So, many of you know I got my 308 last Saturday. Well, I filled it up on Saturday on my drive home and promptly spilled gas when I didnt think that it had taken enough. I didnt know the tank capacity, so when it kicked off I tried to top it off and got gas on myself. When I got home I filled it up one more time and noticed that gas was going through and spilling on the ground from underneath the car. Tonight, when I tried to fill it it seemed that almost no gas was getting through into the tank but rather all was going onto the ground. They replaced the fuel filler hose, so I know that should be good. I also know that Randy topped it off before I picked it up. So, I figure there must be something I am missing. I remember someone making a post about having the hose in some position or something, but I just dont know what it is. Did I break the fuel filler hose already? or what?? Help!!! PDG
If the 308 is like the 328, there is an overflow hose and another clear hose called a Cavis hose. Perhaps the Cavis came off the filler neck and/or one of the filler neck hose clamps failed. I would get it checked out before starting it again. If you are handy, remove the rear driver's side wheel, and inner fender. You may need to remove the air duct feeding air to the oil cooler, then you should see the filler neck. This is from memory working on my 328, but I think the 308 is very similar.
Just spoke to Randy (customer service - returning my call at 1000 at night - MUCH respect for that) He seems to believe that the fuel was trying to go in too fast and escaping through the vent if I understood him correctly. He is going to ask the guys at Motorcars tomorrow and have their ideas back to me. Again, if I understood him correctly, many of these older cars are a bit tricky with some of the newer pumps. (i.e. hold the pump at this angle and take it very slowly to get it into the tank) So, I hope this is the only problem... PDG
when I fill up I pull the rubber nawsel back a little to allow air in and pump slow becuase it does come back on the ground fast if you don't do this,or at least on my car,see there are two tanks. it takes time for the gas to go from one to the other and you need to give the gas time to settle or balance out. just my 2 cents on how I do it and I never fill the tanks all the way up
In my 308 dozen years of gas tank fills...NEVER once found a gas pump which you could put the nozzle on the slow first 'autofill' position to add gas then walk away. You have to HAND HOLD elsewise it clicks off or gas spills. Slow is the word of the day. I tell the gas guy (in Oregon the seller pumps gas) about the two separate gas tanks and that gas has to be slowly moved from the left to the right tank. They buy that and patiently hand hold the nozzle. My hoses are all new.
I never top off the car for three reasons: 1) the possibility of a spill 2) the possibility that I will drive the car only 50 miles in 2 months because of my travels (I know, shoot me) 3) I enjoy putting gas in the car on a brisk Sunday morning, even if it's only 5 gallons
I always held the rubber vapor recover boot back by hand also. Filling was finicky otherwise. Same as you have to do on a Harley. California boots are the worst. Doug
Since everyone is sharing this same experience.... I TOO NEED TO HOLD BACK THE BLACK ACCORDIAN NOZEL COVER TO EFFECTIVELY FUEL UP. When I first started filling my 328 up, it was a pain, constantly stopping. Suggestion: try filling a gas container then fill the 308 with the container and see what happens.
Great ideas all and considering that many of you have had the same experience I am pretty confident that this is my issue. I will try it later today and report back my findings. In the meantime, I am going to wait to hear from Randy in case someone there thinks it may be something else, so I wont take it to work today. Thank you all!! PDG
I have a 308 and a 328, same problem with both, relieved to hear it is common. I too am in Oregon, we are not allowed to pump our own, but I do.
Slow flow, you are filling a duel tank system....never trust the auto fill......and don't top off. I'd check the connection to the nipple of your overflow tube off the filler neck as you want any spill in the neck to drip BELOW the exhaust onto the ground... Also make sure the vent between the tanks (clear tube on engine firewall) isn't overclamped or binded shut, slowing transfer of air between tank vents.. And the car only holds 16 gallons, so you'll stop frequently with spirited driving... I think the modern anti spill nozzles just get fooled by all the foaming of the fuel in the filler neck at higher flow rates. I also prefer to fuel the car first thing leaving the garage, as opposed to after all that exhaust gets white hot! Minor quibbles but part of getting to know your car!
This has been my experience with these cars as well. "SLM" in Joplin, MO told me to fill his '98 Diablo he had to hold the nozzle upside down, stand on one foot, hold one finger to his nose, etc... As it's been said, Slow is the name of the game. Even the first click is too fast. Oh, and for the record, I filled it from 1/2 tank to full, not necessarily topping it off... Now, I have had a nozzle in the past not click off at all on my '04 STi. That was a mess. It also seems like when you're not pulling the trigger back to the first click, the system's shutoff doesn't really work as well either. Don't know for sure, that's just what I've deduced. -Randy
It must be me and the euro setup but I don't have any problems, yet, on fill-up. I hold it to the max and it fills until clicks. I don't top-off since I don't want to have any gas dribbling on the paint. It takes me no more time to fill the 328 than the BMW. hum.... Ace
I like #3,I do that every sunday in my torn jeans after mowing the grass, I love it when the old farts come up to me and gach at the car and wish they had one
One thing came to me, it IS really important the angle of the nozzle, it has to be straight and this isn't easy in the little recess it is located.....
As others have said, fill sssslllllllloooooooooooowwwwllllllyyyyyy. I also take a break for 15-20 seconds several times in the filling process. Seems to help. In Italy the gas must come through 1/4 hoses or something....
The only trouble I have is Exxon's pumps. Then pulling the nozzle cover back helps as does finding a better angle. Otherwise, all other stations fill without incident on the fast auto-indent & kick off when they should.
same problem with my EU 3.2 mondial (dual tank). And also i have the "little" problem with the jauge. When the level decrease below 1/4, the jauge becomes a kind of crazzy : moving up and down in seconds. I wonder if You have the same problem than me ( heritage of italian design ) or if it is something which can be repaired on mine.
Mine swings pretty wildly from 3/4 to 1/4. So: Always fill the car just before a run or just after. During a drive, if the car averages a quarter tank...Fill it. If the "reserve" light blinks ....Fill it.
I was told that the fuel sensor is on one tank and not the other. So if you swing one way (right or left, I don't remember) the fuel goes from one tank and into the other. Then the gauge will swing appropriately. Ace
Guys , I have an 81 Euro model , , I have no problems with filling at all , as fast as I can pump gas in it fills easily. The line from one tank to the other is 1 3/8" size for the rubber hose , so the necks of the tanks are about 1 1/4" , , this will the transfer of liquids really quick. The other factor will be the air vent line at the top of the tank , , again this looks quite sufficient at about 1/2" for the transfer of air / gasses. So I am wondering if there is restricters within either line , , the air line in particular (Jaguars of this era were notorious for restrictors in fuel system lines including breathers). You can put a huge transfer line at the bottom of the tank but if there is little ability to vent it will only allow liquid to be added to the tank at the rate that the air can escape. If you were to block the vent entirely no liquid would be able to enter the right hand tank. Does that sound right ???????? Another thing to look at is the position of the filler neck . The vent pipe enters the top of the filler neck quite close to where the gas pump nozzle will be when inserted, , , if the vent pipe position is toward the middle of the car and the gas pump is happens to be puting gas down that vent pipe then it will be fighting the air trying to get out ( because fuel will be entering the right hand tank via the big line at the bottom and the vent pipe) This may be the cause of fuel being spat out of the tank suddenly ......... it's coming out of the vent pipe. If this is the cause just undo the clamps on the rubber hose linking the filler neck and left tank , , rotate the filler neck so that the vent pipe is in a position where a gas pump is less likely to push fuel down it and retighten the clamps. (maybe a good time to check whether that rubber hose needs replacing)
