Gas Nozzle Stuck In Tank

cbfmsb93 · April 10, 2009

IN CALIFORNIA the State recently mandated all service stations change to new gasoline fuel pump nozzles that will catch a whopping 3% more of the environmentally damaging vapors that escape from your gas tank as you fill up. That's cool, I don't have a problem with that. But there IS still a problem...

The new nozzles have a metal ring/lip about 6" up the nozzle, presumably to assist in getting a real tight seal. I had been filling up at the same gas station for five years and today I could not pump at all. Asked the attendant to look at it and he had to jam the gas nozzle into the gas tank "to get a vapor lock" with one of these new nozzles (they had just switched them out a week ago- saw them doing it). PROBLEM is that after filling up neither I nor he nor anyone else at the station could get the darn nozzle out of the gas tank... Took 20 minutes of struggling to get it out (we're talkin' burly guys here) and when it did finally pop the lucky guy who got it out couldn't figure out why! In looking at the fill hole on my gas tank, I noticed that the interior flap that springs shut to cover the fill hole had caught the ring/lip on the new nozzle and would not let go- it is visibly bent at the edge where the nozzle got caught on it.

I am sure I will not be the only one to have this happen and ALL stations in the state are mandated to have made the change by April 1st (no foolin', and it's costing station owners - not the gas companies - a fortune in transition costs). I Drive a 2004 GMC Sierra but the problem is probably the chrome billet gas door cover that I and thousands of other truck owners have installed on our trucks to make 'er look good and keep hosers out of our over-sized tanks; the outer chrome mounting ring seems to block the upward part of the angle necessary for insertion and proper seal of the nozzle, forcing you to, well... force it, and then you're "locked in". I'm going to remove mine before the next fill-up and see if that makes any difference. In the meantime...

If the pump will not dispense gas because you cannot get a good vapor lock, beware of forcing the nozzle in far enough to get the pump to work- the nozzle may get stuck. And I mean STUCK!!! Thought one guy was going to rip the filler hole assembly right out off the truck... WOAH! One guy wanted to get a screwdriver and pry it out... HEY!!! Make sure if you gotta pry it out you're using brass or aluminum!!! Let's not get crazy here...

Anyway, I'm sure I will not be the only one experiencing this problem- extremely bad design in terms of universal compatibility. A lot of truck owners are going to have this problem... at least out here in Kali-fornia.

Zembonez · April 10, 2009

F*CK CALIFORNIA.

The land of fruits and nuts. Run away while you still can!

brims · April 10, 2009

Sometimes when I get gas the stupid thing shuts off 3 or 4 times until i get it repositioned correctly. Guess it's time someone comes up with an inexpensive adapter that tricks the nozzle and let's you just pump the gas.

Glad my truck doesn't have that little flap, surprises me actually.

Draenor · April 10, 2009

I would of whipped out the pocket knife and cut their hose.

F*CK COMMI-FORNIA.

The land of fruits and nuts. Run away while you still can!

Fixed.

Zembonez · April 10, 2009

I would of whipped out the pocket knife and cut their hose.

F*CK COMMI-FORNIA.

The land of fruits and nuts. Run away while you still can!

Fixed.

I've known some cool people from California... but the state government and the idiotic politics are beyond me. Thank goodness I never had to live there.

ryan_hermanutz · April 10, 2009

It's not the dispenser nozzle that was the problem; it was shoving the vapor seal past the flapper thing. Your trim ring may be adding to the problem but the nozzle going too far, that was the 8^th grade education of the attendant. In theory the vapor return actually helps fill your car up faster and also give back to the gas companies. They take the fumes and put them back into the tanker and bring it back to the gas companies to turn back into fuel.

Steve2500 · April 10, 2009

Hope it's only the cover, that would suck having to deal with that every time you pump, I only have to fight with the nozzle to get it in the right position so it will stop shutting off, very aggravating.

Draenor · April 10, 2009

It's not the dispenser nozzle that was the problem; it was shoving the vapor seal past the flapper thing. Your trim ring may be adding to the problem but the nozzle going too far, that was the 8^th grade education of the attendant. In theory the vapor return actually helps fill your car up faster and also give back to the gas companies. They take the fumes and put them back into the tanker and bring it back to the gas companies to turn back into fuel.

I thought the storage tanks are vented into the atmosphere, well here anyways.

Z71kris · April 10, 2009

It's not the dispenser nozzle that was the problem; it was shoving the vapor seal past the flapper thing. Your trim ring may be adding to the problem but the nozzle going too far, that was the 8^th grade education of the attendant. In theory the vapor return actually helps fill your car up faster and also give back to the gas companies. They take the fumes and put them back into the tanker and bring it back to the gas companies to turn back into fuel.

Really? If so that is cool as hell...

Draenor · April 10, 2009

It's not the dispenser nozzle that was the problem; it was shoving the vapor seal past the flapper thing. Your trim ring may be adding to the problem but the nozzle going too far, that was the 8^th grade education of the attendant. In theory the vapor return actually helps fill your car up faster and also give back to the gas companies. They take the fumes and put them back into the tanker and bring it back to the gas companies to turn back into fuel.

Really? If so that is cool as hell...

C'mon, don't tell me you don't bottle your own farts to reuse later?

onac255 · April 10, 2009

good ol' Commiefornia

ryan_hermanutz · April 10, 2009

All city, county and states that impose vapor recovery do this, at least on the westcoast. It helps other things besides the environment. They use the vapors to equalize the tank pressure, gas station tanks, vehicle tanks, tanker truck tanks, and the holding tanks. If you take a milk jug and turn it upside-down it chugs, but if you poke a hole in the top it just pours out, same principle here. They then take the fumes and use those to equalize the pressures and when they get it back to the tank farms they condense it and it goes from vapor back into liquid.

brims · April 10, 2009

All city, county and states that impose vapor recovery do this, at least on the westcoast. It helps other things besides the environment. They use the vapors to equalize the tank pressure, gas station tanks, vehicle tanks, tanker truck tanks, and the holding tanks. If you take a milk jug and turn it upside-down it chugs, but if you poke a hole in the top it just pours out, same principle here. They then take the fumes and use those to equalize the pressures and when they get it back to the tank farms they condense it and it goes from vapor back into liquid.

Need to come up with a way to use those fumes to make gas for ourselves, we're paying for those fumes, we should keep them.

BuckFeverZ · April 10, 2009

Silverado4x4 · April 11, 2009

It's not the dispenser nozzle that was the problem; it was shoving the vapor seal past the flapper thing. Your trim ring may be adding to the problem but the nozzle going too far, that was the 8^th grade education of the attendant. In theory the vapor return actually helps fill your car up faster and also give back to the gas companies. They take the fumes and put them back into the tanker and bring it back to the gas companies to turn back into fuel.

HEY I payed for those fumes on the fill-up,there mine and I want them.