• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

Can't fill up tank in 04 Avalanche

Bigntall1

Full Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2005
Messages
1,936
Location
Meridian, Mississippi
This has been happening for a while now but just got around to asking what it could be.  I can't fill up my 04 Avalanche.  I can never get more than 26 gallons of fuel in it. After the pump stops I can usually squeeze in another 1.5 gallons but it takes forever when the pump stops every 2 seconds. When I'm done pumping and get it the fuel indicator doesn't reach full.  I don't know if it's my guages or what. Yes I've had problem in the past with my cluster panel.  Gas guage has dropped to empty on a few occassions but it hasn't done it in over a year. 
 
Yes, I would think that it is your guage.
 
I have had an experience with the same sort of symptoms.  If i put the nozzle all the way in, the back pressure(i guess) is telling the pump its full, thats only 20 bucks into the fill up.  My workaround has been to angle it differently only putting the tip of the nozzle in, leaving space for air or fumes or whatnot to escape.
 
Z66 BUTCH said:
Yes, I would think that it is your guage.
It's very possible.
BCmountaineer said:
I have had an experience with the same sort of symptoms.  If i put the nozzle all the way in, the back pressure(i guess) is telling the pump its full, thats only 20 bucks into the fill up.  My workaround has been to angle it differently only putting the tip of the nozzle in, leaving space for air or fumes or whatnot to escape.
I'll give that a try although mine goes far past $20 before it stops.
 
I just recently replaced my fuel pump and the Avi runs and starts nicely.  The problem now is that I can't get fuel in the tank, it shut the station pump down about every .3 of a gallon the line down to the tank is clear. Do any of you have ideas as to what it might be.
 
Sometimes this happens to me to whether my tanks empty or halfway or anywhere in between. I think it has more to do with the actual pump I am using than the truck at all, but maybe I'm outta my mind, wouldnt be the first time I've heard that. Seems like it doesnt happen at certain gas stations.
 
AtomicVette said:
clogged, obstructed vent tube? does it pump better if you leave the vehicle running?

I've never tried pumping gas with the vehicle running.  I guess I'm an old school chicken but I don't want to blow myself up.  :3:
 
Bigntall1 said:
I've never tried pumping gas with the vehicle running.  I guess I'm an old school chicken but I don't want to blow myself up.  :3:

I can't blame you for that. Have you tried filling the tank before it got down to 3/4 to find out if it would fill from there? I have heard of some people having trouble filling from less then 1/2 tank.
 
AvManTony said:
Sometimes this happens to me to whether my tanks empty or halfway or anywhere in between. I think it has more to do with the actual pump I am using than the truck at all, but maybe I'm outta my mind, wouldnt be the first time I've heard that. Seems like it doesnt happen at certain gas stations.

Yeah, the station I usually use recently changed their pump handles and now it's a struggle to fill my truck. Never had issues before that though.
 
I've had this issue from day 1 - 4 years now! It's not all stations though, so I agree that it has more to do with the actual pump. I now know the stations that this will happen at, and if I'm stuck using one of them, I have to hold the trigger myself rather than even setting it on the lowest notch on the handle. Funny thing is that when I do this, it doesn't get enough back pressure, and the damn thing over-fills & spills out all over the truck.  :E:
 
OK still having trouble fueling! I've checked the line going to the tank it's clear.  Checked the vent tube it blows air both directions. Flapper valve in the tank slides and seems to open.  I heard the other day that I needed to check the charcoal filter anyone know anything about this?
 
I can never fill up my tank because my credit card always shuts off at $100  :E:
 
I'm definitely having issues with mine now. It's been very slow to fill for the last couple months but it's getting worse. This morning when I filled up there was another AV at the next pump and his was slow but much quicker than mine. I'm going to check some things out tonight. Has anyone found a fix for this slow filling problem yet? There was a new F150 at the pump before the av got there and he put in over 100 litres by the time I got to 25 litres.
 
  I have an '04 Z66 that will not allow me to pump in more than a trickle without shutting off the pump. I've been guessing something like a clogged vent tube but have not checked it out. Seeing others, especially of the same year, makes me wonder if there might have been a TSB from GM.
  I much prefer to have something to shoot for before I start disassembling my transportation to work. I'm going to look for some more answers and I'll report back to this post if I find anything.
 
05snopro440 said:
I'm definitely having issues with mine now. It's been very slow to fill for the last couple months but it's getting worse. This morning when I filled up there was another AV at the next pump and his was slow but much quicker than mine. I'm going to check some things out tonight. Has anyone found a fix for this slow filling problem yet? There was a new F150 at the pump before the av got there and he put in over 100 litres by the time I got to 25 litres.

A new gas station opened near me recently, I tried filling up there and I couldn't believe how fast it filled my truck. It did splash back though, so I'll check the vent tube.
 
Same problem here. 04 Z71. I've had it for a yr and its done it since I've had it. Seems worse in colder weather, but also depends on the pump. I have changed the Evap solenoid and canister this past spring. When I was under there I noticed the rubber hose from filler neck to tank was kinked alittle. Talking to my mechanic buddy he says when someone replaces fuel pump and bolt it back in a bit to the rear it could kink the hose??????/
 
salmonbum said:
Same problem here. 04 Z71. I've had it for a yr and its done it since I've had it. Seems worse in colder weather, but also depends on the pump. I have changed the Evap solenoid and canister this past spring. When I was under there I noticed the rubber hose from filler neck to tank was kinked alittle. Talking to my mechanic buddy he says when someone replaces fuel pump and bolt it back in a bit to the rear it could kink the hose??????/

I think it's the new gas pump handles most stations are changing to (vapor recovery?), they seem to make it slow to fill our trucks.
 
this can't be right ! my 02 & 07 were never any trouble to fill, but this 04 is a pain in my arse  :E: does'nt matter where i take it either, it wont fill well at all, i have to stay right with it and baby it along  :E:
 
My filler neck has always given my problems clicking off the gas pump often but recently has gotten where it wont take gas at anything over a trickle and clicks off every second or two even when pumping very slow.

I called the dealer and they said it could be the fuel filler Solenoid at the gas tank and that it costs about $350 for them to fix.

Question, can i just remove it and do without, what exactly does it do? regulate the amount of fuel allowed to be pumped???

Also my manual says 31 gallon gas tank but i think its more like 26!

thanks,

Jim
 
I have a 04 AV. When I fuel up, the pump constantly kicks off. Its seems like fuel is backing up in the tube. It has been going on for the last year and I thought it was the gas stations so I have used several different gas stations and still takes me 20 minutes to fill up. I am glad I am not in a hurry when I fill up my truck. Someone told me try and fill up before it is empty and I have tried that but it still does the same thing. I see that there is several post on this same topic has anyone found a fix to this yet? :help:
 
2004 Av here too.


I'm going to try to fill it up with the truck running if what i did today doesn't help.

I pulled the cap off the vent line, blew air in it , fed a weed wacker line in as far as it would go  (about 3-4 ft) and sprayed it with carb cleaner.  When i used the pressurized air i could hear it venting afterwards so hopfully that did it but i will find out at my next fill (that's hopfully not 20 minutes...)
 
On my '04 I had the problem of slow filling & the nozzle clicking off.  The truck was still under warrantee, so I went to the dealer.  I was told topping off the tank completely had contaminated some sort of filter in the vapor recovery system.  They did something(??) and I haven't had the problem since, although when filling I just round off to the nearest nickel once the nozzle kicks off.
 
Back
Top