The following is more of an irritant than a serious problem, but its starting to get ridiculous.

Ever since I purchased my new Octavia (diesel) estate last year I've frequently had problems with filling it up with diesel.

9 times out of 10 I cannot get the tank more than 3/4 full no matter what I do. The cut out on the forecourt pump nozzle is prematurely triggered, and I cannot get any more fuel into the tank even if I try to trickle it in slowly. I have only managed to get a full tank in a handfulof times in 6 months, and one time it was because the pump nozzle was faulty, didn't cut out, and the tank overflowed!

Today was a real classic. I went to the petrol station this morning and I could only get £3.80 worth of diesel into it (despite messing around for about 10 minutes trying to persuade some more fuel in) although its done 114 miles since the last visit! The cashier looked at me as though I was mad when I went to pay.

I'm going to get the dealer to look at this but the first servifce is not due for a while yet.

So in the meantime I thought I'd ask if anybody has any ideas about this odd problem.

Edited 11 April, 201016 yr by Minimoke

Tried orienting the pump upside down?

I get this with some ASDA pumps and just turn the pump round - works a treat

i find pulling the pump out so only just in the tank works!if the fuel splashes it sets the auto cut off thing to cut out. asda cut out on less than 2 litres yesterday and when i moved pump around, i managed to get in 41.5 litres, and the felicia only has a 42 litre tank according to manufacturers handbook, so i must of been very empty or asda's pumps are on the fiddle, but i was very in the red bit cos its 4p a litre cheaper at asda so save filling up for when i go visit my parents 20 miles away, but i cut it a bit tight this time lol

i find pulling the pump out so only just in the tank works!if the fuel splashes it sets the auto cut off thing to cut out. asda cut out on less than 2 litres yesterday and when i moved pump around, i managed to get in 41.5 litres, and the felicia only has a 42 litre tank according to manufacturers handbook, so i must of been very empty or asda's pumps are on the fiddle, but i was very in the red bit cos its 4p a litre cheaper at asda so save filling up for when i go visit my parents 20 miles away, but i cut it a bit tight this time lol

Don'y forget that you could have almost a litre in the filler pipe too if you brimmed it til you can see fuel...

Don'y forget that you could have almost a litre in the filler pipe too if you brimmed it til you can see fuel...

but that will leave me still only a litre and a half of fuel!

but that will leave me still only a litre and a half of fuel!

Been there and done that in the past, once got 55.5 litres into a 55 litre tank... Car had been saying to refuel for the previous 60 miles though...

Never doing that again

Tried orienting the pump upside down?

I get this with some ASDA pumps and just turn the pump round - works a treat

I can't even get the pump in my diesel car when the right way up. If I turn it 90 degs I can just get it to bite on the first tooth of the nozzle and it fills fine. I can imagine that if the nozzle was going all the way in the foaming would likely cause it to constantly cut out. All this is at my local Tesco's - I've not filled up anywhere else yet.

There is something weird about the filler on my Octy. I have to have the diesel nozzle approach from very low and go into the filler pipe at an almost uphill angle to get it to fill properly. I've just assumed it's another of the quirks of this, to me, very odd car.

I find this on our Scout sometimes. All you have to do is pull the nozzle out about and inch or two and then it works without problems. Not noticed this on my FL Octy yet, but then I've only filled it up a few times!

......there are lots of potential " nozzle all the way in.... and then withdraw it slightly " jokes looming here but I am far too mature ?!

......there are lots of potential " nozzle all the way in.... and then withdraw it slightly " jokes looming here but I am far too premature ?!

Such a public admission

I notice a similar problem on my Scout.

I had a Fabia 1.9TDI previously and the nozzle would go in andonly cut out when the tank was full. The fuel gauge wood show a touch over the full line at this and if I brimmed the tank I could do a fair distance before the gauge moved down from full. In my scout I can barely seem to get the nozzle in, there seems to be a plastic bit there that blocks you from putting the nozzle too far in (or else there is something wrong with my fuel filler!) and no matter how far I brim the car the fuel gauge never reaches the full line (at least not unless I go down a steep hill shortly after filling). Anyone else experience this? Is it a fuel gauge calibration issue or is there something wrong with my tank?

Cheers.

Hi DaveOR.

I've now had a detailed look at the filler pipe in my FL Estate.

The tank filler pipe also has what look like some plastic "guides" within the internal diameter of the pipe at the filler end. These "guides" are located equi-distant around only the top half of the pipe. The bottom half does not have them.

This would explain why I sometimes cannot get the pump nozzle into the tank filler without considerable difficulty (or maybe I should hold the pump nozzle upside down as others have posted?). What is the purpose of this?

But I don't think this explains why I'm unable to fill the tank 100%.

So I'm still perplexed. Unless somebody can explain the reason for this I will just have to file it as yet another stupid VAG design issue.

Edited 15 April, 201016 yr by Minimoke

I think there must be a sharp kink in the filler pipe that causes premature splash back. Stupid design I'm afraid.

Having similar issues with my Scout '09.  

 

Tried at two different stations so far. With the issue being much the same.

 

Have ran through rotation of handle through all available angles. 

 

All in all it takes about 10mins to fill my car from empty with the pump ticking over at .10 l/ sec

 

I can find a "sweet spot" and get to pump with the handle almost depressed more than just a touch.. But it is very rare and never the same spot. 

 

Thinking of carrying a funnel with me. Will investigate further as was only bought the other day, been away on holiday with it and now back home with the appropriate tools. 

Even my petrol vrs causes a similar but not as bad problem. I too end up with the pump at a 90 degree angle to fill it.

FL scout at work is the same. Takes forever to fill it up, but it can at least be filled! After a burst of fuel delivery it cuts out, then a bit more goes in and it cuts out again.