Is anyone having trouble getting their gas hose out of the car :roll: after a fillup? Sometimes I have to pull so hard part of the bladder seems to be rolling out. Thank you.
The fit to the filler nozzle does seem to be a bit tighter than on other vehicles I've owned. Seems to be more of a friction issue rather than suction (vapor) to me. Have not experienced anything like pulling the bladder out. Does this occur at more than one station? It may have something to do with the nozzles used in your area. Where are you located?
I couldn't imagine the pumps in Ohio would be that good! When I lived by OSU... The pumps around the area were no different than the ones in Georgia, California, Washington, and even Switzerland... I'd agree with jrfaris that it is a friction issue. Try pulling the nozzle out from a different angle... i.e. Pull up and then out on the nozzle - rather than just pulling out.
the nozzle gasket in the filler of the Prius is designed to seal the filler so that the fumes are forced into the activated carbon cannister on the vent side of the bladder. This is to stop hydrocarbons being released to the atmosphere. What you might do is put a drop of engine oil on your finger and smear it around the rubber gasket. Or just take the dipstick out of the ICE and rub it around the gasket. The oil won't harm the rubber but will provide some lubricant to the filler and keep it from gripping the rubber gasket. One or two drops is all you will need.
My TSB-ified filler now has no rubber gasket, but if I shove the filler in too far it tends to jam. Not sure where along the line (if ever) that filler became standard...
I've never had that happen when filling up my Prius. However, in Washington, we frequently have pumps that have a rubber "collar", that covers the gas cap when the pump nozzle is inserted into the car's tank. Maybe the nozzle is narrower here, because the collar is containing the gas fumes.
I wonder how Toyota got that past the EPA as it now probably violates the emission permit that the car was certified under.