2000 Impreza Outback Sport 2.2L Auto Ever since I bought this car two years ago, the gas filler tube has been stubborn when filling up with fuel. I have to pump it as slow as possible or the pump will shut off. I've tried all kinds of different nozzle angles and techniques, but nothing works. This is especially frustrating when filling up on a brisk, 20* below zero, winter's eve. I've put up with it long enough so I want to fix it! Is there something I can do to try to remedy the problem without replacing the filler neck? Possible that the vent is plugged up with rust/gunk? If so, is this easily accessible? I've swapped a few motors in my day, but never dealt with anything back here...not really sure what I'm getting into. At this point, I'm under the impression that I need a new filler neck. I'm wondering if anybody has any experience replacing one and how big of a pain in the dick is it going to be. Do I need to drop the tank to do this or what all is involved? I've never had the patience to stand there and put more than about $10 worth of gas in this car so looking forward to finally being able to top her off...
Pretty common for them to rust and leak fuel, so there are aftermarket replacements available. Pretty straightforward installation. Not sure if it will fix your problem, suspect you are on the right track with the vent. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008VN0HAQ/
If your screws are rusted in there, you'll need to drill them out. When you replace it with a new one, do not put that dumb plastic cover back on. GL
Thanks guys. I think I'll just pony up the cash for a new unit since they aren't too spendy. I haven't had a chance to really take a look, but how accessible are the clamps that connect it to the tank? I mean, I'm not going to have to drop the tank or have to cut "access" holes in my floor am I?
I don't think removing tank is necessary. I watched a DIY once and remember it being somewhat easy. Just refrain from smoking and lighting candles!
For my 2002 Impreza the lines were easily accessible. The filler neck was quite a ways from the tank and connected via rubber hose. Besides the dirt and grime this wasn't really a bad job. However changing the filler neck did not fix my problem. I have tried a number of things and the problem still exists. This problem in some cases is caused by air not being vented from the tank while filling (gas goes in, Air has to come out.) and causes the air to come out the filler neck. Since we don't want fumes to go directly into the air we use the charcoal canister method of filtration. One thing I would suggest is unhooking your charcoal canister vent lines and then heading to the gas pump (I unhooked all 3 rubber hoses because I didn't know which was which). If your car fills fine with these disconnected you should replace the canister or the valve. Another tacit that I used was using my air compressor to blow air into the charcoal canister return hose which seemed clogged. After doing this was the only time that I was able to fill my tank normally. Then after 2 weeks and I try to fill it again the problem comes back. If you get it to the point where you can fill normally, don't fill it all the way. I find that if you have to wait a week to do more debugging it just drags out that much longer.
Thanks for the info Eazy E. As with anything, it never seems to be the easiest solution that actually fixes the problem. I'll replace the filler neck and go from there. Once I get in there, I'll have a better idea of what's going on and will probably check out the canister while I have everything out of the way. Thanks for the heads up. So in your case, is it a bad charcoal canister or valve or both? Is the valve part of the charcoal canister body or is it a separate part that can be replaced?
In my case it does not seem to be either. I think I have a bad vent line coming off the tank to the canister.
That was my next thought...perhaps the vent line is plugged up with gunk. If it's not a total pain, I might just throw a whole new vent line in while I'm at it. Just not sure of ease of access at this point.
The valve is called the Charcoal canister purge valve (#23 in this diagram: http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s161/lavid2002/partlist.jpg ) I replaced it and it did get rid of my CEL code but that was pretty much it. The charcoal canister is #28 in that picture and you can see 2 large hoses and one small hose which I was referring to in my first post.
I'd be surprised if the charcoal canister/valve/hose had much effect on filling at the pump, most of that venting should happen through the smaller hose attached to the filler neck itself.
Isn't that smaller tube on the main filler neck for the overflow if it fills up through the filler neck?
Been awhile since I replaced mine, but I'm pretty sure that line goes back to the tank. Once the cap is on the system is "sealed" that's why you need the vent that runs through the charcoal canister and valve.
@joebush44 I'm wondering if you made any progress on your fueling system. I was recently shown the following diagram which may be what @glen is talking about. http://drive2.subaru.com/Sum03/FuelSystem/FuelSystemIllustration.gif I'm going to circle back and check the small hoses on my filler neck.
I still haven't taken the time to get in there and take a look or order any parts. The next time I fill up with gas will probably motivate me to look into it again. As for your quote from Glen, I still argue that the small line that is part of the filler neck itself is an overflow tube for when the main part of the neck gets too full. That being said, it could still be acting as a vent to allow the fuel to fill properly. I'm hoping that smaller line is plugged up and by replacing the main filler neck, it will resolve the problem. Eventually, I'll order a new neck and throw it in. If that doesn't fix it, I'll look into the other lines shown in the diagram you posted, thanks for that!
I wonder if it could be this valve? http://cars.natemichals.com/subaru-2/wrx-vapor-canister-purge-valve-replacement-write-up/
Possible. Only thing is, I don't have a CEL on right now either. That's a pretty decent write up though, thanks for sharing. It may come in handy if the new filler neck doesn't resolve the problem. I'll likely order a new filler neck next week and hopefully that'll be the end of it! ...it's usually never that easy though...
Consequences for bypassing the canister/valve altogether? CEL, I assume? You mentioned disconnecting the vent lines from the canister and trying to fill up to see if it fills normally. When you did this, could you fill normally? And, can these be left unhooked?
In my case I could not fill normally with them unhooked (however once after blowing air through the lines with a compressor I was able to fill normally, but the problem came back the second time I filled the tank). It is ok to leave them unhooked, mine have been like that for months at a time. In general I would hook them back up so you don't get too much road junk in them.
