Help!! Gas Spilling @ Topping Off Tank..

[Franky_Dabbs]

I bought my 96 4Runner (3.4, 2x2, Auto) a few months back from out of town. It's been a roller coaster of issues since I started driving it, but it's finally up to parr now driving smoothly.

Well, before I left the city where I bought it from I filled up and the pump stopped on it's own with no spill.. I filled up once in my city a few days later and no spill. Well the 3rd time i filled up the pump didn't stop and the gas was literally spilling out from UNDERNEATH the car flowing down to the street. Also, as the vehicle is off/on you can smell the gas odor standing on the driver/passenger side of the car. It's quite annoying wanting to put my windows down and the smell of gas sweeps right in.

I did crawl under to check out what may be the deal but i have no clue. I ended up making a mistake a few weeks back connecting some hose that was hanging out of the tank (above the tank) to a line in front of it, which then I found out was an exit vent hose for the tank i believe because the inside if the car starting filling up with gas fumes pretty bad and the car would start stalling and then just die. So i ended up cutting that hose off since it grabbed on pretty tight to the other line and the issue went away.

From Gas Engine Light indication i fill up with $25 (13.5gl)-$30 (16.2gl) just so that I don't make a mess at the pump with gas all over the place.. Plus, for whoever wants to throw in their .02, I've been averaging anywhere from 180-200 miles on a "FULL-TANK" well technically semi-full tanks since I cut it short every-time to prevent spill. Is this pretty normal for you 4runner owners??

 

[NHRunner]

Going to need pictures.

I think you done gone goofed up when you started cutting evap system parts off your tank.

 

[Cree]

Have you tried topping off since it ran over? You could've found a bad pump. That would make the most sense to me if the fuel was coming out of the filler neck. The neck isn't what makes the pump shut off, it's the preasure differential.

How A Gas Pump Works

Now, if the gas is coming from somewhere else obviously you have an issue, but I'm betting you just found a bad handle. They're out there.

 

[Franky_Dabbs]

Going to need pictures.

I think you done gone goofed up when you started cutting evap system parts off your tank.

The gas smell was even before I connected the hose to the line.. Cutting the hose I originally connected brought the vehicle back to it's original state. I screwed up when I connected it but the smell is not in the car anymore.. just outside of the vehicle. Below are some pic of that area..

 

[Franky_Dabbs]

Have you tried topping off since it ran over? You could've found a bad pump. That would make the most sense to me if the fuel was coming out of the filler neck. The neck isn't what makes the pump shut off, it's the preasure differential.

How A Gas Pump Works

Now, if the gas is coming from somewhere else obviously you have an issue, but I'm betting you just found a bad handle. They're out there.

Gas is spilling from underneath the vehicle not at the filler neck. Yes, I've tried from diff stores and still same issue.

 

[Franky_Dabbs]

Attached above is the photo that shows 2 lines about 4-6 inches apart from each other that are right above the filler neck hose. As you can see, both lines have about 1-2 inches of rubber hose around them. Idiotically, I connected the hose from left to right which then I cut the rubber hose in-between those 2 lines due to pushing the gas fumes inside the car. Is this where the gas may be spilling out of??

 

[jgue467]

Spilling gas out while refueling is Not normal. Neither is the stated fuel mileage, at least not in my neck of the woods (small hills & 1000 elevation), I get at least 280-295 before the low fuel lite comes on.

Have you checked the Fuel Tank Over Fill Check Valve?

 

[JayRolla]

I bought my 96 4Runner (3.4, 2x2, Auto) a few months back from out of town. It's been a roller coaster of issues since I started driving it, but it's finally up to parr now driving smoothly.

Well, before I left the city where I bought it from I filled up and the pump stopped on it's own with no spill.. I filled up once in my city a few days later and no spill. Well the 3rd time i filled up the pump didn't stop and the gas was literally spilling out from UNDERNEATH the car flowing down to the street. Also, as the vehicle is off/on you can smell the gas odor standing on the driver/passenger side of the car. It's quite annoying wanting to put my windows down and the smell of gas sweeps right in.

I did crawl under to check out what may be the deal but i have no clue. I ended up making a mistake a few weeks back connecting some hose that was hanging out of the tank (above the tank) to a line in front of it, which then I found out was an exit vent hose for the tank i believe because the inside if the car starting filling up with gas fumes pretty bad and the car would start stalling and then just die. So i ended up cutting that hose off since it grabbed on pretty tight to the other line and the issue went away.

From Gas Engine Light indication i fill up with $25 (13.5gl)-$30 (16.2gl) just so that I don't make a mess at the pump with gas all over the place.. Plus, for whoever wants to throw in their .02, I've been averaging anywhere from 180-200 miles on a "FULL-TANK" well technically semi-full tanks since I cut it short every-time to prevent spill. Is this pretty normal for you 4runner owners??

No that is not a normal mileage for full tank. But like you stated you dont "FILL" the tank.

Also if fuel was coming from the filler hole than it was the pumps handle. If the fuel was coming from the neck under the truck than you have a leak. Find and fix the leak.

 

[Franky_Dabbs]

Spilling gas out while refueling is Not normal. Neither is the stated fuel mileage, at least not in my neck of the woods (small hills & 1000 elevation), I get at least 280-295 before the low fuel lite comes on.

Have you checked the Fuel Tank Over Fill Check Valve?

I have not checked that. Will need to look up for a diagram because truly I dont know where it's at. Never messed with one before.

 

[jgue467]

The FSM s/b here: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/69744-3rd-gen-faq-tutorials-documentation-reference.html (3rd link under reference guides towards top).

I haven't messed with that part either but seems to have some connection to the problem you've got. Hope it helps.

 

[nevada]

I bought my 96 4Runner (3.4, 2x2, Auto) a few months back from out of town. It's been a roller coaster of issues since I started driving it, but it's finally up to parr now driving smoothly.

Well, before I left the city where I bought it from I filled up and the pump stopped on it's own with no spill.. I filled up once in my city a few days later and no spill. Well the 3rd time i filled up the pump didn't stop and the gas was literally spilling out from UNDERNEATH the car flowing down to the street. Also, as the vehicle is off/on you can smell the gas odor standing on the driver/passenger side of the car. It's quite annoying wanting to put my windows down and the smell of gas sweeps right in.

I did crawl under to check out what may be the deal but i have no clue. I ended up making a mistake a few weeks back connecting some hose that was hanging out of the tank (above the tank) to a line in front of it, which then I found out was an exit vent hose for the tank i believe because the inside if the car starting filling up with gas fumes pretty bad and the car would start stalling and then just die. So i ended up cutting that hose off since it grabbed on pretty tight to the other line and the issue went away.

From Gas Engine Light indication i fill up with $25 (13.5gl)-$30 (16.2gl) just so that I don't make a mess at the pump with gas all over the place.. Plus, for whoever wants to throw in their .02, I've been averaging anywhere from 180-200 miles on a "FULL-TANK" well technically semi-full tanks since I cut it short every-time to prevent spill. Is this pretty normal for you 4runner owners??

im a bit confused as to whats going on here...

but, that pic looks to be the vent line. if that is cut/disconnected, and you fill the tank FULL, it will absolutely leak from there...

 

[Franky_Dabbs]

im a bit confused as to whats going on here...

but, that pic looks to be the vent line. if that is cut/disconnected, and you fill the tank FULL, it will absolutely leak from there...

When i first inspected it before messing with it, the left line had a rubber hose hanging down.. it was no connected to the line in front of it. Well, I connected it shortly after seeing that it was just hanging (figuring, ohh well maybe this should be connected here). I lifted the hose up and connected it to the line across from it.

That's when I started experiencing gas fumes within the car and the car would stutter at acceleration and then die completely. It would turn on right away, but every time I would stop and accelerate it would die. I crawled under neath and cut the rubber hose and the fumes and issues stopped.

 

[Link817]

I had the same issue you had when I bought my 99. Top off=spilling all over the ground. Smell of gas every time you stopped an parked. Turned out when the mechanic looked at it the return line was not connected. Just a simple fix for me.

 

[Franky_Dabbs]

I had the same issue you had when I bought my 99. Top off=spilling all over the ground. Smell of gas every time you stopped an parked. Turned out when the mechanic looked at it the return line was not connected. Just a simple fix for me.

Im still a newbie with these 4Runners but is the return line connected to the fuel pump?? When filling up, the gas spills onto the rear differential, not sure if that's where yours was spilling.

 

[Link817]

sorry for the late response. Mine was spilling down the front of the gas tank. The fluid definitely went forward off the tank.