Annoying gas nozzle stoppage

[mendozer]

I've noticed that if I'm at the station with those new style gas nozzes, with the very bulky plastic black coil that you really have to shove in the port to activate, that my gas shutoff device is kicking in after like 5 seconds. This has been a pattern. I first thought it was the station nozzles, but it works perfectly at Costco (old school no spring) and other old styles but the new bulky Spaceballs looking phasers do this. Is this a common issue or is something wrong with my fuel port?

these stupid looking things

 

[Devbot]

Gonna say common, I'm just down the road and this is something I've always experienced even before I used this vehicle and can't say it's a worse problem now (though my last vehicle was also built in 2000). I used to outright avoid a particular Arco station close to my house because the pumps were horrible about that - pour, clunk, pour, clunk. At that point I just stand there and do it myself. When it comes to the naked ones I notice it's kind of the "poorer" stations that have it, ironically. There's multiple new stations around me and even the one in Echo Lake still have the big plastic ones

 

[HiLife]

I've complained about those nossles to supervisors and managers. They always blaim the 4runner as having some type of obstruction in the tube. Then they point out to other customer with newer cars and trucks not having any problems fueling up.
I say it's that epa nossle that's somehow being the problem. The older nossles work fine before.
I suspect the shut off trigger somehow being too sensitive or falling out of calibration as a visit to that same pump a week later goes fine.
Curious to see if other members has a work around on this.

 

[pluton]

I live in California, where we've had these vapor recovery nozzles for 40 years.
My opinion:
If the nozzle is clicking off after a few seconds, the nozzle is
1. defective,
2. out of adjustment, or
3. some new type that is specifically intended NOT to work with 20-year-old vehicles.
#3 is, IMO, unlikely.
I think they're skimping on maintenance/replacement of their equipment.
Here in L.A. County, we have the local smog agency that is charge of these things. They have an 1-800 number, website, and phone app to contact them in order to report malfunctioning gas station nozzles.
See if there's a way to step up enforcement or oversight in your locality.

Sometimes I've let them know that the nozzle doesn't work right (in a friendly way) at gas stations and they always claim that there must be something wrong with my car.
Yeah, right: All the thousands of other nozzles that I've gotten gas from in seven western states work fine, but it's my car that has the problem!

 

[mendozer]

interesting, didn't know those were that old. And the ones in question have almost a double "boot". And you really have to cram that sucker in there. I'll look into this for the agency thing

 

[mendozer]

My first resource searching was an article detailing Washington's failing inspection program haha.

State fails to monitor Washington gas pumps | king5.com

So we have one of the highest gas taxes in the country and a dilapidated inspection service, wonderful.

 

[phattyduck]

As was already said... California residents have been dealing with this 'forever'

There is a technique to inserting the nozzle to keep it from doing the auto-shutoff thing.

Hold the nozzle at a steeper angle than you normally would, insert and push in, then tip the handle down, which 'locks' it in place with the bellows compressed a bit.

The sensors in the vapor recovery system are looking for a match between the volume of fuel entering the tank and the volume of vapor returning. They must match or the fueling will turn off, which means the bellows has to seal against the lip of the fuel port.

-Charlie

 

[HiLife]

Interesting...
Somehow I was thinking the sensor is pickup raw fuel from fuel splashing thus tripping the handle.

 

[gamefreakgc]

As was already said... California residents have been dealing with this 'forever'

There is a technique to inserting the nozzle to keep it from doing the auto-shutoff thing.

Hold the nozzle at a steeper angle than you normally would, insert and push in, then tip the handle down, which 'locks' it in place with the bellows compressed a bit.

The sensors in the vapor recovery system are looking for a match between the volume of fuel entering the tank and the volume of vapor returning. They must match or the fueling will turn off, which means the bellows has to seal against the lip of the fuel port.

-Charlie

I was so confused in this thread until I read that post. I just assumed everyone did this! I think I've lived in CA too long.

It's not too bad once you get the hang of it. I was also going to say, a clogged charcoal canister can also cause it to click off, but don't go replacing it on a whim, they can be expensive.