United Tire and Service News

We've all been there, trying to fill up our tank so we can go about our day and...click. The gas pump shuts off, disrupting our flow—literally. Not only are we frustrated, but we're left with questions. Is there something wrong with my gas tank or is it the pump? Let's dive into the causes behind why your gas pump keeps clicking off. 

 

If you’ve dealt with a gas pump shutting off while you are trying to fuel your car, you know that this issue can be quite disconcerting. The first thing that springs into the minds of many people in this situation is that there may be a problem with their car. 

However, this is not the case. Even if this situation repeatedly reoccurs at a different gas pump, this still does not mean that your car has some sort of problem. Instead, the root cause of the issue is the gas pump nozzle. Read on to learn more about why a gas pump nozzle may shut off when you are trying to put fuel in your car’s gas tank. 

 

The gas pump nozzle shuts off due to the way it is designed. When the nozzle shuts off as you’re trying to use it, this does not necessarily mean that it is malfunctioning. Actually, it has a mechanism that is supposed to shut off the fuel supply for safety reasons. 

The fuel shutoff sensor is located on the end of the nozzle near the opening. It is not an electronic sensor, despite its somewhat misleading name. Instead, it is a mechanical device. The shutoff mechanism is a small hole near the tip of the nozzle that is connected to a pipe. Air needs to constantly flow into the pump via this hole or the fuel supply will be cut off.

 

The shutoff mechanism is primarily designed to shut off the fuel pump when your gas tank is full. It shuts off the fuel supply in this situation because it would be a fire hazard if your vehicle’s gas tank overflowed and spilled all over the ground, and the person holding the nozzle.

While the fuel supply is only supposed to be cut off when your gas tank is full, sometimes the mechanism shuts off the supply in other situations. Most commonly, a few drops of gasoline have splashed up from your vehicle’s fuel tank and temporarily covered the hole. 

It seems that this problem is more common with small vehicles. Experts say that this is because smaller vehicles usually have shorter fuel pipes leading to their gas tanks. If the fuel splashes back up from the tank, there is a better chance that it will reach the nozzle if the fuel pipe is short. This problem may require owners of small cars to take measures to prevent the fuel nozzle from shutting off. 

 

Thankfully, it is possible to stop gas pumps from shutting off when you are fueling your vehicle. The easiest way to do this is to reduce the flow rate of the gas coming from the pump. All you have to do is not squeeze the nozzle’s trigger so far back. If the nozzle you use has notches that hold the trigger in place, try setting the trigger to a lower notch.