Gas-station pumps for CSR cars.

[pethier]

I have a CSR 260.  Is it any easier to use a gas-station pump to fill these cars compared to other Caterhams?

 

I have had two Caterhams and a Birkin and I find it is almost impossible to fill them at a gas station.  Is the tank and venting arrangement in the CSR 260 any better.

 

I have worked out a gas-can method, so if filling the CSR 260 at a gas station is just as dodgy as the other cars have proven to be, I won't even try it.

[Slonie]

I can't speak to the CSR, but I still recommend this funnel to everyone who has issues with their filler. Quoted from the "trick for filling gas" thread for posterity... But I tracked down a picture of it sitting on my (non-CSR) filler.

 

 

 

Quote

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MEPIU4M

 

Lisle 17232, made for filling annoyingly-placed reservoirs but snaps right into place on a Caterham fuel filler...

 

 

[pethier]

12 minutes ago, Slonie said:

I can't speak to the CSR, but I still recommend this funnel to everyone who has issues with their filler. Quoted from the "trick for filling gas" thread for posterity... But I tracked down a picture of it sitting on my (non-CSR) filler.

 

 

 

That method does not look as failsafe as my unvented-can-with-a-hose method.

 

How do you know when the tank is full before the fuel spills out on your paint and your shoes?

[Slonie]

Admittedly, I have not tried to rely on auto-stop with this method and have instead elected to only put in as much fuel as I know will fit (5-6 gal usually). 

 I'm wondering if I can catch an impending overflow by watching the funnel and pumping more slowly after the first 5 gallons, I'll give it a try next time.

[EdWills]

Not particularly Lotus/Caterham related, but on holiday on Kauai, Hawaii last year, I needed to fill up our rental car before returning it to the airport.  As a Costco member, I made use of the great prices and shopping available.  At the Costco gas station, I tried 3 cards (one in U.S. Dollars) in order to pay for the gas.  None of them worked, and I couldn't pump any gas.  I noticed that an entirely different type of pump nozzle was attached to the hose of a type that I had never seen before.  I returned to the store, and they confirmed that all of the cards were up-to-date, and should work.  I tried again with no luck and even a very helpful lady customer also tried to help with no success.  I went to the nearby Costco attendants booth, where a young 'surfer dude' Costco employee was keeping cool in his air conditioned cocoon.  He came out to the vehicle, tried the cards - as I had done - which still would not allow him to pump any gas. He looked at the pump nozzle, and then gave it a very hard shove into the gas tank filler neck. He told me "Your nozzles not in far enough". I replied "My wife often tells me that"!  He stared at me for a few seconds, then went back to his air conditioned comfort.  I was then able to pump the gas.  

 

It appears that the 'new' nozzle has to make a very firm contact with the filler neck of a vehicle to allow the gas to be pumped.  It cannot just be left loosely in the filler neck to work correctly.  Not sure if this type of nozzle will become standard in the U.S. and Canada?

 

I have not seen this particular type of nozzle since then, but our local Costco has fitted newer types of nozzles, but they are still of the type that the nozzle does not have to be all the way in to pump the gas.   W.

 

Tommy Cooper:  "The local police arrested two bank robbers at their hide-out recently.  One was drinking battery acid, and the other was chewing on a firework.  They charged one, and let the other one off"

 

[7Westfield]

I'm going to guess those are the same nozzles Costco has here

I had issues a month ago with my Suburban, of all things    the nozzles have a rubber boot around the pipe, which needs to seat on the filler pipe and seal

if it doesn't seal, the auto shut off is confused

 

totally out of the question for the 7     even if they had non alcohol, which they don't

[demoray]

I've had an issue getting gas only once in my CSR, and it was entirely my fault.   Someone came up while I was filling up and asked me questions, and I kept going after the first click like I was filling up a regular street car.

 

Excluding that one exception, I've had no issues in MD, VA, and NY.

[Croc]

20 hours ago, pethier said:

I have a CSR 260.  Is it any easier to use a gas-station pump to fill these cars compared to other Caterhams?

 

 

 

Its the same.  I don't need a funnel.  Just put nozzle in.  Twist to left slightly and pump in at half speed.  Just need to be patient.  

[JohnCh]

@pethier when you get a chance to look through the owners guide I linked to in the other thread, find the sub section under Fuel called Filling Difficulties. As per @Croc's guidance above, they state to fill it slowly and not to fully squeeze the handle. Their advice differs only in that they state not to rotate the nozzle. However, like Croc, I find a slight rotation is helpful when filling my car.