Thread: Don't Top Off !!

In some states they have a vacuum attached to the pump to grab the fumes and topping off just sucks the fuel from your tank anyway.

In other cases topping off really only adds a tiny amount more to the tank.

Learned the hard way about 25yrs ago NOT to top off a motorcycle, then go in for a sandwhich. It expanded a touch in the sun and puked gas out the vented cap...all over my airbrushed peanut tank!

The way your tank and filler is designed is so that your tank will click off at 95% capacity. It is for expansion etc. I have not done more than round to the nearest $ since I was young. Back then I was told that if you over fill you could have the fuel expand and open the seams on your tank. True or false I just never bothered. At best most of use could only squeeze in another 1/2 gal or so. Really how much further are we going to go on that? I used to round because we used to pay cash for everything. Now it is all plastic and what really is the point now. For me it is just an old habit.

Did you check the gas cap. Toyotas have had many issues with this. Shouldn't be near that price to repair and may be a recall.

It's all about the evaporative emission system, Gents.
Baffled fitments at the top of the tank are used to apply vacuum to the tank so the computer can evaluate the integrity of the tank using a sensor. Also, solenoids allow the excess fumes in the tank to burn through the engine instead of evaporating into the atmosphere.
Not to mention venting the tank as-necessary. One of these gizmos has failed.

Were I you, Hirlau (Rhyme!), I would retrieve my car and let it dry out. The self-test cycles at cold start so it may take a while.
Just don't top it off. Gets raw fuel in the solenoids, sensor, valves, canister.

Light just may go off after a while.

At worst, it would be a canister purge or vent valve, or even a gas cap.
2 grand? Sheesh!

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I always wondered why the manual for my old bomb (2001 Hyundai) said to not fill past the first click off.

Did you read the instructions ?

Yup, my car has those same explicit instructions, stop filling once the first shut off occurs.....

Originally Posted by 32t

Did you check the gas cap. Toyotas have had many issues with this. Shouldn't be near that price to repair and may be a recall.

Yes, I looked over 4Runner forum. I bought a new cap & disconnected the battery. The light vanished for 10 days. Then came back ,, I did this procedure 4 times in a month. Then I had them read the codes.

I did not take it to the dealer, I just ride with the lights on.

Good to know. This must be related to the "Service Engine Soon" light that comes on if my gas cap is loose.

What are the codes?? What year 4Runner? V6?

The codes come from the engine somewhere & are read by a little machine remotely, they indicate where the problem might be.
2008
V6