This Mistake at The Gas Pump Can Cost You Plenty!
The costly mistake many drivers make when filling their car with gas is to overfill it by topping it off. When the gas pump nozzle clicks off, do you stop or do you keep pumping? Are you trying to add more gas your tank after the shutoff trying to stuff as much in as possible? Are you pumping more gas after the shutoff to round your total cost to the nearest full dollar amount? If either of these scenarios are true, or if any other reason causes you to top off your tank you have developed a bad habit that is costing you money and is contributing to air pollution.
In many areas, a gas station's pumps have vapor recovery systems that recover gas vapors to keep those vapors from getting into the air. If you top off your gas tank it will result in you paying for gas that is drawn back into the gas station's vapor recovery system.
The extra gas you are trying to stuff into your tank may be drawn into the vapor recovery system back into the station's tanks. In that case you are paying for gas that is not going into your car but is going back into the gas station's tanks. The effect of this, of course, is to raise your cost of gas.
When you top off your tank there is a good chance that gas will evaporate or will be spilled on the ground. Both of these things will cost you money for gas that is not getting into your tank. That is it bad for your wallet.
There are more undesirable situations that can happen when overfilling your gas tank. Gas expands as it warms up. This is certainly something to keep in mind in the summer or in areas with warm weather. Gas in underground tanks will be cooler than the air as the ground insulates it from the heat. As the fuel in your tank gets warmer it expands. As the fuel expands it has to have more room.
If you top off your tank, there is no room for the gasoline to expand. What then happens to the expanding gas? It might find it's way into the vapor collection system of your vehicle. This will easily foul the system causing it to work poorly.
The gasoline that expands and is lost is gasoline that you spent your money on. That means that again, you spent money for gas that you are not able to use. As a result your cost of gasoline is increased. But you are not through loosing money! If the expanding gas finds it's way into your vapor collection system it could easily foul that system. If that happens your car will operate very inefficiently.
A car that runs inefficiently means that you will use more gasoline which means you will spend more money on gas. Thus you are hit doubly in the wallet, once for the gas that you loose directly and second for the extra fuel your car burns because it runs inefficiently. Ouch and double ouch!!
Gasoline vapors are a source of toxic air pollutants such as benzene and contribute to bad ozone days. Gasoline vapors are harmful to breathe. When you overfill your tank you will inevitably get some vapors released into the air. When this happens not only are you breathing in toxic fumes but you are also contributing to the air pollution problem.
The next time you stop to fill your vehicle, when the pump stops don't try to add any more gas, your tank should be quite full. Don't overfill it! Don't top it off! You will save yourself fuel and money but you will also contribute to preserving your good health and preserving the environment!
Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page manual of automotive industry insider information on saving gas and money at the gas pump. Visit us to learn how you can increase fuel economy. Find out how to save gas.
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