I was filling up the rest of my tank with $20 and the pump stopped at $19.84. For some reason I was stupid enough to keep pumping and I as I looked down I saw gas spilled out onto the gas cap area

With gas at $2.83 and me pumping in $1.16, or an extra .409 gallons, I'm curious if this did any damage?

Do our cars have a safety mechanism when someone trys to pump too much gas in?

I did see gas spill out but I'd still like to hear what anyone can tell me

Thanks

 

the gas pump should click when it full, that's the safety mechanism and if you ignored that then its your fault for spilling since it will keep clicking to tell you its full when you try to keep adding gas

 

Spilling the gas I'm okay with, my question is did I do damage to my car?

 

if you wipe off the gas that spilled on ur paint then you should be fine if you don't do it again

 

no you're fine. Think about it, how can you possibly damage your car by over filling the gas?

 

With all I've read about potentially harming the evaporation system and too much gasoline increasing pressure in the tank causing problems, its got me worried

 

Looks like u have a 16" with atleast 3-4 more years of warranty in case your engine breaks down. Lexus won't be able to proof caus of the problem lol

 

Yes. Overfilling the gas tank immediately voids all warranty conditions and agreements. Expect a pending Check Engine light.

Lol. Yeah. You're fine. Just know that there isn't any real need to top off these newer cars. I'm OCD as well and can stand not landing square in an even number of gallons or dollars. So, I understand. There just isn't any really reason other than that to bump in a couple more drops.

 

I noticed that it's a lot easier to "overfill" the GS. I always top off my tank to the next nearest whole dollar. I noticed that with the GS, if I push the handle all the way, then the gas splashes out. If I just find of pump it (push the handle/release the handle) quickly, I don't get splash. Also, if I push the handle at maybe 20% rather than all the way (so that the gas flows slower) then I don't have issues. Must be with something with how the gas tank is designed, because I can easily fill up another half gallon or so. Never had this issue with my TL, ILX, Accord, or any of the rental cars I've driven.

 

I can easily get a half gallon or more into Lexus gasoline tanks after the pump nozzle/handle automatic shutoff switch is first tripped. I like rounding to the nearest dollar also - (do it for tips too). BMWs are totally different as they will not take much extra gas after the shutoff switch is tripped the first time.

 

I just don't want my damn gas meter to go down so fast!

 

That's why I have my gas gauge wired so it always reads 'full'.

 

You're fine as long as you didn't get any gasoline on the paint.
I top off all the time to the fill hole. I actually go as far as shaking the car by 1/4 panel to squeeze in every little bit that I can on long trips. Been doing this for 15+ years, never had a problem.

 

The OP did get gasoline on the paint...and probably on the wheel and tire too. While gasoline is a dissolving agent the car's paint will not be damaged if gasoline is spilled on it. It may remove some wax or sealant, but it won't damage the paint itself. Getting gasoline spilled on the tire will also dissolve the tire dressing.

Bottom line - there is a lot of damaging chemicals on the roads and in the atmosphere that cannot be avoided. Spilling a bit of gasoline on the paint is not that harmful in the big picture...

 

Overfilling a tank can cause issues with your evap canister and/or sensors. The amount you overfilled by on a one time basis isn't enough to cause long term damage but if you do it often enough it will damage your evap canister.