We have a 2012 Prius with 105,000 miles on it. Recently we are not able to pump fuel into the tank without the nozzle shutting off repeatedly. Service manager at the dealership says it is likely in need of a replacement charcoal canister. We live on a dusty dirt road, 3+ miles long. Can I assume the canister is clogged with dust? The service manager says the replacement plus labor will cost me around $1000 dollars. Does anyone know of an alternative way to deal with this issue? Hoping that someone has figured out a way rehabilitate this part or buy a cheaper aftermarket replacement. Unless I sell my house and move, I can only expect this issue to repeat.
I can't believe living on a dirt or dusty road causes the issue. Constantly overfilling the tank can as well as some other items. If it was out of my $$$ I would pick up a good used one on eBay and change myself. Most mechanics can do this. Used on eBay is under $200. iPhone ?
and if its not are they going to give it to you for free? anyone can guess and start replacing parts its a used car get a used one for 1/5th the price
The canister is more likely fouled by over filling the gas tank, as I understand it. TOYOTA FUEL TANK & TUBE
Yeah, it always makes me nervous when a service adviser or mechanic uses the phrase "it's likely" or "probably" attached to a huge estimate. Even though I would suspect their diagnosis is correct. Before I shelled out $1000 I'd want a little more assurance or projected confidence from my service department. How much of this breaks down to labor vs. actual part cost? How isolated are you from the dealership or how many potential dealership options do you have around you? I think the easiest first step, would be to call around dealerships, and define your problem and see if there is any difference between cost. Maybe you could find one willing to do the work for less, or willing to install a used part for less. In any case the phone call is cheap. The worst case outcome would be you call around and discover that $1000 for a new charcoal canister is indeed what it is going to cost. So nothing to lose here. Further research and phone calls might lead you to a "used" option. But the phone is where I would start.
This is my wife's commuter car. I don't really know if she habitually overfills the tank, but it's possible. If we can break that habit, maybe we can still live on the dirt road for another few years. I having been looking at some other threads and there are several posts that support the overfill theory, but none that mention dusty conditions as a factor. I have also been looking at the cheap used replacements on ebay - tempting but somewhat chancy I suppose.
I did check with my local independent mechanic. He searched and was unable to find an aftermarket part. He strongly advised against installing a used part for this application. I live 65 miles from the nearest Toyota dealer and 200 miles from the next nearest one. This is part of the price to live in Wyoming.
Some of us are trying rotating the nozzle when filling the tank. You can invert the gaso nozzle almost upside down (180 degrees) when filling might want to try that. This re-positions the pressure sensor holes in the gaso pump nozzle
Have you tried a different "pump" (it's not a pump, just a delivery control device) at the station, or a different station? With my somewhat limited knowledge of the Prius fuel tank and filler tube arrangement, I don't see how the charcoal canister figures into the problem. The canister is designed to allow the sealed system to vent to the atmosphere when there is positive pressure in the system. The charcoal absorbs the fuel vapors and is purged when the vehicle is running. Maybe there is something out of alignment in the filler tube where the tank vent line "tells" the nozzle that the tank is full with a surge of fuel. There were fueling problems like this in the Gen II due to collapsed or distended bladders (ouch !) which are not a factor with Gen III. Carefully take a look with a flashlight down the filler tube and see what you can see. And try another filling station.
If the canister is clogged could it not increase the back pressure by not allowing the tank air to vent, and this trips the mechanical valve in the delivery control device?
I agree. I used to do that on my '07, but even on my '13, without the bladder, I still get touchy pumps that click, repeatedly. I just flip the fuel handle 180 degrees, and pump away with no clicks. Try it, BEFORE you replace the filter. Also, yes to the post about over-filling. That will clog up the filter. Always complete fueling at the first click... The REAL click... The one where you can hear the gas coming up the filler-neck.
dusty roads will not cause this, its a sealed system.unless dust is getting inside the gas tank I think your having bladder issues..the car I mean, Id try to insert some thing next to the nozzle as you are filling it to let the air escape faster before the back pressure shuts the pump off..but what ever you do don't use a lighter to look into the gas tank...made that mistake once..was banned from all 7-11's for life
Odd there are no code(s)? For what it's worth, my '12 @ 108K always gets filled up past the first click and never has had this issue. I'm just one data point, but, I'm leaning toward a misshaped gas nozzle. I've used nozzles that are impossible to use without manually adjusting the angle just right.
Back pressure might have been an issue on the Gen II since there was a rubber seal in the filler tube and the fill pressure served to expand the bladder. The Gen III is vented to the atmosphere so there won't be any back pressure.
Just found this thread. My last 3-4 go get gas moments, when I unscrew the cap it sounds like I'm opening a soda bottle. I have back pressure just not sure how.
#18 could have been a little overstated. True, Gen 3 omits the bladder—but it's still a system that controls vapor emissions, and is not simply vented to the atmosphere like old, pre-vapor-control cars were. If the right passages aren't passing air at the right time, positive or negative pressure can be developed in the system. The Repair Manual has a lot of info on the system.
