Why is it so impossible to get a gas tank

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

petethepug

Michael
Joined
May 4, 2016
Posts
3,025
Reaction score
3,283
Location
SoCal
Fuel pumps are always available. I found two choices on a Saturday morning when I needed the truck done yesterday….

it was a choice from a ready to go out of business Indi auto parts shop that had a No-Name made in China POS with a 1 year guarantee for $3h or an OEM GM unit with a lifetime guarantee for $6h.

It meant either a $8h job with a guarantee to be back in 1.5 year to pay another $8h for out of warranty repair or $1k to do it right once. It was a lesson to buy a 3-$4h OEM lifetime GM f/p from R/A before the pump w/ 100k+ miles goes out.
 

Ohannon7

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Posts
34
Reaction score
31
Location
Central Fl
FWIW my other vehicle is a FlexFuel Tundra that needs a new gas tank due to stupid FF technology and ripple effect complications (unable to fill tank past half due to air pressure, it's stuck in FF mode even though I use regular gas so I get horrible MPG, increased carbon in engine, extended crank start and poor performance). The fuel pump is somehow a part of the tank. Total PITA.

Regardless, new OEM tanks are on back order for years and the used market tanks are in the same shape bc they were all made stupid. Now I just surf the Internet all day.
 

nonickatall

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2022
Posts
711
Reaction score
1,299
Location
Germany
If your tank cannot be filled past halfway, it is very likely that your evap system is the problem. Since the 90s, every car has had systems designed to prevent fuel gases from entering the environment.

They have an activated carbon canister and a vent valve that is open when the car is switched off, which means that the air can escape into the environment through this activated carbon canister, which binds the fuel gases, through the valve while filling the tank.

If you have a problem with this activated carbon canister, there is activated carbon in the lines, or the vent valve is stuck closed, you will not be able to fill the tank past half.

This shouldn't be the fault of the tank itself or the fuel pump.
 

arkie

TYF Newbie
Joined
May 11, 2016
Posts
24
Reaction score
13
my dads 96 suburban broke a similar piece off the gas tank back in the day when I was a grasshopper and with my luck with 2001 GM plastic I lost my original radiator side tank my heater core connectors and many more plastic pieces to age I didn’t blame GM if it is still broken besides the fact that it’s non repairable I think the quick connector right there is worn out so it’s leaking smoke when it slightly backs off but what I can do if the clips are just worn is force the pieces together softly and tape it so it can’t back off
A little safety wire will go a long way
 

Fless

Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Apr 2, 2017
Posts
11,896
Reaction score
24,221
Location
Elev 5,280
FWIW my other vehicle is a FlexFuel Tundra that needs a new gas tank due to stupid FF technology and ripple effect complications (unable to fill tank past half due to air pressure, it's stuck in FF mode even though I use regular gas so I get horrible MPG, increased carbon in engine, extended crank start and poor performance). The fuel pump is somehow a part of the tank. Total PITA.

Regardless, new OEM tanks are on back order for years and the used market tanks are in the same shape bc they were all made stupid. Now I just surf the Internet all day.

I'll be the first to say I don't know jack about Tundras but on the GM trucks one can reset the fuel composition (alcohol percentage) with a decent bidirectional scanner. You might be able to do something like that on the Tundra, or at least reset the long term fuel trims for what might be a solution, albeit temporary. GM has also issued updated calibrations (firmware) to fix issues like this, so Toyota may have a similar process in a TSB. Maybe you've already explored that, but I thought it would be worth mentioning.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,366
Posts
1,866,807
Members
96,989
Latest member
Mreedini
Top