Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Fuel filler difficulty on a Plus 4

Hi All, just purchased my first Morgan which is a real joy but putting fuel in is a headache! The filler neck / pump constantly air locks and it can take 10 minutes to fill the tank?! Anyone else have this problem and if so, do any of you know of a sensible fix. Many thanks for your help, Warren

They can be a bit of a bugger, if the hose that leads from filler neck to tank has been cut a bit too long it can kink which makes filling difficult.

My car doesn't like it if you put the pump nozzle right down into the tank, and it certainly doesn't like it if you try to fill at top speed, i.e. with the nozzle trigger fully depressed.

I find that if I have the nozzle part-way inserted into the filler neck, and only pump at about half speed, the fuel goes in quite easily.

Others have found that rotating the angle of the filler helps a bit.

Check the filler pipe and vent pipe and make them as kink free as possible. The little trapdoor in the filler neck can be rotated by finger pressure. Try the hinge at 12 o'clock.

Thanks Guys, I've had the pump nozzle in almost every position imaginable with only the slightest trickle of fuel going in and it is still a pain! I'll check out the filler and vent pipes out as they sound like the culprits! THANK YOU!

Good luck with that one, I've tried everything with my +4 and I can still drink a cup of hot coffee waiting for it to fill

Hi, mine is a bit sloooooow, too, and gets very frustrating.

Oddly, I tanked up on the way to Run for the Hills and, for a treat, put the higher grade of Shell unleaded that has a slightly different delivery nozzle (press buttons instead of a trigger).......and I swear it was faster.

Cannot see why it would be so will do a test this weekend.

Regards

Most important thing is not to let it affect your enjoyment of the car in any way, treat is as an excuse to stretch your legs and answer the questions from admirers. They have always had trouble but you will find a nozzle angle and trigger amount that works for you and your car. Look at the fixes the others have suggested by removing the spare wheel but to be honest its just a 'Morgan thing' and along with the other quirks just make it what it is. Would you let a pimple on Rachel Rileys nose put you off?

Happy and safe miles to you and yours.
2008 +4 owner, I have had 3 +4's and all have been the same ;-)

Had the same problem on my 2007 jeep when I bought it brand new. I went back to my dealer and said 15 to 20 mins to fill the tank ( like you I tried every possible position for the filler hose nozzle) is not acceptable. To their credit Jeep flew a tech over from the mainland to trace it, as it wa becoming common.
The cause and fix were simple. The vent valves on the fuel tank were coated in wax from the manufacturer to prevent corrosion. But ! It also prevented the valve from functioning. They removed and washed the valve with Kero to dissolve the wax and from there on in it was plain sailing.

Check the valve on the tank 😄 It will not just be Jeep that gets affected like this

Its the air pressure as you shoot the petrol into the tank there is nowhere for the air to go but back up the tube . The old +8 had two fillers open both and the air went out of one while the petrol went in the other, it was handy you could pull up at any petrol pump .
Mine has the same problem and I just tell the people it will take time, they dont seem to mind as they oggle the mog A tip is to pull the nozel out of the filler little bit at a time till almost at the top that way the air can get out a bit better . You will have to learn to be Billy The Kid with the trigger give it a shot and stop , but beware when its near the top or its allover the Mog ( YOU ONLY DO IT ONCE ) But ask yourself whats 10 mins standing when you are going to get a ride in your mog and listen to the engine , you could stand 10 time longer for a ride in a bus and listen to someone using foul language . I know what I would have first.

Warren

Filling problems are one of the delights of traditional Morgan ownership!


This still occurs despite ensuring that the vent pipe is properly fitted.
However, I have found that there is a great variation in speed at which forecourt pumps dispense their fuel. The petrol companies tend to set them as fast as possible to reduce the times that vehicles spend filling up. So, by trial and error you need to find one locally that is set slower. Also if you can find a pump where the ground slopes side to side, park with the fuel filler at the higher point.
I have found one pump at a local Shell garage, that allows me to fill completely without a single blow-back. However, this is a luxury and rarely found.
Finally, I keep an old tea towel in the car to protect the paint on the rear panel, whilst filling.