Petrol pump cutoffs

[jamei303]

It's meant to cut off when your tank's nearly full right? Because it's happened twice to me recently where I've been filling up and all of a sudden there's fuel pouring down the side of the car all over the ground. In the second garage there was already loads of desiel and sand everywhere although I was using unleaded. I told the guy behind the counter and he didn't seem to understand what I was talking about when I suggested he put those pumps out of use.

Should I really be keeping an eagle eye on the meter and stopping when I think it might nearly be full? Are there any regulations about this or are garages happy to have people wasting fuel?

[aw51 121565]

You will hear the 'rush' of fuel up the filler pipe for a few seconds' warning...

Your fuel spillage problem is probably a blocked or kinked fuel tank breather pipe, not the filling station pumps playing up .

[Limpet]

Happened to me at the local Shell garage a few months back. Pump attendant didn't seem to give a flying hoot about the spillage (diesel) or the defective pump when I reported it. Took me ages to clean the diesel off the car to stop it dribbling off down the road and causing a hazard for motorcyclists.

I take the point about hearing the fuel coming up the filler neck, but the cutoff is the method I always use to determine the tank is full.

Edited by Limpet on Saturday 16th November 11:10

[MajorProblem]

Never had an issue, although I do rely on the auto stop as I tend to jam the trigger open with the fuel cap.

[s3fella]

Surely one for the first world problems thread.

[heners54]

Had this a few months ago at a shell garage, guy next to me ended up with diesel EVERYWHERE, the attendants did nothing to clear it or respond to his claim the pump cut off wasn't working and I had to spend 5 mins cleaning my shoes so my feet weren't slipping off the pedals before wheelspinning off the forecourt.