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A Costly Mistake at The Gas Pump You Can Avoid!

A mistake that many drivers make when filling their gas tank is to overfill it. In other words when the gas pump nozzle clicks off automatically,do you keep pumping trying to add as much more gas as you can? Do you add more gas after the shutoff to round out the dollar amount of the total. In either case this habit is most likely costing you money and is bad for the environment.

In most areas, gas station pumps are equipped with vapor recovery systems that draw gas vapors back into their tanks to prevent those vapors from getting into the air and thus contributing to air pollution. If you top off your gas tank it can result in your paying for fuel that is fed back into the gas station's tanks because that vapor recovery system is drawing gas back into the station system.

The extra gas you are trying pump may be drawn back through the vapor recovery system into the station's tanks. Then in essence you are paying for fuel that is not going into your tank but is going into the gas station's tanks. This, of course, raises your cost of gas.

When you top off your tank there is a good chance that gas will evaporate or will be spilled on the ground. Both of these things will cost you money for gas that is not getting into your tank. That is it bad for your wallet.

There are more undesirable situations that can happen when overfilling your gas tank. Gas expands as it warms up. This is certainly something to keep in mind in the summer or in areas with warm weather. Gas in underground tanks will be cooler than the air as the ground insulates it from the heat. As the fuel in your tank gets warmer it expands. As the fuel expands it has to have more room.

If you top off your tank, then there is no extra room for the gas to expand. Where does the expanding gas go? It may find it's way into your vehicle's vapor collection system. That could easily foul this system causing it to malfunction. If this happens your vehicle will run poorly and have high gas emissions.

The gasoline that expands and is lost is gasoline that you spent your money on. That means that again, you spent money for gas that you are not able to use. As a result your cost of gasoline is increased. But you are not through loosing money! If the expanding gas finds it's way into your vapor collection system it could easily foul that system. If that happens your car will operate very inefficiently.

A vehicle that runs inefficiently burns more fuel which translates into spending more money on gas. That is a double hit in the wallet, once for the fuel that is lost directly and second for the additional gas your vehicle uses because it is running inefficiently.

Gasoline vapors are a source of toxic air pollutants such as benzene and contribute to bad ozone days. Gasoline vapors are harmful to breathe. When you overfill your tank you will inevitably get some vapors released into the air. When this happens not only are you breathing in toxic fumes but you are also contributing to the air pollution problem.

The next time you fill your car or truck, when the pump automatically stops your tank should be full enough. Do not top it off. Not only will you be saving yourself money, you will you be protecting your own health and you will also be helping the environment!

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Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page book of automotive industry insider secrets on saving gas and money at the pump. Visit us to learn how you can increase fuel economy. Find out how to save gas.
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