Fuel: here is why you should not continue to fill your tank after the click of the pump

The current fuel shortage in France is making life difficult for many motorists. But this situation should not push you to overfill once at the pump.

Credit: Ladanifer/iStock

Indeed, given the particularly complicated situation that the country is going through, some drivers may be tempted to fill their tank to the brim to avoid breaking down. But beware, contrary to what one might think a priori, this is absolutely not a good reflex. If you are one of those who apply this practice, know that it is the cause of several inconveniences, whether on your vehicle, on your wallet and on your health.

As the specialized magazine Autoplus recently explained through a advice wise, overfilling fuel by continuing to pull the trigger after hearing the click that is there to warn motorists to stop pumping is a bad idea. Since this surplus will not end up in the tank but will be evacuated by the drainage system and will end up on the road, this will only have the consequence of making you spend more money for an equivalent result.

A risk for the car

In terms of security, again, the shoe pinches. And for good reason, filling your tank more than necessary risks making the road and your wheels slippery, especially with diesel. But that's not all. It can also “propelling liquid fuel into the pipes and damaging the pipe of the vapor recovery system essence » says Graham Conway, managing director of UK-based Select Car Leasing. Such a malfunction can create a major breakdown and incur very high repair costs.

Finally, if you do not wear gloves, which seems to be the case for the vast majority of you, you expose yourself to the fuel coming into direct contact with your skin and the latter being highly irritated.