Why does the gas pump sometimes pump super slow?
Why does the gas pump sometimes pump super slow?
Some times the pump is like if it was slowly letting out just a little dribble. What's up with that?
You're viewing a single thread.
I've done a bit of time as a petroleum mechanic.
There are 2 ways a gas pump can work: Either you have a pump at the fuel tank that is activated by the switch on the gas pump that then runs through the dispenser and through the hose (and whatever anti-siphon measures you need along the way), or you have a line that runs to the gas pump at the dispenser, which then goes into your car.
Generally, if the pump slows down, there aren't a lot of moving parts so it's going to be one of a very small number of things. It's possible there's a piece of debris in the tank that blocked the inlet to the pump. It's possible that the different pumps connect to a shared inlet so they are fighting over the fuel coming into the system and multiple people are running the pumps at once. Another thing that it could be is the filters are getting plugged. Often they use fuel filters to ensure grit doesn't end up in your fuel tank, and they can get clogged up.
In general, it either indicates a maintenance issue or a design issue. If I were taking a look, I'd start on the maintenance end.
Would you happen to know the reason why in certain cases where the vehicles fuel tank is not actually full, but the nozzle shuts off multiple times?
Is this another maintenance issue with the nozzles shutoff mechanism?
I had this problem with my last car and I’m certainly going to explain it poorly but here goes.
There’s a vent or pipe of sorts in or around where the fuel goes into your car and if it gets clogged vapors build up and cause the shutoff mechanism in the handle to trigger prematurely. Cleaning it out can help.
But I also just came across this saying it’s probably the pumps fault. So it’s probably best to disregard everything I’ve said. https://jalopnik.com/you-may-want-to-avoid-yosemite-national-park-right-now-1850592362
I used to work at a gas station and when we were low on fuel our pumps would always go super slow, could it be some sorta pressure/vacuum thing or maybe some sorta failsafe?