slow fill

[sean sherry]

A number of Sl owners have confirmed that their tank is very slow to take the last 10 or so litres. I now think that I know why mine, at least , is slow to the full 82 litres. Apparently extra fuel ,after the pump switches off, overflows to the plastic expansion tank above the main tank. This is connected via quarter inch hoses to the main tank. Hence the slow fill for the last litres. Make sense ? ? Sean

 

[Tony66_au]

Yup, Lots of those tanks may well need attention after 30 or so years and ventilation also needs checking.

I have found hoses purposely sealed off with ball bearings or silicone to bypass charcoal cannisters and the like and this can impact on fill times, splashback etc.

My Current daily driver was a bastard to fill the final 15 or so lt and it was a dodgy bypass that caused the issue.

Now it fills right up and I know that when the pump clicks off the tank is full as it will ever safely be.

 

[sean sherry]

Tony my S L is a grey import 1980 Euro Spec 280. All it has is a vent tube at the r/h rear going to atmosphere. It has a ventelated cap on it to keep the dirt out and seems to have a one way valve at the tank end, ie, out only. After the pump cuts out ,slow continually filling produces copous air bubbles from the vent holes next to the filler tube. Could be that is also the problem , the fuel can't get in if the air can't get out. It is no big deal and I'll settle for a 70 + litre tank.
The fuel gauge is accurate with the low warning light constantly lit.
Does anybody have any thoughts ? I don't think that the light is picking up an earth from the dash circuit, I had a look at that.
...Sean

 

[Tony66_au]

The tank is burping so id check the vent pipe.

 

[Styria]

Hi guys, I have never really investigated the complete arrangement as far as breather and filling pipes are concerned. I take it that all of those arrangements are concealed by the steel trim panel that is fitted inside the boot and hides the tank ?

Gleaming Beauty is also a grey import (from Kenya), and as such does not have some of the emission control measures as applicable to Australian delivered cars. For instance, there is no charcoal canister as on Oz models.
Having said all that, I do experience very slow filling for the last ten litres. The pump continually switches off (cuts out), and you reckon there is no more to come. Drive home, open up the fuel filler cap, and there is a good chance that an extra eight to ten litres of fuel finds its way into the tank. Makes it difficult to obtain correct consumption figures. I don't know if there is any solution or remedy to this situation. Regards Styria

 

[Tony66_au]

I had that issue with my Wagon and the last 5 or so litres was a pain to squeeze in, I noticed one day that the driveway at the pump wasnt level and found a pump that was slightly tilted away from the fill side and she filled to full capacity no problems.

That said Fuel tank venting is a bit of a black art and you will find that fuel return pipes, Pollution control vents/fume scavenging systems can play merry hell with how the car fills.

So now I simply seek a pump with a gentle slope away from the fill point so the fill point is slightly higher than the other side of the car.

I also find with older cars that position of the nozzle is important and that often having it as far into the filler as possible so the fuel doesn't bounce off the tube helps as well.

Tony

 

[Tony66_au]

Oh By the way!

If you think back a number of years to the days pre unleaded the nozzles were probably half the size larger than the small units we have today and fuel had far less in the way of additives so I suspect this plays a large part as well.