New Corolla 05 Owner

D-Tech:

Your stories of BMW problems brought back memories of the not-so-old (1980 model) BMW 325 I owned while stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany from 1985 to 1987. That thing required at least an even number of maintenence man-hours for every hour on the road! Cooling problems, ignition problems, you name it, I had it! It was great on the Autobahn, fast and agile, but just too damn fussy! At the end of my first tour at Rhein Main, I got rid of the Bimmer and rented a new Opel Rekord for a couple of weeks! That car really impressed me, and didn't even cough the whole time I had it. I ended up serving a mercifully short stateside tour at Plattsburgh AFB, NY and went right back to Rhein-Main. I ordered a brand new 1987 Opel Record S the minute I got there, drove it 60,000 km. in just over 2 years, and sold it for $3,000 less than I paid for it new!

My '03 Corolla will suck in the fuel no matter what the pump, so my guess your problem is related to the delivery pressure used by the Euro pumps. Whether on- or off-base, the have to meet the same local standards, so they should be pretty much the same as far as technical specs. The only other explanation would be some kind of manufacturing flaw in your fuel filler system, but that seems unlikely. Still, it couldn't hurt to have it checked out.

My most sincere thanks to you and your family for your service to our country!

Larry Roll, MSgt, USAF (Ret.)

Dover, DE

Thanks guys. I figured I was being a paranoid new car owner. I talked to the salesman about this and he had never heard of it before. I figure if it was a common problem with the european pumps I wouldn't have gotten such a dazed look. I also tried the same station, SAME PUMP again, and didn't have a problem this time. *shrug*

Larry, I hate that BMW with every ounce of my soul plus some. I've had to have anything and everything that's coolent system fixed on that thing including the damn resivoir cap! And one thing us Americans coming over don't understand when we grab bimmers of the used car lot is fixing those things arn't cheap, at all. One thing I did like about it though... that car had some balls on the autobahn. It could fly. Oh well. Thanks again.

I had the same problem, and with our van too at exxon stations. the only way I could use them was to refuel slowly so I stopped using them and switched to other stations and the pumps never shutoff on either vehicle now.

Tech,

My 05 has the same problem with gas not wanting to go in sometimes. Will stop during fillup often 1-3 times if i leave it on auto. And one time it wouldn't take gas at all (was able to get a gallon in or so).

Also often the fuel nozzle just doesn't seem to go in very well...

strange...but i have gotten used to it.

My 03 CE does this at some stations but not at others.

Possibly relates to the shutoff sensors in the pump nozzles. Defferent brand of nozzle = different sensor settings.

try different stations, the sensors are set too sensitive at some places. that can be the only explanation in our case. where besides exxon does that happen to yall? for me thats the only station that I have that problem at.

We just started having this problem on my wife's '02 Corolla LE. At stations where we have never had problems with gas, we are suddenly having to spend ten minutes trying to force the gas into the tank. I've been searching the net for info on this problem, and it sounds like it may be related to the charcoal canister being clogged. It also sounds like an expensive repair. The last time I got gas, I pulled the pump nozzle out, as soon as the pump clicked (to see if the filler tube was actually full), and I noticed gas running out of the little breather/vent hole, and into the filler tube. I don't know if that's normal (I've never looked in there before), but I'm wondering if that breather/vent line is somehow the source of the problem. I believe the charcoal canister is at the end of it.

OK........... I was told it had to do with the fumes inside the gas tank... Some of my cars sometimes did it and then that problem went away..

I have noticed that if I empty my gas tank completely and then fill the tank then it does thsi SOME TIMES but if I still have quarter tank gas left, it won't...

My Honda Accord 1988 did the same thing. I did not know what it was a "problem" until now.

Supposedly, you aren't supposed to force any more gas into the tank after the first shutoff to prevent flooding the charcoal canister?

On the 2003 Corolla I have, you need to park with the nose of the car slightly downhill and it will not fill at full open on the hose valve at any station I have tried. Second setting usually ok but at some stations the first lock is as far as you can open it. First cutoff is usually a gallon or so shy of full so I let it cut off second time and "even up" slightly. From "low fuel" light, mine typically holds 10 gallons.

Downhill? I don't know that I've ever been to a gas station on a hill.

That happen to my car a couple of times but it usually at the same pump, so Im thinking it could be the pump problem.

Downhill? I don't know that I've ever been to a gas station on a hill.

Most are sloped away from the pumps so that spills and rainfall do not stand under the canopy. Going in is slightly uphill, going out is slightly downhill and drains away from the canopy.