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What's up with topping off?

oiprocs

Diamond Member
The gas stations are against topping off, but a lot of people do.

Is it some way for them to make money if you do? Are you at risk for overflowing your tank?

Help please.
 
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
Supposedly when you top off, you don't leave enough room for gas vapors at the top of tank. I'm not sure what this leads to, though.

IIRC, it leads to a lighter wallet. Topping the tank off forces the vapors to go back into the pump, wasting money.
 
Originally posted by: Supertastic Fool
is this a parodie of something?

No, not a parody. Real question.

I'm always wondering if I should top off, but I never do.

Then I look to the left of me, and some guy is squeezing the handle until the hose bleeds dry.
 
Follow the directions on the pump. If it says don't top off DON'T.

Some stations WILL nail you for spilling gas too. It's a scam where they call some BS "environmental" cleanup group that throws kitty litter on the spill (basically) and charges a ridiculous amount of money to YOUR insurance. They make out like bandits with that crap and it should be stopped.
 
Originally posted by: Loreena
Follow the directions on the pump. If it says don't top off DON'T.

Some stations WILL nail you for spilling gas too. It's a scam where they call some BS "environmental" cleanup group that throws kitty litter on the spill (basically) and charges a ridiculous amount of money to YOUR insurance. They make out like bandits with that crap and it should be stopped.

Considering a gallon of gasoline pollutes a ridiculous amount of water (the benzene is the worst problem IIRC), you sound pretty uninformed.

I have a friend who worked for an environmental remediation group (basically the red-headed stepchild branch of an oil company). He actually tested this stuff. Just because it's common doesn't mean that it's safe or good.

The real scam is the many, many loopholes or cases of people not caring when seriously dangerous stuff gets spilled, because "It's just <insert common chemical>".
 
The manual for my Ranger specifically states to let the pump click a few times (topping off).

I'm guessing there is an issue with backpressure from the displaced vapor cutting the pump off prematurely. That's the only thing I could think of.
 
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: Loreena
Follow the directions on the pump. If it says don't top off DON'T.

Some stations WILL nail you for spilling gas too. It's a scam where they call some BS "environmental" cleanup group that throws kitty litter on the spill (basically) and charges a ridiculous amount of money to YOUR insurance. They make out like bandits with that crap and it should be stopped.

Considering a gallon of gasoline pollutes a ridiculous amount of water (the benzene is the worst problem IIRC), you sound pretty uninformed.

I have a friend who worked for an environmental remediation group (basically the red-headed stepchild branch of an oil company). He actually tested this stuff. Just because it's common doesn't mean that it's safe or good.

The real scam is the many, many loopholes or cases of people not caring when seriously dangerous stuff gets spilled, because "It's just <insert common chemical>".

I'm aware of the hazards of a spill. Someone that spills a GALLON of gas has serious issues though. A spot that spreads to the size of a basketball on the ground does NOT warrant $10,000 worth of "damage control" that insurance companies have to cover. That's a scam pure and simple.
 
Some cars overflow very close to the amount when it stops, my bonneville for instance let me put another $1.50 or so before it overflowed. My HHR on the otherhand will overflow after $0.20-0.50
 
Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer
Some cars overflow very close to the amount when it stops, my bonneville for instance let me put another $1.50 or so before it overflowed. My HHR on the otherhand will overflow after $0.20-0.50

Yup, this. My friend topped off one time and the gas shot out all over his clothes 😀
 
Originally posted by: Kaido
Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer
Some cars overflow very close to the amount when it stops, my bonneville for instance let me put another $1.50 or so before it overflowed. My HHR on the otherhand will overflow after $0.20-0.50

Yup, this. My friend topped off one time and the gas shot out all over his clothes 😀

you didn't happen to hand him a cigarette by chance did you? 😛
 
according to the info on the pump, "topping off" interferes with the emissions stuff. I have no idea if that's true.
 
I go to several gas stations on a regular basis. Some of them I top-off with others i don't. The Hess near my house is always underfilling my tank. I can fill about another gallon in after the first click if i REALLY wanted to push it, but then the Wawa around the corner I have to stop at one click. So, it's totally gas station based.
 
Originally posted by: lastig21
My in-laws always top off their tanks to the next even dollar amount . . and then pay with a credit card.

How is that even possible? I've never been able to get an exact dollar amount
 
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