Pumped More Gas than Tank Capacity - How?

[MadMurr]

Hi - I have a 2012 GS Skyactiv sedan. Last night I went to fill up and ended up pumping 57.5L into my tank - no spillage. I'm not a technical car person, so I am wondering how this is possible in this car when the stated tank capacity is only 55L? Can anyone help explain for me please?

Cheers and thanks in advance

Murray

[Noisy Crow]

There's still airspace in a filled tank, especially in colder weather. Need to leave room for expansion. And gas pumps don't actually report litres, they measure litres adjusted to 20 degrees C (well, I think it's 20C.... just read the label on every gas pump if you want to check). So you can get more than 55 "litres" in the tank when they are actually a bit smaller than they would be at 20C.

That said you much have been running on fumes before you filled the tank!

Of course it is entirely possible the pump isn't calibrated properly....

[standsideways]

15*C is the correction temp :)

[Booter22]

why you are driving it until the tank is almost bone dry is another problem all on its own...

[Unoriginalusername]

Pumps recoil the fuel in the line when it clicks off. If you fill for multiple clicks the meter will read higher than what you actually put in your tank

[MadMurr]

Thanks everyone. I hadn't meant to run it that low (but it was still showing the last bar on the gauge). I will be more careful with fillups and not reclick as often.

Cheers

Murray

[Rob23]

Bahaha sorry you have the same name as me. Also my friends call me Murr lol!

[WHO]

Wow, if it was still showing the 1 bar, then the gas light just came on, and you still had a good 10L in there.

Clearly you were ripped off by a poorly calibrated pump.

[MadMurr]

I had done about 40km after the 1 bar and light came on. It came on shortly after I went out - but it basically all highway driving 100-110 so I knew I was getting low but still ... did I click too often and risk overfilling (it still felt like I could add more when I stopped) ... and are there any risks to the engine system filling the tank so full?

[5_Alive]

Its a 60L tank..
And you can get 62L in a 3 comfortably.

Don't forget the filler neck.

[WHO]

I had done about 40km after the 1 bar and light came on. It came on shortly after I went out - but it basically all highway driving 100-110 so I knew I was getting low but still ... did I click too often and risk overfilling (it still felt like I could add more when I stopped) ... and are there any risks to the engine system filling the tank so full?

In that case, one can assume you still had roughly 5-6L in there. So, with the 57.5 you filled, you're out 2-3L which can be explained by the temperature (evaporation etc) and a slighty miscalibrated pump (probably about 1.5% off). Say you got ripped off about 1L by the pump, that's not out of the ordinary. The next pump might give you an extra 1L...