GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hello,Our Vibe is just about impossible to fuel. Regardless of the gas station and position of the nozzle, the nozzle will click off in seconds, always.Any thoughts as to how to explain this to the mechanic or as to what is going wrong are very much appreciated as it seems very strange to us.Thanks,Jim and Lori B.jbras@bulloch.com

Have you tried pulling the nozzle out an inch or two when filling? I usually don't hold the nozzle full on, I fill at about 3/4 pressure and find it clicks off very rarely.Oh yes, I almost forgot...Welcome to Genvibe!

I had the same situation last night. It was so cold, that the rubber boot that surrounds the nozzle (I guess to catch the gas fumes) was stiff and would not let me fully insert the nozzle into the filler tube. When I tried to pump the gas, it would keep shutting off.My particular solution was to physically force the nozzle deep into the filler tube, and pump more slowly. I figured that when the nozzle is partially inserted, gas must back up in the filler tube and trip the auto-shutoff.

there is a possible filler neck issue from the cap to the neck. Saw the same situation with a Sunfire a couple years back... only time I ever came across it. Now if your having the same problem with different pumps... may be there is a restriction in the tube.

in http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5204 wildvibe had this problem, but he never reported back if it got fixed and hasn't posted in a year and a half, so no closeout/resolution, but that thread does list some possible causes.

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »wildvibe had this problem, but he never reported back if it got fixed and hasn't posted in a year and a half, so no closeout/resolution, but that thread does list some possible causes.Wildvibe did report back and the problem was resolved by replacing the filler tube.http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5686

wow I was right on the money. Filler tube. Kinda miss working for GM... I don't get the latest info and know how anymore.

Like Sunny said, don't stick the nozzle all the way in.

Quote, originally posted by Baltovibe » It was so cold, that the rubber boot that surrounds the nozzle (I guess to catch the gas fumes) ...that rubber boot is to stop back splash if you accidently fill too full....i remember when they started using them there was a newspaper article discussing the number of people that got gas all over their clothes when the accidentally over filled (ignoring the auto shut off described in this thread).

The rubber boot is actually to reduce the amount of unburnt hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere. Stopping the backsplash is a bonus though and does reduce emissions as well.

Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Like Sunny said, don't stick the nozzle all the way in. If it's a short nozzle that isn't an option.

If it's a short nozzle, it will probably flow just fine because a short nozzle is like a long nozzle that is not fully inserted.

Wow, Thanks for the great advice. I followed the link and printed it out. Turns out, the first thing in the manual "The fill limiter vent valve (FLVV) is stuck closed" is the problem. They ordered the part and it will be in tomorrow. He told me to bring the car in tomorrow or next week and he'd have the same mechanic replace the part right away.Our dealer is great. From checking in to checking out was less than an hour and they changed the oil, too. They always do a good job and are really courteous about wait times and/or supplying courtesy transportation if needed. He said that bringing in some possible info about the problem really saved the mechanic some time and thanked me for it.Thanks again,Jim

another job well done by "GENVIBE TEAM!" yay!transform...and roll out!

Maximize! or something...this thread is getting out of hand lol.

Quote, originally posted by Atomb »that rubber boot is to stop back splash if you accidently fill too full....i remember when they started using them there was a newspaper article discussing the number of people that got gas all over their clothes when the accidentally over filled (ignoring the auto shut off described in this thread).Depends on where you live. Some stations are required to recover fuel vapors at the filler neck by using a boot that seals off the filler neck from the atmosphere and vacuums the vapor back to a recovery system.Others just have a backsplash guard to keep fuel from splashing back on you after you've attempted to fill your tank three times after it clicked off...