Warning to drivers filling up car 'until it clicks' at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons

Motorists have been cautioned about topping up their vehicles at petrol stations until the pump "clicks." Those fuelling up at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, and Asda have received a stark warning from Brian Reider, who operates the YouTube channel Regular Car Reviews.

In an online video, Brian advised: "If you fill up your car this way, you're an idiot. Don't ever do this. If you're filling your car and you hear a click, stop right there. Don't go 'oh, I'm going to add a little bit more gas [petrol]' and pull [the trigger] again."

He explained the risks involved, saying: "What you're doing is putting gas into the fuel filler neck, and that's no good. Do not do that, and here's why. Your fuel cap is vented, this is a little vent hole, and down here is a little drain hole. If you overfill, you're messing up the ventilation of your fuel tank."

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Brian further commented on the futility of overfilling, especially for larger vehicles: "Plus, if you have an older SUV or truck like this, what is a few soda cans' worth of fuel really getting you? You'll get a whole heck worth of trouble for around half a mile down the road of extra range.", reports Birmingham Live.

The advice has sparked reactions from viewers. One viewer highlighted another concern: "Speaking as a technician this really isn't the main reason to be worried. You should worry on a modern car because you're putting fuel back into the evap emissions system and damaging expensive parts like the charcoal canister."

Another debunked the myth, stating: "As a fuel system engineer I can confirm this isn't true. The EPA standard fill is 3 clicks, with 10 seconds between each. The pressure in the tank increases as you fill based off temperature, fuel blend and other things and the valves on the tank can't necessarily keep up, so it may take a few seconds to vent and additional fuel can be added safely.

"This applies to both gas and diesel. The risk comes when trying to trickle fill to avoid the clicks and you can possibly overfill or "cork" your tank. It's very difficult to do but can be done with patience and can cause issues like preventing the car from running. And a note about the filler cap vent, it's really only designed to take air in, not let it out.

"So it's there specifically to help prevent that vacuum from occurring. Finally, fuel into that vent line on filler pipe isn't going to immediately fill the carbon canister with fuel, the valves on the top of the tank (where that vent line goes) are designed to allow liquid in the lines to drain back into the tank and are a sump point specifically to avoid allowing liquid into the canister."

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