Is it possible to overfill a gas tank??
SWalsh
05-25-2008, 05:38 PM
I posted this in the 00-05 Civic section also (I drive an 02) but figured I'd also ask this here since "overfilling your gas tank" seems like a more general topic.
......
2 days ago I had about 1/4 of a tank of gas, so I figured I'd fill it. I put in about 12 gallons ($43 - yay), but I noticed at the time that 12 gal. is a bit more than what I put in usually. And usually, I have about 1/8 of a tank when I fill up. So 10, 11 gallons is what I normally put in.
Since then I've driven about 220 miles............and the gas meter says my tank's still full. Normally, I'm lucky to get about 80-100 miles before the meter starts coming down from the F. Heck, at the 200 mile point I'm at half a tank of gas.
And yet it still says full.
Now the gas meter DOES move - when I've started the car up today, it goes to about a bar or 2 below full - but as I drive it goes back up to full. And when I shut the car off, the gas meter shuts off completely and goes down to E - which is what's normal. So I'm not sure if it's a "gas meter broken" problem.
Car's been running fine, no signs of it running poorly. I just had some sensors replaced a couple weeks ago; and my catalytic converter needs to be replaced, but my usual mechanic and another one local says I can still drive the car and that it shouldn't negatively affect other elements of the car's performance (just the pesky environment - but I'm planning on getting a new car this summer anyway).
So is there some chance I somehow put a TON of extra gas in my car and it's still technically full? I don't know how (or even if) I can check manually, besides just relying on the meter on my dashboard.
Help?
Thanks.
......
2 days ago I had about 1/4 of a tank of gas, so I figured I'd fill it. I put in about 12 gallons ($43 - yay), but I noticed at the time that 12 gal. is a bit more than what I put in usually. And usually, I have about 1/8 of a tank when I fill up. So 10, 11 gallons is what I normally put in.
Since then I've driven about 220 miles............and the gas meter says my tank's still full. Normally, I'm lucky to get about 80-100 miles before the meter starts coming down from the F. Heck, at the 200 mile point I'm at half a tank of gas.
And yet it still says full.
Now the gas meter DOES move - when I've started the car up today, it goes to about a bar or 2 below full - but as I drive it goes back up to full. And when I shut the car off, the gas meter shuts off completely and goes down to E - which is what's normal. So I'm not sure if it's a "gas meter broken" problem.
Car's been running fine, no signs of it running poorly. I just had some sensors replaced a couple weeks ago; and my catalytic converter needs to be replaced, but my usual mechanic and another one local says I can still drive the car and that it shouldn't negatively affect other elements of the car's performance (just the pesky environment - but I'm planning on getting a new car this summer anyway).
So is there some chance I somehow put a TON of extra gas in my car and it's still technically full? I don't know how (or even if) I can check manually, besides just relying on the meter on my dashboard.
Help?
Thanks.
Greenblurr93
05-28-2008, 10:53 AM
Check in your owners manual on the capacity of the fuel tank, then run the tank almost empty and fill it. should be a couple gallons less than the tanks full capacity. What could of happend was you filled it and it started to fill the neck as well. which would give you some extra gas. If you actually overfilled the tank, gas would pour out of the neck and you would notice.
qtrmile
05-30-2008, 09:33 PM
cars usually has slack for gst anks. So even if the meter says it has no gas it still run, you have put quite a gallon more but it wont affect any part of the car. Check your tank manually check if it still full.
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