A Toyota car salesman advised against topping off your gas tank, citing the damages it can cause to a vehicle.
Most of @kudoscarsales’ content is related to cars and his job as a a car salesman for Toyota in Ottawa, Canada.
In a TikTok video that received 90,000 views, he shares a warning for drivers who like to “top off” their gas tanks. His warning comes after he, himself, made that mistake.
“I made a mistake and I’m not afraid to admit,” he starts. “In my most recent TikTok, I showed people what I do after I sell a car, which includes gassing up a vehicle.”
He shows the clip in question. In it, the nozzle clicks to show the has reached its recommended level in the vehicle. But the TikToker clicks the nozzle once more. Many people do this in an effort to “top off” the gas and save money. Some people overfill by accident if they are not paying close attention to their gas level.
But what @kudoscarsales learned is that “overfilling the gas tank can actually damage your EVAP system.”
The EVAP is the evaporative emission control system, and, according to J.D. Power, it’s “used in cars’ fuel systems to prevent gasoline fumes from leaking into the atmosphere.”
However, he says one click may not do as much harm as several extra clicks. “I verified with the service manager that one extra click’s not gonna hurt your vehicle, but really overfilling the gas tank can definitely cause some damage,” he says.
“The more you overfill your gas tank, the more you will fill up your charcoal canister,” @kudoscarsales explains. “If the charcoal gets too wet, and the charcoal canister does not perform correctly anymore, you will need to replace it.”
A replacement could cost a whopping $1,200 for a Toyota vehicle, he says.
@kudoscarsales Don’t Top Off Your Gas Tank! #toyota #gas #carcommunity #sales #repair ♬ original sound – Kudos
Overfilling can cause many problems
The car salesman’s claims are backed up by various reports across the internet. Per the American Automobile Association (AAA), “Overfilling saturates your vehicle’s vapor recovery system which can lead to permanent damage and avoidable repairs.”
But not only can overfilling you car with gas harm your car, but it can also have a negative impact on the environment. “Spilled gasoline and escaped vapors are environmentally harmful,” AAA states on its site.
However, some viewers shared they are chronic overfillers and unashamed about it.
“I top up and let it click atleast 15 xs more and I’m fine,” one user remarked.
“Always fill up the tank to the last drop for the last 20 years. Never had any issues,” a second shared.
Other viewers shared that @kudoscarsales’ video was a game-changer for them.
“Wow learned something new today guilty of overfilling,” one viewer wrote.
“I’m 42 and didn’t know. I actually super top up and I will stop now,” a second commented.
“Had no clue, but my Mercedes says in the gas flap not to over fill so sounds about right,” a third stated.
The Daily Dot reached out to @kudoscarsales via TikTok comment and direct message.
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