Okay all of you Contour buffs, I need advice. Today for the very first time it took 1-Hour to fill my tank with fuel? The pump kept kicking off as if my tank was full - but it wasn't. What is stopping the fuel from getting into the tank freely? My car is a 1998.5 [E1] SVT Contour. Please reply with your suggestions to my direct e-mail address
thanna@teleport.com thank you.
Thomas
The fuel tank has a flapper valve at the base of the filler next that is designed to seal the fuel tank against vapors coming back out. This is an OBD II function to pressurize the fuel tank so that the computer can verify that the tank isn't leaking fuel vapors to the atmosphere.
The problem is that 97 and many 98 model contours used a type of rubber on the valve that was sensitive to the alcohol/methanol mix in oxygenated fuels. In the presence of oxygenated fuels the rubber swells on the valve and causes it to stick closed. When you add fuel normally the valve opens with the weight of the fuel. With it stuck it backs up the fuel and cuts off the gas pump. You will need to replace the flapper valve in the tank somehow. Ford may not have done a recall on the valve but in 99 they did come out with a replacement valve for it.
I had the problem and I took a coat hanger along that cut and straightened out in order to stick it down the filler neck and knock open the valve. It worked until I got ford to fix the valve so I didn't have to take 20 minutes to fill the fuel tank.
I've noticed that some pumps have that problem and others do not. Doesn't the pump shut off when the nozzle pressure gets too low?
Anyway, it takes a LITTLE longer to pump when it's like that but an hour is a bit ridiculous. When this happens again, either try a different pump or squeeze the handle only enough to get the gas moving. Don't try to pull it all the way or even enough to lock it at the lowest setting.
First... I did try another pump, same outcome.
Second, the flapper comment seems to be the most likely problem, I didn't know there was such a thing in the tank. I'll try what you did - how far down the filler neck is this flapper?
NEVER MIND, I SEE IT'S AT THE BASE OF THE FILLER NECK.
Thomas
It's the flapper valve, not the pumps!
It takes about 2.5' of coat hanger and if the valve is really stuck the coat hanger will flex and try to bend. you may need to slide it in until you hit the restriction and then pop it a few times to jar it loose rather than use continuous pressure. Double stranding the coat hanger may be required to make it stiffer. Just bend the tip around so that it is rounded, like a bobby pin top so that you don't damage the valve. If popping it doesn' work then double strand the coat hanger and put on even more pressure in different spots of the valve until it pops free.
Once you free it up it may be a recurring problem. If it does then you need the new valve.
Originally posted by warmonger:
It's the flapper valve, not the pumps!
It takes about 2.5' of coat hanger and if the valve is really stuck the coat hanger will flex and try to bend. you may need to slide it in until you hit the restriction and then pop it a few times to jar it loose rather than use continuous pressure. Double stranding the coat hanger may be required to make it stiffer. Just bend the tip around so that it is rounded, like a bobby pin top so that you don't damage the valve. If popping it doesn' work then double strand the coat hanger and put on even more pressure in different spots of the valve until it pops free.
Once you free it up it may be a recurring problem. If it does then you need the new valve.
Many thanks. 
I might even try a piece of 1/2 inch nylon tubing if the hanger doesn't work.
Thomas
My car does this all the time... only doesnt take over an hour... just hafta remain repumping... had some douche tell me I am not supposed to top off... i hadta go in my car to prove that its only at 1/2...
Had an argument too with the person there saying that my gas meter is broken
I wish i knew how to fix it
Oh my car is a 1995, so no OBD-2 [censored]
My 98 Mystique does this a lot, mostly during warmer weather. I just have to stand there filling it manually at a lower rate - even the lowest notch on the auto fill is usually too fast to leave it unattended. It probably takes me 5-6 minutes but nowhere close to an hour.
I know it is the flapper but I just haven't gotten around to fixing the problem. Has anyone replaced theirs on their own or is this something a dealer should tackle? I've replaced my own struts, removed and cleaned out the LIM/UIM, etc., so I'm somewhat mechanically inclinded. Is this something I could do myself without a hoist or special tools that would probably cost as much as the repair done by a shop?
Program 01M04
Slow fill/spit back.
10 year 100k mile warranty extension for the flapper valve.
Have the dealer fix it free.
jeff
Only problem is my Mystique has 108,xxx miles. I don't mind taking the time to fix it myself if it can be done by the average weekend mechanic in a garage with a floor jack. Just didn't want to get halfway into something and have to put it back together.
my car began doing that as soon as it got hot. its the heat. the dealer explained it to me. the material the fuel filler pipe is made out of is the wrong plastic. it swells too much when hot, causing a flap (intended to prevent fuel leakage in event of a rollover) to stick up. This makes the passage to the tank much smaller and causes teh gas to back up, stopping the pump. they fixed it in less than 1 day. this recall doesnt affect all 98.5s though. when i asked they said its just random, by VIN number. now that my fuel filler is made of a better material i have no problems at the pump.
Glad your dealer fixed it, but it is not the heat! I lived in AZ with both of my contours that I owned and it is the oxygenated fuels. As soon as the proper valve was put in I never had another issue, summer or winter. Just remember that the oxygenation is changed every year at the end of spring and at the beginning of winter because of the issues it has with volatility during summer. How coincidental that you noticed it at that time.
Either way the recall program is great and I advise anyone who can get it done to do it.
BTW, the 1995 systems were pre-obd2, or an OBD1 with extras. I went through this problem with a Ford rep, not the dealer and that is how I know the problem and the eventual solution.
By the way, many times you can go to the dealer and ask them to petition Ford to fix your car under the recall even though you are 8k miles over. Many times when the mileage is close Ford will authorize the dealer to make the repair. It doesn't hurt to try.
maybe it affects different systems differently, but with my system i found that it would work fine or close to it if my car had not run that day or if i bought gas late at night or early in the morning. that week was the hottest we had this year and if i had been driving my car(first time it happened was on a 2 hour drive) or if it was the middle of the day it would act up. this is a recall so if you do have the problem your warrantee shouldnt matter. i am the second owner and ford didnt care, but dont just get it done if you dont have the problem. since mine was done my gas gauge has had much more slack(movement with acceleration or hills) and i here an intermittent rattle coming from the rear of my car. i think its a heat shield. ford service departments suck
how can this be fixed myself? my warrany is over, ill just see about a junkyard part... its [censored] when i have a clerk coming out saying im gunna top it off...
Try taking a piece of garden hose, and insert the hose into the tank as far as it will go. Pretend you are stealing gas from a tank that is nearly empty. My contour had the slow-fill problem about a year ago, and the garden hose trick solved the problem. At least, it hasn't been a problem for several months.
Originally posted by EvlBill:
When this happens again ... squeeze the handle only enough to get the gas moving.
True. Happened a coupla times to the wifey's Duratec. I just tried cautiously finding a position to squueze the handle but slightly and that was it, no problem - just took a bit longer.
I had this on my 98 E0 a couple of years ago. My dealer fixed it, but it took two visits.
The mistake I made was picking up the car at closing time, and then filling the tank. The gas drained out of the top of the tank as they didn't get the filler neck in right.
So I drove back to the dealer and let it leak gas outside their service department and came back the next day with the keys. When I picked it up that afternoon the service manager was with me as I went across the street to fill the tank.
TB
All these symptoms you describe, all of you, are caused by this issue.
- slow filling,
- different when cold/hot
The rubber on the valve still expands and contracts due to heat.
- Able to put the filler nozzle in different positions and get it to go into the tank faster.
That is because certain positions from the filler nozzle cause the fuel to swirl as it goes down and other positions cause it to be more turbulent. It is the turbulence that shuts off the pump as that is how it detects the tank getting full.
Some cars take a long time for this to develop and it gets progressively worse. In the beginning it may only take filling at medium rate to get the fuel to go in, or change the angle on the nozzle. As it gets worse it will be as bad as the 1 hour fillup.
Get a part out of the junkyard at your own risk. I'd go to the dealer and get the correct updated part so I knew it wouldn't happen again.
I've had this problem on my 2000 Sport SE but it only seems to happen in winter when my car has a lot of mud on the undercarriage. I get about 1 1/2 gallons of gas in and it spits-up. Doesn't matter if I fill slow or fast at first. After the spit-up, I can fill it slowly with the nozzle barely in the tank. If I wash all the mud off this problem does not occur. Could it be some kind of tank vent that gets blocked? It has taken almost 15 minutes to fill the tank on occasion.
mine was past warranty too but covered under recall. 83000 and they covered it without question
Hey guys,
Just got this recall done on my car today.
I was wondering though; do they replace the plastic flapper valve with one that is not susceptible to pinging closed? Or is this problem likely to occur again down the road?
In other words is it replaced with the same exact part, or a modified part that has better performance?
This is a great site...had I not found this posting, I never would have known what the problem was.
As with the problem in this post, my car started "not wanting gas" too! Turns out it is a recall (extented warranty of 100miles/10years)... I suggest anyone that has not had it done yet, look into it cause you don't get any warning!
As with what happend to BOFH, it also happened to me...uppon filling the tank, gas strated SPEWING all over the place; I'm now driving a brand new Explorer as a loaner t'ill they get things right
Seems like everytime I get something done at the local dealerships, I ALWAYS end up back there to get it done right...oh well...
extented warranty of 100miles/10years I don't know my exact mileage but I'm pretty sure I have over 100 miles by now.
Wow, I didn't realize this was actually a recall issue...I just figured all of the pumps I tried were broken...because a lot of the time I would go to the same pump at the same gas station, but then it started happening at different gas stations.
Actually, just yesterday, I was filling up, and I had to keep manually pumping it, and it would keep clicking off and there'd be no pressure. I think it's probably dangerous, as you don't know how much fuel exactly you have in the tank, and you don't want to overfill it, for obvious reasons. Somebody at the gas station told me it's because people keep topping off their tanks with that pump so there's a pressure issue... but if this many people have that issue with this particular car... that seems like a part issue more than a pump issue. This is all useful information.
I am not sure where my car's original dealership is, or how many owners it's had... and I don't think I can get it fixed at the dealership I bought it at, seeing as how it's a Subaru dealership, and they only offered a 1,000 mile/3-month warranty.
My question is: Would I be able to go to a random Ford dealership in my area and ask them about the recall of that part, and they'd do it for free (maybe a little something for labor)? My car is a 97 with 95,000 miles on it, so not quite 100,000... it's not imperative that I fix this, but it would be one less annoyance.
Originally posted by Delta115:
I am not sure where my car's original dealership is, or how many owners it's had... and I don't think I can get it fixed at the dealership I bought it at, seeing as how it's a Subaru dealership, and they only offered a 1,000 mile/3-month warranty.
My question is: Would I be able to go to a random Ford dealership in my area and ask them about the recall of that part, and they'd do it for free (maybe a little something for labor)? My car is a 97 with 95,000 miles on it, so not quite 100,000... it's not imperative that I fix this, but it would be one less annoyance.
Extended warranties (any warranties) are supposedly honored at all dealerships with service departments - not just where you bought the car. The reality can be different though. Try getting a decayed 95 V6 engine wiring harness replaced at certain dealerships!
Yeah...I'm just wondering where I can get the information to show them that yes, there is proof that they are supposed to replace it for free, instead of arguing with them that I heard it from someone on an internet forum...of course they're going to argue with that, unless they're just all-around honest people, which I've come to realize there aren't many of, especially ones who work in automotive service departments. Or perhaps I don't give them enough credit?
Or would I just be able to ask them to look up the recalls on this particular car on their own? Just wondering, for time and sanity-saving's sake.
I for one am not happy there is a recall on this part. I mean.. after all how dumb of a part it is to fix and all. Or even better... how cheap of a part to fix. I'd like them to fix my darn VCT!
This is NOT a recall.
It is a warranty extension....
A recall means that every owner of every affected vehicle is advised to bring the car into a dealership for a mandatory repair, inspection, or upgrade.
Big difference...
Steve