Topping Off Your Gas Tank? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t
Gas has gotten a lot more expensive over the years so it’s no wonder you want to squeeze every bit you can into your gas tank.
But the simple act of trying to get more value for your buck is actually hurting your car.
First of all, topping off your gas tank causes damage to your vehicle’s charcoal filter. It can overwhelm your evaporation system and break something, or it can cause a hazardous leak because of the excess system pressure.
It also causes a pressure build in the tank which floods the carbon filter vapor collection system. Remember, it’s only made for vapor, not liquids.
The overflow can then affect your vehicle’s performance and possible cause engine damage.
If you do damage your car’s vapor recovery system from topping off your gas tank, the vehicle will not protect people or the environment from harmful vapors.
Overfilling the gas tank sends all of the excess fuel to the charcoal/evaporation canister. That kills the life of that canister. And with a carbon filter price tag between $200-$1500, that’s a costly repair for saving a few more pennies at the pump.
You don’t even want to go there on the cost for a new engine.
According to the EPA, gas stations are equipped to pump gas back into the station’s tanks through a vapor recovery system. This safety precaution helps to ensure that the excess vapors don’t escape into the environment.
And that leads us to the final reason to avoid topping of your gas tank. It increases the possibility of spilling gas on the ground. These gas spills can contribute to poor ozone days which is determined by the Air Quality Index.
Here at Joe Bowman Auto Plaza, we encourage you to think twice before trying to save a few pennies at the pump by topping off your gas tank. Avoid big car repairs and damaging the environment. Most of all, keep more money in your pocket. You’ve got better things you can do with your money!
But the simple act of trying to get more value for your buck is actually hurting your car.
First of all, topping off your gas tank causes damage to your vehicle’s charcoal filter. It can overwhelm your evaporation system and break something, or it can cause a hazardous leak because of the excess system pressure.
It also causes a pressure build in the tank which floods the carbon filter vapor collection system. Remember, it’s only made for vapor, not liquids.
The overflow can then affect your vehicle’s performance and possible cause engine damage.
If you do damage your car’s vapor recovery system from topping off your gas tank, the vehicle will not protect people or the environment from harmful vapors.
Overfilling the gas tank sends all of the excess fuel to the charcoal/evaporation canister. That kills the life of that canister. And with a carbon filter price tag between $200-$1500, that’s a costly repair for saving a few more pennies at the pump.
You don’t even want to go there on the cost for a new engine.
According to the EPA, gas stations are equipped to pump gas back into the station’s tanks through a vapor recovery system. This safety precaution helps to ensure that the excess vapors don’t escape into the environment.
And that leads us to the final reason to avoid topping of your gas tank. It increases the possibility of spilling gas on the ground. These gas spills can contribute to poor ozone days which is determined by the Air Quality Index.
Here at Joe Bowman Auto Plaza, we encourage you to think twice before trying to save a few pennies at the pump by topping off your gas tank. Avoid big car repairs and damaging the environment. Most of all, keep more money in your pocket. You’ve got better things you can do with your money!
