My tank won't take fuel... Help!!!

[bigfelipe]

I have a 2011 Expedition XLT and last week it started having issues at the pump. Try to fill it up and the nozzle just clicks. Have to go insanely slow. I mean like it takes 20+ minutes to fill the tank and it constantly pops. Tank doesn't seem to be venting properly. Can't figure it out why though. Here's where I'm at:

-Dropped the tank. Followed the lines.

-I checked the vent line to the filler neck. Removed it, blew through it. It's clear.

-I disconnected all the lines to the charcoal canister. They're all clear and no signs of charcoal residue or anything.

-Hit the canister valve with 12v. It closes like it's supposed to and remains open without power.

-The one-way bungs on top of the tank both function fine. You can hear the pellet move and block the valve when you blow into them. Both seem to allow air out of the tank.

-The vacuum harness on top of the tank is clear of obstructions.

-The vent on the fuel pump assembly seems to be fine. (I didn't take the assembly out and check internally)

-Thinking it could still be a blockage in the charcoal canister or something north of the tank, I went to the gas station and popped the vacuum line to the tank vacuum harness off the canister and tried to fill it. Same result. Immediate clicking.


To sum up, I know it's something between the filler and the charcoal canister. Lines appear to be good. Unless I'm missing something it's got to be related to the tank or specifically one/some of the valves on the tank??? Going to drop the tank again in the morning and pull the fuel pump assembly and see what I can see.


What say you? What else should I look for?

 

[Aspen03]

Assuming you tried a different pump and filled up again before all of the diagnostics? I've come across a couple of bad pumps that would stop filling if you even looked at it funny.

I had a vehicle do this back in the early 2000's, a GM W body and it turned out to be the evap purge solenoid causing problems. Chased around a bit like you and I got lucky I think. Seems like you've covered most of the obvious. Mine did it in winter, took about 11 minutes to fill. That suuuuucked, I swear it was a 0 windchill overtime I had to fill up so I feel your pain.

 

[Don Hall]

Experienced this condition with my wife's 2006 Mustang. Solved the problem
with a new canister. This is not an uncommon problem.

Some times heat build up in the tank will cause a slow/no fill condition.

Some times reversing the fill nozzle (position the trigger on top) will help.

Went through 2 canister replacements on the '06 Mustang.

From a Google forum: "Refueling control valve may be faulty. This is a one-way valve that connects the fuel tank to the EVAP CANISTER. Its' purpose is to send vapors to the canister instead of the outside air when you are refueling. If it is plugged, it will not allow vapors to escape fast enough, and cause the pump to shut off.

 

[bigfelipe]

Experienced this condition with my wife's 2006 Mustang. Solved the problem
with a new canister. This is not an uncommon problem.

Some times heat build up in the tank will cause a slow/no fill condition.

Some times reversing the fill nozzle (position the trigger on top) will help.

Went through 2 canister replacements on the '06 Mustang.

From a Google forum: "Refueling control valve may be faulty. This is a one-way valve that connects the fuel tank to the EVAP CANISTER. Its' purpose is to send vapors to the canister instead of the outside air when you are refueling. If it is plugged, it will not allow vapors to escape fast enough, and cause the pump to shut off.

I took the canister out of the equation by disconnecting the vacuum line from the tank to the canister. Even unobstructed, it still won't fill.

 

[bigfelipe]

Assuming you tried a different pump and filled up again before all of the diagnostics? I've come across a couple of bad pumps that would stop filling if you even looked at it funny.

I had a vehicle do this back in the early 2000's, a GM W body and it turned out to be the evap purge solenoid causing problems. Chased around a bit like you and I got lucky I think. Seems like you've covered most of the obvious. Mine did it in winter, took about 11 minutes to fill. That suuuuucked, I swear it was a 0 windchill overtime I had to fill up so o feel your pain.

I tried multiple nozzles at a couple of different stations.

Purge/valve on the canister was tested and functioned. I also disconnected the canister completely and even with an unobstructed line from the canister to the tank, it won't fill.

 

[Don Hall]

deleted

 

[bigfelipe]

Turns out it was the anti-siphon valve inside the tank bung for the filler neck. It wasn't moving freely. So I just removed it. I have a locking cap anyway...

 

[Don Hall]

Thanks for passing along the fix.....

 

[Fordmatic]

Turns out it was the anti-siphon valve inside the tank bung for the filler neck. It wasn't moving freely. So I just removed it. I have a locking cap anyway...

So how did you remove the anti-siphon valve from the tank bung ? I dropped my 07 expy's fuel tank due to the same issue yours had.

 

[Hamfisted]

You have to get some long neck needle nose pliers and cave man it out of there. With the fill hose off you can see it right there. It's not really an anti siphon valve, it's there to keep liquid fuel from sloshing back up the fill hose and entering the charcoal cannister and damaging that. But if it's the root cause of not being able to fill your tank you can get rid of it and deal with the charcoal cannister later. So test it for free movement before you rip it out of there. If it moves freely leave it alone, since it would not be your fill problem.

 

[Wolfgheist]

I have a 2011 Expedition XLT 2WD and am having the same issue.
- Gas gauge stopped working and says empty tank.
- Cannot put a 1/2 gallon of gas in before clicking.

When the gas gauge stopped working, I figured I would just fill up every 200 miles until I got the time to replace the fuel pump, but then after driving 200 miles, I found I could not put gas in. I am now around 450 miles and have only been able to get 2-3 gallons in 1/2 gallon steps over several days and figure I will run out at any time.

I replaced the charcoal canister and that did not help any of the issues. Everything looked clean when I took the old one off, but I tried it anyway.

When I went to disconnect the tank to drop it, gas was pouring out when I disconnected the fill hose from the tank. Eventually that all drained out, but when if I put my finger in the fill connecter on the tank where I disconnected the fill house and push 'something' in there, gas pours out like crazy. Not sure how a nearly empty tank can pour out so much gas from the top of the tank when I push in that connecter.