Having trouble filling fuel

It helps to not fully seat the nozzle in the filler neck. On some pumps I have had to hold the pump during refueling. Does not help if you are in California with their rubber, spring actuated device that has to be pushed in to activate.

Whoops, just noticed you are in California, so someone else chime in.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Hold the filler F1 style with it up in the air, looks weird but works every time

 

Or rotate the nozzle 90 degrees. Works for my 328.

 

Hi

I have the same problem. I was unable to fill up after an hour in damned traffic.
It's not a problem how you fill up or how you put in the nozzle.
The problem is a high pressure in the tank, so this pressure comes out and shut down the fuel filler which means that the tank is full. The nozzle has an absorbing unit which controls the vapor and shut down also at to much vapor coming out of the tank.

I had the problem yesterday, one time after 70 km running the car with about 30 miles/hour (small cities in the swiss), needed 10 minutes to fill up 15 liters. I stopped filling up and came into a traffic jam.
Then a 2nd time after 1 hour heavy traffic driving, i went to fill up fuel again in Austria, the pressure in the tank was so high when i opened the tank, i was unable to let it open. The vapor presses out gases for more than 3 minutes, the fuel condesating at my hand which closed the tank sometimes.
The gasses were warm, i think the standing traffic (with rolling for some meters) heated up the fuel tank.
But something seems also to be wrong with the vapor system, or not ?

Sorry for the bad english.
Daniel

 

Daniel- One possibility. There is a vent pipe for the gas filler that could be clogged or kinked and causing your problem. It is designed to do just what your car does not seem to be doing, allow venting of the tank while fuel is being pumped into the tank. Would not seem to work on California style pumps with rubber baffles, but should on yours.

Another possibility is a loose or worn-out hose to the tank or disarator, but those should cause a gasoline smell in the car if they exist.

I suppose it is also possible one of the valves, 49 and 59, to an from the disarator could be inoperative, too.

Taz
Terry Phillips
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

This problem of having the fuel filler shut off early and continues to shut off often, only happens to me about 1 out of 10 times.
I haven't paid attention as to when it does it. Perhaps when it is hotter than normal.

A different problem that happens occasionally is having the fuel gurgle up and start spilling out before I can get the cap screwed back on. This typically happens when it is hot. The gas station pump shuts off automatically after several minutes of pumping, tank is full, no spillage yet. Then, a gurgling sound starts and about 4 seconds later the fuel level rises until it starts to spill out the top of the gas filler tube. I screw the cap on which stops the flow and all is fine. Car starts right up and runs fine. I normally move forward a few feet right away since there is now a small puddle of gas on the ground underneath the passenger-side rear tire.

Any idea what causes this? How to avoid it?

The way I now avoid it is, if it is a hot day and I've been driving the car for over 30 minutes, I estimate how many gallons to fill it up and stop putting fuel in about 5 gals below that estimate. This gives me a tank that is more than 3/4 full, with no spillage.

 

I would say that 99.9 % of the time I have no trouble at all, once in a while if there is a problem with the rubber on the hose itself thats supposed to make it seal around the filler then I move to the next pump or the next station.

I did have a problem a week ago in Las Vegas ... got back from 135 + mph drive and the out side temp was over 100 f when I started to take the cap off there was a lot of pressure so I let it vent then opened it a little more, could still hear it so waited until it was gone.
took the cap off all good... put the fuel nozzle in started to to pump and there was a crack in the rubber on the fuel nozzle so it just sprayed gas all over the rear of my car.... Not Fun !
used the water hose they had to wash it off but so little water came out it was a waste of time.. so parked it in the shade till morning and took it to Wynn Ferrari Richard put Felix right on it and as they say all that ends well !!!
Thank You Richard and Felix !
Bill

 

@ toggie
I had also this "gurgling" noise.

@ Terry
You mean part 49 and 50, not 59, right ?
Do i reach this parts when the tank is in the car ??

I will check it the weekend.


I believe the tank will get to much heat in slow traffic.
So the fuel in the overheated tank has a temperature that cause a transformation from liquid to gases. The condensed fuel that came out of the tank was warm on my hands.

Daniel

 

Daniel- Affirmative, 49 and 50, typo. I put a thread together on how to remove the fuel tank on a 550/575M and that may give you the information you need. Let me see if I can find it.


Here it is. Looks like it should be easily accessible from the top without removing the tank.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=245321&highlight=550+fuel+tank+removal

Taz
Terry Phillips