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      01-16-2012, 10:00 PM   #1
CharlieX
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Fueling hard - pumps keep shutting off

Any thoughts before we take it in to the dealer?

My wife can't fuel her 2010 128i anymore. The pumps keep kicking off after less than a half-gallon. Multiple stations (shell, mobil, 76, cotsco). We're in CA, BTW, so the vapor recovery pumps can't really be fiddled with or they simple won't lock down.

It must be the car since this is only a recent issue?

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      01-16-2012, 10:02 PM   #2
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mine does this too if you leave the tank too low. From now on I always fill it up as soon as I get to 1/4 of a tank left on the gauge. Also, try not to push the nozzle in so much.

i would check with your dealership though. It has happened to me a few times(maybe 3 times over 2 years) where it doesn't suction and gasoline just starts leaking out of the sides and the bottom.
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      01-17-2012, 07:16 AM   #3
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Mine does the same, but the behavior is different on different pumps. At one station the outside pump will only pump about 1/2 gallon at a time. The rest of the pumps work OK. At another station I have to push the nozzle in as far as possible and then it works OK.

Try the nozzle in as far as possible, or not in all of the way, or other positions to see what will work.
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      01-17-2012, 10:40 AM   #4
CharlieX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m_thompson View Post
Mine does the same, but the behavior is different on different pumps. At one station the outside pump will only pump about 1/2 gallon at a time. The rest of the pumps work OK. At another station I have to push the nozzle in as far as possible and then it works OK.

Try the nozzle in as far as possible, or not in all of the way, or other positions to see what will work.
Seems like a design problem. I'm going to swap cars with her and see what I can discern. I hope there's a permanent fix that BMW can eventually make.
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      01-17-2012, 11:55 AM   #5
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I've never had any of these issues you guys describe....
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      01-17-2012, 12:21 PM   #6
gnpower
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pull the pump lever half way.
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      01-17-2012, 02:22 PM   #7
doublevanosrc
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Never encountered this issue, interesting.
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      01-17-2012, 03:03 PM   #8
Tom K.
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Happens to me, but only once or twice a year.

OP, try a different angle for the nozzle, if possible.

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      01-19-2012, 07:33 PM   #9
vantagesc
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I've had this issue intermittently in a non-BMW. Solution was to pump the gas slowly as gnpower suggests.
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      01-19-2012, 08:00 PM   #10
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I've heard about this before with 1ers. Funnily enough, when I got my new 135i and fueled it for the first time the same thing happened to me. I put in about almost 7 gallons (into an almost empty tank) and the pump started shutting off. I kept squeezing a little more thinking there was just an air bubble I had to get past, but less and less went in between shut offs until it overflowed on my shoes, which surprised me because no way the tank could be full. Sure enough, when I got in the car and started up the tank was just over half full. One thing I noticed was that the fueling area was on a slight incline so the car was not completely level. The next time I refueled I made sure the area was completely flat. Oila, no problem. So maybe that has something to do with it.
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      01-19-2012, 08:40 PM   #11
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After 2 years w/o an issue mine just started the last few fill ups.
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      01-20-2012, 11:03 AM   #12
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I have this issue with CA pumps. I stick the nozzle in all the way, then pull it back out a smidge. Then I run it on lowest automatic setting. Some stations are better than others.
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      01-20-2012, 12:37 PM   #13
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Subscribed. Happened to me last night. Hopefully issue is nothing too serious..
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      01-20-2012, 01:23 PM   #14
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If I don't fill really slowly, I end up a gallon or so less than full. As small as this tank is, I like as much range as possible. Just filled up yesterday and after 20 miles down almost a 1/4 tank...guess I didn't fill slow enough.
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      01-20-2012, 01:34 PM   #15
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I have(had) this problem on my 135i since day one. Normally the pump clicks off at 8 liters and then again at 15 liters. Once it clicks off it is almost impossible to add more fuel(it acts like te tank is full, the pump keeps clicking off). IF I keep at it and get past the 8 liter and 15 liter mark... the rest of the fill up goes fine.

My dealer could never find anything wrong. Then one time I got a SES light just after refueling the car. Luckly there was a BMW dealer near by and they read a code out for a bad emission gas tank pump/module. This is the pump that tests the gas tank that it is sealed and not leaking evap fumes. My local dealer replaced this pump/module along with a new gas cap and I have not really had this problem as much.

From time to time on really hot days (25' C or hotter) and only when the gas level is under 1/4 tank when I refuel - do I have this problem. But then only "sometimes"! I'd say it went from occouring 30%of teh time( fill ups) to maybe only 5% of teh time now. I've kind of just accepted that this is a design flaw of our cars.

Who knows... maybe one day IF I remove the fuel tank - I might find a pinched fuel vent line. But it really doesn't happen that much now to bother me.


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      01-26-2012, 08:46 AM   #16
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I've owned both a 2008 128i and a 2010 135i and both cars had this issue. I've found that lifting up on the handle while I fuel seems to work most of the time. Not sure if it's the angle of the nozzle or some kind of air pressure deal, but I've gotten used to it over the years.
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      01-26-2012, 10:45 AM   #17
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Tried the slow fill (first notch on pump) and it filled to the top. Gauge didn't drop off full for a couple of days. The tank is so small that it isn't much more time filling it slower fortunately.
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      01-26-2012, 12:14 PM   #18
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It might be partially caused by the vapor recovery collar on the pump nozzle which makes it hard to center the nozzle in the fill tube - this has happened to me on a few occasions usually just after I start to fill up.
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      01-30-2012, 09:14 AM   #19
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My 2011 has had the same issue since new. No matter how I have tried to adjust the nozzle it occurs.
Pain in the arse to spend 15 min to fill up!!
I will ask service Dept about it in April when it is due for 12month oil change
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      01-30-2012, 06:12 PM   #20
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Wow, this is very surprising.
I've never seen this issue come up so much on this forum.
There is a new thread where a 1 owner is having this problem.

I suggested he try a different station to see if it happens even at different stations. From this thread it seems that maybe there is a greater issue than just an occasional errant pump.

I also suggested that maybe something is up with his EVAP system, but usually a code will get triggered if a problem is detected.
Something to keep an eye on.
For the record, I've never had a filling problem, not even once in 25K miles of driving.
Also, I always fill up after the "low fuel" light goes off, and when it does I fill up to full every time.
I don't think any of that matters related to this issue though.

If someone finds a solution post up, it'll be interesting to see if this is a wider spread issue.
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      07-29-2012, 05:35 PM   #21
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Just bought a used 128i a week ago and had the same problem. The first time I filled it with no problem. Took a 150 mile trip and was only able to pump in about 2 gallons. Tried a different station and was able to get about 5 gallons in before it shut off. After the return trip and with only 1/4 tank remaining I was able to fill it with no problem.
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      07-29-2012, 06:20 PM   #22
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Haven't had this problem in the first 18 months or so of owning the car, but in the last month it's happened to me while out of town 3 or 4 times. 70 to 80 degrees F, usually after highway driving.

It's never occurred when the tank was low. Usually between 1/4 and 1/2 full.

One time was so bad, I couldn't put any gas in the car, I had the lever pulled out as far as I could go and was trying to gently squeeze the lever to release the slowest stream of fuel, and nothing would work. It would always shut off. I drove away frustrated that I couldn't put $1 worth of fuel in the car. (Other cars were filling up normally, so it was something about that pump and my car).

Went to another gas station and was able to fill up with no problems.
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