Car won't take gas

This started after a track day about a month ago. The flap is clearly not opening to allow gasoline into the car at a rapid rate. I can pump about .40 at a time before I get the automated shutdown on the pump and have to wait for the gas to bleed into the tank slowly. I read a few threads about this in the past and it seems common on the newer cars where the flap is electronically controlled and the fuse blows, however from what I can gather the '99's didn't have that electronic system for the valve in the filler neck. There were old posts stating something about tubes around the filler neck getting twised causing the emergency flap to be stuck closed but everyone that spoke of it stated it was a dealer fix. I've yet to find anything I can't do on a car other than internal transmission work and would like to give it a shot at fixing this myself...I just need some guidance on how to go about it. I"m guessing I need to pull the inner fender lining to get at whatever I'm looking for...beyond that I'm clucless and need some help. Andy

This is wierd, I have had that happen before. Really pissed me off but I never suspected the car, always the pump. I have changed stations and it stopped, ,but I have had it happen again at "other" stations. My first thought would be to fill up somewhere else to see if the problem is car or pump...... I will watch this thread for other ideas and solutions. Ed

I tried 3 other places. All the same issue. I can tell the flapper is stuck because each time it starts to fill you can hear it fill up the filler neck.....then slowly drain down into the tank. Really annoying. I too was hoping it was the pump I was using but no luck. Forgot to mention. When this happens in newer cars it's the E6 fuse that I was referring to earlier. Mine is fine. Andy

There is a fuel level sensor. I did a quick look up in manual and that was first place it led me.

Bad news, recalibration requires the PTS2. Even if you replace it, the manual says it must be recalibrated using tester

have you tried to fill it really slow?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySKTfNZ7CQE any relationship

priceless

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even as slow as I could get the pump to run it'd still shut off after you pump about .40 worth. I managed to get 1/2 tank in it eventually...took me about 10 mintues. I'll try to dig up the old threads again...they seemed to have it figured out what the issue was but no indication on how to fix as everyone eventually took it to the dealer. Andy

Andy, I don't know if this will help you or not, but I hope so. Let me know if there is anything else from the 996 PET that may help you.

great info Tim!! You are a good man (even if you drive a piece of sh*t) LOL anyone suspect any of those parts? hard to tell, but breather hoses and valve #21 might cause higher preasure making the nozzle shut off? or is the a splash back that makes it stop. so maybe the #11 pipe is obstructed or has more to it than meat the eye (ie.... insides), what is #25? breather too? Man I didn't know the fuel pump was stuck in that dark and stinky hole!!! That should be fun if ever needed to be done.

From the 986 FAQ Gas Tank Won't Fill Diagnostic: When you try to fill the gas tank, only about 1/10th of a gallon will go into the tank before the auto-shutoff triggers in the gas pump. Cause: Tubes behind the flapper in the gas tank have slipped. Details: There is a one way flapper type valve at the junction of the filler neck and the tank. This is to allow gas in but not out. There are tubes in the tank behind the valve that can slip down preventing the flapper valve from opening allowing only the filler neck to fill up then slowly seeps by the valve. Take to your dealer with less than 1/2 tank of gas. The fix is to have the dealer secure the tubes up and out of the way of the flapper valve. Time in Shop: Several hours. Repair Instructions: Requires dealer repair. Notes: None.

There is a TSB (Fuel Tank Hose Modification 5/99 2015)...It effects: 1. Difficulty filling fuel tank. 2. Running out of fuel due to incorrect fuel gauge reading.

Great info guys. Exactly what I'm looking for. Now I'm only left guessing / asking. How do I access that area? Do I need to do it from under the car and pull the lower pannels...or is it done through the fender well by removing the inner fender lining? Thanks Gents. Andy

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Andy, It is all done via the filler neck hole and the wheel well (so the liner comes off). Remove the hex bolts and the filler neck detaches by turning it Clockwise 45 degrees and pulling out. Battery disconnected of course. I'll post a diagram in a little bit.

Andy, Hope these help you out.

Paul, Thanks man. Looks like I have another weekend project. This weekend I'm doing the valve adjustment on my M3...looks like next weekend I'll be fixing this fueling problem. It must have happened when I spun last time at the track? Weird since it was wet out and the spin was pretty casual. Didn't leave the pavement but I filled up right before the track with no issus then this issue crept up when I tried to top off on the trip home. Andy

Don't drop the shims It's not that bad (i did it), feel free to shoot some questions at me. Considering how much you've helped me out, it's the least I can do.

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Ha...I bought a whole extra bag of shop rags to cover the drain holes just to be safe. I'm not anticipating any issues. Did my old bike's valve service and used to own a small block chevy that was a solid lifter motor that required what seem'd like monthly adjustments. If I run into anything I'll shoot you a PM though.

Yea, we complain about servicing our cars, but remember cracked distributor caps, stuck points, adjusting valves, carburators coming loose every 3000 miles (Ford inline 6 owners know that one) resetting the timing and dwell.. these cars are a lot of work, but cars have always been work, just different types of things. to the DIY'er

This may not be relevant because I have an 02 but check to see if you have a cell phone plug behind the lower center consol. Remove the panel by your throttle pedal and tape over the cell phone harness. Then you can replace the fuse that shares the circut to the gas filler tube valve which is a safety mechanism for rollover fire protection. It is very easy to do before you tear into the tank. Will

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Already checked the E6 fuse...but I appreciat the input.

I have had the same problem once or twice but it eventually goes away. However, today the check engine light came on. Could these be related?

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I would get the code read... free at pep boys!

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He still owes us pictures promised from Thanksgiving W/E.... NO SOUP FOR YOU

My 2004 C4S has similar issue--pump shuts down every few seconds. Guy at my local Sunoco turns the nozzle upside down and has no problem filling the car. (Strange, but it works.) He says its fairly common with Porsches.

Does it pass any gas?

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Drove the car this past weekend and tried this...didn't work either. I just need to find the time to get the fender liner out and figure out what's going on up there. Doesn't help that it's been really cold here the last couple of weekends.

same issue only on some pumps, same solution....learned of that way back in HS when I worked in a gas station.

I would love my escalade to not take gas...will make driving it a lot cheaper!!

Hey guys I have the same problem. What do I do once I remove the filler neck from the tank?

Are we all talking about the same thing? Look at the TSB again. It looks like they are pulling the fuel pump #4 and tying the hoses to it with tie wraps. It does not look like you can get to it through the filler neck opening in the tank??

Make sure you guys do not have a simple fuse burn out. I had difficulty filling the tank and it was a fuse, I think it was E6. Easy enough to check this before more complex stuff.

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If you are trying to top the tank off when its near 3/4 its probably full already. The gauges commonly are off in readings for full. There is a check engine light that will come on from filling the filler neck where the gas goes down a tube and messes with a valve. I quit squeezing gas in and it went away after resetting.

I took the filler neck out and at the bottom there is a spring charged valve. The spring is very week so it would ideally depress once gasoline is poured down the filler neck. When I took the filler neck out I started playing with that spring loaded valve. I banged it hard against my hand to make sure nothing else was stuck. I stuck the filler tube back into the gas tank and tested flow by pouring in gas from a 5 jug. Every drop went in. That must mean the valve was working. Cool! So i put all the **** back together and drive down to the gas station and **** same problem! I'm thinking of removing the spring valve at the bottom of the filler neck. This problem is getting really annoying. Any suggestions?

Ok so I took out the spring and left the valve door and end cap in place. It still back washes at the pump, although slightly less... and i do mean slightly. I'm thinking the valve is controlled by one of the wires associated with the fuel tank. I tested the flow of the filler hose at my house and it was fine, but I go back down and it's not working.... the ONLY difference is when i pumped at the station, all the wires were connected because everything was put back for driveability. I'm thinking of disconnecting one wire at a time until I see which one is responsible for holding my valve shut.

look at the Diagram in post #10 Then look at the TSB in #13 They are indicating that the unrestrained hoses get under the flap and hold it closed.

I don't understand how the unrestrained hoses can cause my flap to be held shut. The whole flap assembly is almost entirely inside the bottom portion of the filler neck. Are we talking about the same flap (spring loaded plastic door that travels up and down the filler neck cylinder about 2 1/2 inches up/down)? I don't understand why it worked when I tested it, but wont work when I went to the pump. I'll try and look into the unrestrained hoses. What would be the best way to access the hoses?

I Had similar issue on my track car, what it ended up being was the internal filler door which was not opening because I was shutting off the kill switch to save the battery. also be sure if you are using a funnel that is long enough to open the internal flap a few inches past the external. In my case I needed a angled funnel the straight one didn't get there.

I also tried sticking in a clothes hanger all the way down the filler neck... no help. -I noticed a plug with an 8 inch piece of wire that was taped to the filler neck and plugged into another wire. The 8 inch piece of wire wasnt connected on the other end, it was just a blunt end that seemed to be a sensor of some sort. ps- im specifically talking about my 02 turbo. I don't know if all models are like this.

Reference the diagram in post #10 of this thread and then Follow at the TSB in #13?

Okay I've looked at the diagrams... so I know how to get the filler neck hose out of the tank.... from this point what am I supposed to do? Do i access the unrestrained hoses by sticking my hand in through there and unscrewing #2 (union nut) and pulling out #5, 4 out? Sorry im kinda new at working with porsches

Look at the TSB in post #13 It shows accessing through the sender/fuel pump not the filler neck, and tying the hoses in a specific position to the assembly. Per DDun911 Did you check all fuses? From: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index...889#entry53889 "Open the frunk (front trunk). Take out the battery and the battery tray The fuel level sender is the white portion you see looking down on the tank. Remove the battery and tray and the black locking ring. Then you can pull the sender up and out of tank. Once you remove the fuel level sender you can look into the tank and see the pump is twist locked to the bottom of the tank. Reach in and you'll be able to unscrew it. You wont need to recalibrate the fuel level sensor. When you do reinstall the fuel level sender take care to line up the marks on top of the sender with the mark on the tank, otherwise the float will hang on the lines."

I removed the battery tray and it doesn't look anything like that picture.. There is no plastic lock ring

100_2790.jpg

What year, model is your car? What is the white ring just to the left out of the pic? As long as you are that far clean out the drains on each side of the bulkhead. C4 is a little different shaped tank.

Oh f*@k! I am having the same issue. I can hear clicking when I push down on the flapper at the mouth of the filler... so it can't be the blown fuse; checked the fuse as well... I need to try filling upside down fuel nozzle tomorrow... even a different station too C Rock999, were you able to fix the problem? Mine is 2004 GT3... this problem is annoying.

I think the first page mentions how the problem is fixable at the dealer and a known problem. I think even the dealer might fix it free if the fix hasn't been applied yet.

C4 has the fuel pump access under the cover in front of the battery.

I am yet to figure out how to get to Part ID 21 "valve" at the post #10... also need to know how the signal is being triggered...

so far this trick allows her to get a little more fuel... but has to refuel slowly, i.e., can't squeeze the nozzle all the way...

***double post sorry***

Gents, Sorry I never followed up on this post for closure. I ended up pulling out the fuel filler neck, inspecting all of the vacuum stuff up there and found no issues, also found you cannot access the flapper valve from the filler neck opening at least not to do any good that is. Put everything back together and still had the problem. Post #13 in this thread has the exact procedure that needs to be performed to fix my issue. I pulled the fuel sending unit out of the top of the tank (under the battery in my C2), zip tied the two fuel lines to the sending unit to keep them higher in the tank and out of the way and sure enough that completely resolved my issue. I couldn't beleive that two zip ties and about 1.5 hours of my time was all that was really needed to remedy the situation. It's tight in there doing the work, but not a difficlt task by any means. Andy

where exactly is that "fuel valve door" located? @ the #1, #2, or #3 that I circled (see my attachment). Maybe I should just remove the valve door...problem is annoying.

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Read the post #53 just above yours by AudiOn19s *Refer to your diagram above. There is a TSB (Fuel Tank Hose Modification 5/99 2015)...It addresses 1. Difficulty filling fuel tank. 2. Running out of fuel due to incorrect fuel gauge reading. *The flapper valve is at the bottom of #1, the hoses on #4 (fuel pump) get in the way of the valve on #1. Porsche put out a TSB about this problem. Part of the TSB detailing the fix is contained in POST 13 on page 1 of this thread. You have to remove the fuel pump/sender assy and wire tie the fuel lines to the sender body. See post #13 on page 1 of this thread. It has pics and instructions that Porsche recommends for addressing this problem. If you don't feel comfortable enough in your ability to follow the instructions on opening up the top of the fuel tank in the TSB (Fuel Tank Hose Modification 5/99 2015) that is referenced in post 13 on page 1 of this thread then see post #12 and follow that suggestion for repair.

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Thanks Frank. That's all I wanted to know. U r a great help!

SVLDC, I think the flap end is shown in Fig 1 on post 13, black tube in from the upper left. If the fuel hoses get loose and wedge under it they can foul the flap at the end of the filler restricting it's movement.

Any one with 996 GT3 have had this problem resolved? I was told the fuel tank and the front suspension must come off to access the vent valve. Looking at 8 hours of labor charge to replace the valve...

Well dangit, this is happening to me now. Wife's car is already in the shop for a coolant leak and I just had knee surgery so was planning to wait to fix it. Now I guess I'll have to move it up so I can fix the 996 as well. Hopefully not too time consuming.

Correction - fuse E6 was blown. I'll try refilling with gas soon and if it blows again, perhaps I have to re-think where to pick my radar detector power source from...

Time to scope the filler neck and tank. What have you been hiding in there?

C'mon Krazy, no way. It was the fuse. I will fill with gas later today to verify. Must have shorted something out on that stupid 4-pin connector when doing my radar hardwire 2 weekends ago.

The fuse worked. Filled her up at lunch like usual. Whew.

Hi all I found that my Fuse was my problem, but not at first. I would to try other things like use little plumbers wire rotor tool for small pipes to keep flap open I did try that because I thought someone tryed to siphon out my gas and damaged the tub Thanks for all the info in the report I have a 2000 911 convertible

I'm sorry to bring this tread back from the dead, I have a 2004 40th AE and i'm having the same problem. Audion19s what lines did you zip tied and to what did you zip tied them to? I checked the fuse and it was ok im not sure if the 2004 40th AE E6 fuse is in a different location. please Help!!!!!

The TSB regards fuel lines obstructing a flap of the fuel filler neck. Likely the related problem would start happening after work was done inside the fuel tank such as replacement of sending unit or fuel pump. Here is a link to the TSB: https://www.porscheclubgb.com/legacy...dification.pdf