Should I fill my tank or keep it half full on high altitude tracks? (1 Viewer)

[68W65D]

i will be in Ouray and Telluride this week. I remember stories about vapor and escaping fuel pressure and one tragic fire.

I obviously want to prevent all of this.

Should I fill my tank full before trails or keep some empty space to allow for vapor expansion?

What is the general consensus?

 

[ga12r1]

i will be in Ouray and Telluride this week. I remember stories about vapor and escaping fuel pressure and one tragic fire.

I obviously want to prevent all of this.

Should I fill my tank full before trails or keep some empty space to allow for vapor expansion?

What is the general consensus?

It’s generally the later years (06-07) that have problems due to the relocation of the evap system on those models.

I have a 2000 and only fill to 3/4 each day when I’m at high altitudes just to be safe. I figured why not?

I’ve never had a problem either way though.

 

[atnolan94]

I had a full tank at the top of Engineer Pass on Monday with no issues. Filled up in silverton right before we left. That’s 12,800’. Mine is a 2000. FWIW at HIH I don’t believe anyone had vapor lock issues.

 

[ga12r1]

I had a full tank at the top of Engineer Pass on Monday with no issues. Filled up in silverton right before we left. That’s 12,800’. Mine is a 2000. FWIW at HIH I don’t believe anyone had vapor lock issues.

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@jon91581 had some issues on our Super Secret run. I can’t remember what year he had though.

 

[sammybones]

I have a 04 and mine gurgled the whole time last week. I never filled it beyond 3/4’s. Also, I had trouble filling it up until I got below 5000’ elevation.

 

[Spike555]

i will be in Ouray and Telluride this week. I remember stories about vapor and escaping fuel pressure and one tragic fire.

I obviously want to prevent all of this.

Should I fill my tank full before trails or keep some empty space to allow for vapor expansion?

What is the general consensus?

Maybe you can be our test subject, fill your gas tank but leave the gas cap loose the whole time. This way pressure will not build up.
The fires start because when the pressure builds up and the engine quits and you open the gas cap fuel sprays out (like opening a shaken Pepsi) and that fuel spray is highly flammable.
But if no pressure builds up at all, no spray, not fire.

If I thought this was not safe I would not recommend it, and if I would not do it myself I would not recommend it.
If you do this let us know how it turns out.

 

[ga12r1]

@jon91581 had some issues on our Super Secret run. I can’t remember what year he had though.

I just remembered that he had a Pacific Blue cruiser so it had to be an 06-07. So that supports the idea that it’s the later models that have problems.

BTW I love that color!

 

[planomateo]

I fill my 07, I just leave it running at the gas station

 

[saucebox]

I don't know all the whatfer around which model years, but it definitely happens to my '03 LX. Near as I can tell it begins the serious gurgling somewhere around 8000'. I haven't taken it much above 10000' yet. I've always started trails with as full a tank as possible though.

 

[sammybones]

I tried leaving mine running when I would gas up. Didn’t help. Just had to go very, very slow.

 

[Austin Hot Shoe]

My 05 gurgels every time above 11,000 ft.....last year vented it at hih7, this year at hih just let it do its thing....always left truck running at stops. It calmed down once we hit lower elevations but worried the hell out of me.

 

[jfrench]

My ‘03 LC does it at altitude. Was up over 11,000 feet and gas was bubbling out. Not sure at what altitude it started.

 

[atnolan94]

My 05 gurgels every time above 11,000 ft.....last year vented it at hih7, this year at hih just let it do its thing....always left truck running at stops. It calmed down once we hit lower elevations but worried the hell out of me.

Not sure if it’s related at all but your truck was running super rich on Imogene on Friday. You could definitely smell the gas.

 

[Austin Hot Shoe]

Not sure if it’s related at all but your truck was running super rich on Imogene on Friday. You could definitely smell the gas.

yeah, it was gurgling then, that is what you were smelling at 13,114 ft....will replacing the canister fix that?

 

[Spike555]

'03 is when they moved the charcoal canister to the rear of the truck. Those are the model's most effected and most expensive to fix.

 

[Kabanstva]

Mine got both vapor locked AND had gas venting issues at HIH8.... 07 LX.

Just do a search, seems to affect all years and all series of land cruisers, not limited to a 100 series and definitely not limited to 06-07 models.

Just don’t shut off your engine if you stop at the top of the mountains and don’t fill up more than 3/4.

 

[slacker24-7]

I’ve had it happen on my 01, with big temp changes and mild elevation changes.Same symptoms as @sammybones , where it’s hard to get the tank to take fuel etc. I’ve started cracking my fuel cap when I stop to release any pressure that might be in the tank. Doing that I’ve never noticed any major issues like vapor lock symptoms I had before. It was so bad the first time I experienced it it shut the truck down exactly like a fuel pump issue.

 

[gil12]

1999 and never a problem - including several 12,000 passes.

I'd hate to leave part of my tank empty - has anyone else noticed these trucks burn a lot of gas???

; )

 

[bgolf247]

2000 LC here. I have been on a bunch of the high passes. Gernerally try not to have a full full tank, but don't pay too much attention to it. Only time I had any issues was imogene after black bear and a couple hours in hot Telluride. I think the fuel getting warmed up probably had something to do with it.

No vapor lock, just lots of fumes coming from the gas cap. Kept the truck running and vented some of the pressure out. nbd.

 

[abuck99]

To be safe, run 1/2 tank. There is little chance you'll run low on fuel running any of the trails around Ouray. Leave your truck running up high if you stop for a few minutes- your evap system will work as long as the engine is running.