Don’t Top Off That Tank!

Have you ever stopped at the gas station, filled up the tank, and then squeezed that pump just a little bit more after it automatically shuts off so that you get a nice round dollar amount? It’s okay if you have, because I totally do that too. Pretty much every time I get gas. However, I want to tell you that it’s actually a very bad idea to do this! I know, I didn’t think that it was actually bad either but, well. Now I know. Check out the reasons why you shouldn’t top off your gas tank – I didn’t know these and now I feel like I am saving my car every time I manfully refrain from squeezing that pump.

First of all, when you top off your gas tank, what you’re doing is literally adding more gas than can actually fit in the tank to begin with. That’s why the pump handle releases – because the sensor in the pump can tell when the tank is totally full, and so when you keep squeezing… well. You can figure it out. That excess gas doesn’t magically fit into the tank, though. If the tank is too full then the gas can go into your vehicle’s evaporative emissions system – specifically the carbon filter, which is designed only to hold fuel vapors, not actual fuel. The gas can then spill on the ground or cause issues with engine operation – the result of which is poor fuel economy, poor emissions, and decreased engine performance overall.

The next thing is that you’re just wasting money. A lot of pumps can sense when there’s too much gas in the tank already (as I mentioned above) and after that point is reached, it’ll start sending gas back into the station’s tank if you keep trying to add more to your own tank. So the dollars and cents will continue to rise but you’re getting none of the gas that you’re paying for. Waste! Of! Money!

Save your hard-earned cash and don’t waste it on topping off or engine repairs due to topping off. Let’s break the top-off habit together and revel in our newfound wealth! It might not be much, but it’s better than having nothing, right?