Don’t top off your tank after the gas pump shuts off

The gas pump is designed to stop the flow of gas after your car’s gas tank is full. But as many motorists know, you can pull the trigger and pump a little more gas before the pump kicks in again.

There are many reasons why you might “fill up” your gas tank: Maybe you believe your car has room to fill up a little more gas, or maybe it’s because you want your gas prices to stay round.

People online were debating if it can harm you and your car or if it is actually harmless.

Should you refill the gas tank after the pump stops working?

No, you should not refill the gas tank after the pump has stopped working.

The fuel pump turns off automatically for a reason. After the injector goes off or makes the first click, injecting more gas into the tank can damage your vehicle and pose a health and safety risk to you and others.

ONE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) press release explains that the gas pump knows when to turn off thanks to a sensor hole located at the top of the pump nozzle. This sensor hole is attached to an air intake. When the air intake manifold is in, the valve of the fuel pump remains open and the air distribution nozzle is opened. But once the gas has covered the hole and the hose stops drawing air, which happens when the gas tank is full, the valve closes and the gas supply shuts off. You can see a more detailed explanation of how does it work in this video.

One consequence of overfilling your car’s gas tank is that it can harm your car’s evaporative emission system. This system is designed to ignite excess gasoline vapors. But overfilling your tank can cause liquid fuel to spill out and damage the system. GasBuddy speak.

Damage to the evaporative exhaust system can affect your car’s performance and cause your check engine light to come on. GasBuddy says replacing damaged parts can cost between $200 and $1,500.

Typically, an evaporative exhaust system will last the life of your vehicle, AAA speak. But refilling your gas tank even once runs the risk of so filling it up that you damage the delicate filters in the system, according to AAA.

In addition to causing damage to your vehicle, says GasBuddy, overfilling your vehicle can damage the gas pump in a way that makes gasoline more likely to spill out of your vehicle or the injectors. Even if you don’t damage the pump, gasoline can get stuck in the injector when you fill the tank, causing gasoline to spill over to the next person to get gas. Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District speak.

Gasoline is harmful to both human health and a fire hazard, in addition to being an environmental hazard.