The Safe Driver

Topping off your gas tank is a major no no

Getting the most for our money is important for many people. Looking for deals is something many of us do on a regular basis. When it comes to paying for fuel, we often prefer to find the gas station with the cheaper price. Where I live, gas prices tend to drop into the evening, so that’s the time I get fuel after I’ve come home from work or after running errands. However, some people attempt to stretch their money a little further than just filling their tank of gas.

As with many people, filling the tank of gas is something I do each week. I want to be able to go as far as possible on my tank of gas. I drive economically, even though I drive in rush hour to and from my office for a combined 3 hours each day. As it turns out, I was making an error with my filling up routine that I now have corrected.

Rounding up to the nearest dollar was what I always tried to do. I would also attempt to fill up an extra dollar or two to add more fuel to my car so I would be able to go that little extra on the tank of gas. It turns out I was hurting my vehicle and possibly the environment. Who knew? I didn’t…until now.

Overfilling your gas tank can mess up your vehicle. Most vehicles are designed to notify you when your tank is full. Vehicles with this function tend not to allow you to add more gas to your tank since gasoline needs room to expand. This means your tank needs extra room for that expansion. This means that adding more gas can either overwhelm your vehicle’s vapor collection system and flood the charcoal canister that is only meant for gasoline vapor or it can cause serious leaks due to an additional amount of pressure in the fuel system.

Adding additional gas in the system can actually reduce the life of the canister and possibly even damage it over time. If the vapor canister gets damaged, it can affect your vehicle’s performance, causing it to run poorly. It may even cause engine damage over time as well. If you’re wondering what the cost could be, replacing the charcoal canister can cost anywhere between $200 up to $1,500, depending on your vehicle. Compared to the additional two dollars you tried to squeeze into the tank, not worth it.

Attempting to squeeze as much gas into the tank as possible can cause gas spillage due to overflowing. Aside from being a flammable liquid, gas can also be hazardous to the human body. Spilled gas can stain our clothes we’re wearing and the worst part, can also seep into the ground. This can potentially pollute the water and harm wildlife. Not something any of us want to have happen.

Gasoline vapors can easily escape as you’re squeezing in the last bit of gas into your tank. These vapors are also very toxic. The fumes are quite harmful to breathe and are also toxic to the ozone layer. The evaporation and fumes from any spillage from attempting to over-fill your gas tank can add to the pollution problem as it releases toxic air pollutants.

So, the next time you’re filling up your vehicle with gas and the nozzle clicks off, accept it as the tank is full. If you want an even amount of money to spend, pre-pay a set amount so those of us who have a difficult time seeing the final sale at $52.82, we know we can pre-pay for a $50.00 fill-up. Now we’re all happy.