Car experts have warned road users of one mistake when filling up their petrol and diesel cars at fuel stations. Motoring specialists at McArthur Industries have urged road users to not hold down the fuel pump after a car has been fully topped up.
When a fuel tank is completely full, motorists will hear a slight click when they try and press down on the nozzle. Motorists may believe that holding down the pump for a bit longer will continue to fill the tank and add extra mileage. However, specialists warned this was likely to do more harm than good with motorists at risk of damaging their vehicles.
TikTok channel @mcarthurindustries said: “When you’re filling up the car. When you get to the first click, stop. Don’t continue, It’s actually going to cost you more in repairs to get those extra little clicks in, then it would be to just stop at that one click.
“What happens is that every time you click it, the fuel is going to go down the return line, which is your evaporative emission and cause the engine light to come on because you’ve got too much fuel where there shouldn’t be fuel.”
The car’s Evaporative Emission Control system is designed to prevent petrol vapours from escaping into the atmosphere. Instead, any excess fuel is collected and stored in a special canister before being sent to the engine to be burned.
Overfilling a car can saturate the canister which will prevent the tool from properly absorbing vapours and fumes. Common signs of issues include a noticeable fuel smell around the outside of a vehicle.
Meanwhile, decreased fuel efficiency, a rough idle and difficulty starting the vehicle could all be early indications of a problem. The RAC has previously stressed the importance of never overfilling a fuel tank, with motorists at risk of costly repair bills.
They said: “You should fill your car until the nozzle clicks once and avoid ‘topping up’ beyond that point. Doing so leaves no room for fuel vapour to expand inside the tank, and can damage your car’s vapour collection system.
“This consists of a charcoal filter that could be flooded – and damaged – by excess fuel. A replacement isn’t cheap, and inefficient fuel vapour collection is also bad news for the environment.”
