Also having 97' fuel isses... Overfueling?

wherestekla

I just took a 300 mile trip in my 97 legacy with 195k on it. I take good care of her with all regular scheduled maintenance as well as new plugs, air and fuel filters last summer. While fueling up for the return trip I kept pumping about a 1/2 gal. past when the pump shut off. I've heard this is a no-no but have never seen any ill effects... About a 1/2 mile from the station my car stalled out and would not start. It would turn over but seemed like it was not getting gas, even if I held the throttle wide open. It finally started again about an hour later, but 5 miles down the road stalled again. I'm wondering if over fueling could have built up enough pressure to fry the pump or relay or if its coincidence. I got a ride to the parts store and picked up a new pump and relay to test that theory but had it towed to the nearest shop because I forgot to throw my tools I'm the car and had nowhere to work on it. The mechanic hooked up a code scanner to pin point the problem but it shuts off when we turn the key. Because of this he thinks its the main relay or computer. Has anybody else had a problem with the scanner not reading on a Suby? His scanner works on other vehicles and functions when the ignition is in auxiliary. Because its his shop (and presumably because I'm a girl) he won't just let me replace the pump and relay to see if this fixes the problem (its where I was gonna start). What are the real dangers of over fueling? I'm afraid he is gonna scare up some costly problems... Advice? Suggestions?

xwesx

That habit should cause no problems with your fuel pump. If anything, it causes issues with the fuel evap system if the fuel backs up into the filler neck and drains into the evap tube. When that happens, it can flood the evap canister and impact your recirculation system.

So, the scanner isn't working when the car is in the 'on' position (but engine not running)? That's a problem, for sure. You might try a different scanner, like a small hand-held, just to double-check whether it is the car that is causing the behavior, but if you plug it in with the key in the "off" position, then turn it to "on" and link the device, it should work.