that the mere observation of a phenomenon inevitably changes that phenomenon. Typically demonstrated with the double-slit experiment. However, in this case, the mere fact your tank is half full and it works is because the pump knows this fact. By observing the tank capacity it changes its own behavior thus allowing it to work or not to function.

This pump you always use is a quantum pump and therefore the observer effect was in place. The different station was not a quantum pump and therefore it could not observe the tank capacity and change the outcome.

Well, that explanation is probably a longshot but it's all I got.