☰
GET A QUOTE

Q: Gas tank will not fill up

asked by on September 11, 2016

I have a 93 honda accord and it will not allow me to fill the gas tank up. I've tried several different pumps, and it stops at 5 gallons each time...I can see the gas coming back up as if I am over filling it so I know it's not just sensing it's full, but 5 gallons is only filling it 1/4 tank. Could there be gunk in there? I just bought it from someone who had it sitting for a while.

My car has 280000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

Recommended Services

Evaporative Emission Control Canister Replacement $195.77 - $1074.67 Get a Quote
Or For Any Other Auto Repairs Get a Quote

This is most likely a problem related to what is called an evaporation canister in the fuel tank which is responsible for venting the tank as you fill it up with fuel. When this is clogged or not working properly, it does not allow the the tank to vent fast enough while refueling which causes the fueling pump to shut off (the shut off switch for them is activated by pressure). I would recommend having an expert from Your Mechanic come to your home to diagnose this and repair.

Honda
gas tanks
manual transmissions
Accord
1993
L4-2.2L
The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

AC blower making clicking noise.
The noise is the blend door actuator for the a/c. The actuator is very common to go bad internally. The actuator will try to move the blend door to a certain position when you turn on or off the vehicle....
Read more
1997 Nissan Pathfinder won't pass smog check
If the vehicle has a Check Engine light (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/check-engine-light-is-on-inspection), this may be able to help diagnose the issue because it would produce a trouble code for the emissions system. If the vehicle does not have the Check Engine light illuminated,...
Read more
Jeep Liberty ABS brakes?
When you start your car or turn on the key do you have a yellow light that says ABS in it? If you do then you have ABS and you should order the hub with ABS. If an ABS light...
Read more
car tries to start but wont turn over all the way
If I'm understanding you correctly, it sounds like your engine is not turning fast enough or starting up. The slow cranking can be due to a defective starter (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/starter-replacement), bad cables or connections to the battery (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/battery-cable-replacement), or a bad...
Read more
Car drives for about a mile then the clutch pedal starts sticking to the floor for a couple seconds before popping back out. What
The clutch pedal is only a lever that pushes the clutch hydraulic master cylinder in an effort to produce a pressure to the clutch slave cylinder that pushes in the clutch. First check the clutch fluid level and see if...
Read more
Alarm system is silenced and my car won't start
I'm sorry, but I will need a little more info for this one like the year make and model of the vehicle. Many vehicles' alarms systems are designed to react differently to certain inputs. Something as simple as a loose...
Read more
There is a humming coming from the front tire. I checked the tire for a possible wheel bearing issue but the vertical shake of tire was solid.
A tight feeling when shaking the tire vertically does not always completely rule out the wheel bearing (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/wheel-bearings-replacement). A technician with a stethoscope or electronic hearing device can listen to the wheel as it is rolling and compare the type...
Read more
I am leaking coolant only sometimes. 2002 vw passat.
Coolant leaks can be very tricky because they might happen only under certain conditions. Some leaks may only occur when the engine is cold, while others might only show when the engine is hot. some may be low pressure leaks...
Read more
My car won’t accelerate passed 20mph but the RPM accelerated all the way to 7 or higher . One day my heat went out
If engine speed is steadily increasing but the car is not travelling faster, there is something amiss with the transmission. Perhaps the transmission is not shifting out of the low gears. The recommended service to get the underlying fault pinpointed...
Read more

Related articles

The Best Used Cars to Buy If You're Over 50
Shopping Shopping for a car when you’re over the age of 50 begins to shift a bit, as your priorities tend to change. Suddenly it’s not so much about what the vehicle looks like, or how much space it has...
Read more
The Best Used Cars to Buy If You're a Mobile Housekeeper
If If you are a mobile housekeeper, chances are that you are looking for a small, reliable used vehicle that offers good gas mileage and enough space to store your supplies. With that in mind, we present to you the...
Read more
How to Drive Your Manual Transmission Car With a Broken Clutch
If you drive a car with a manual transmission, there will likely come a point in time when the clutch wears out (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-long-does-a-clutch-last)...
Read more

Browse other content

Services
Cars
Estimates
Maintenance