icanectc

first off I know how to pump gas, secondly I have owned many mercedes Benz vehicles over the last 10 years since I lease. No car in the history of ownership has it been more frustrating to pump gas to than the c450. It constantly stops. I may get 5-10 secs stops again rinse and repeat reshuffle the nozzle all the way to full. Not once in this car have I been able to pull up to a pump and stick nozzle in and pump gas easily. I have tried brand new gas stations old as dirt gas stations and middle age gas stations nothing works. I think there's a problem with the design of the fuel system in this car. Does anyone else have this problem?!?!?

Waynezworld

First thing i noticed was that you live in Cali. That sh*t is an annoyance in California, I was told it has a lot to do with fuel levels at the station. A weird trick someone taught me was to hold the pump either sideways or fully upside down. It usually works upside down.

icanectc

I had a 2014 e class in Cali and never had fuel pump issues. I will try upside down though

Mike5215

Could also be a blocked or kinked vent tube. If air volume in the tank isn't able to be displaced by the incoming fuel it'll back up fuel in the filler neck, triggering the pump's overflow preventer.

icanectc

Dealer visit may be in my future!

Mike5215

Ha! It's a Mercedes...multiple dealer visits are in your future

icanectc

Lol actually I've been pretty good on dealer visits other than yearly service. I guess I dont own long enough for it to be pain in the *** lol

Mike5215

Yeah, my pre-C experience was with a series of CPO S Classes. The 2010's last visit was over $6,000. My C so far hasn't been in for anything other than the A service.

RUNSGR8

I have the same issue on the MY17 C300 coupe. It's a royal pain in the *** and one of the Costco gas attendants stepped up and showed me a trick. You basically insert the nozzle into the gas tank valve and then push down. Then start pumping gas and activate the trigger holder (or whatever it's called) all while pushing down on the nozzle. And make sure the pipe leading to the nozzle is straight and not sideways so that there is no force pulling on the nozzle in any sideways directions. You can just twist/turn the pipe if this is the case.

icanectc

Shouldn't have to do any of that. Bad design imo should be fixed.

RUNSGR8

Agreed, haven't experienced or heard of any issues like this before my Merc. Just a side note that you don't have to keep the nozzle held down. Once you activate the trigger lock, that's when you can let go and walk away from gas door.

icanectc

trigger lock doesn't work it abruptly stops whether I hold it down or use auto dispense

RUNSGR8

Try activating the trigger lock while pushing down on the nozzle like I mentioned. That does the trick for me and you can let go of the nozzle once the trigger lock is engaged.

It's annoying af though. Different gas pumps seem to work differently. I found one that finally works with my trick for me so I'll be sticking to that one.

likerage

After 8 months of ownership I have had zero issues with my car, until today. After I read this thread I went onto an AirForce base and stopped for fuel. They use a vapor recovery system. I don't know if that's the issue but its the first time i've had this occur and I don't ever notice other gas stations with similar set ups.

Try hitting other stations maybe?

ACORVET

We have a 2013 C250 and have had this issue. We live on a dirt road. Ended up having part of the fuel vapor lock system (like a filter) replaced and the problem got much better.

Mike5215

Honestly though, if pumping gas is a pain in the *** you're probably doing it wrong.

Lionel_Hutz

Same problem with my C43. Probably the 10th car I've owned and the only one that was remotely tricky to pump gas (setting aside a 35-year old BMW 2002 that was cranky with some pumps). That Mercedes thinks it is ok to have a design defect like this really ticks me off.

l3it3r

I have had this issue in the past, what I figured out is that when you're getting ready to pump, go through the motions on the pump itself (paying, selecting fuel, etc) before inserting the nozzle. I actually wait to hear the pump 'click' after I've selected 93 octane. It happens almost never now that I do that. Just my observation.

jlr82

This is a somewhat common C-class issue. I started having it on my W203 and the dealer told me that if the problem is consistent no matter what gas station or pump I use that it could be any one of these:

1. Evap canister is clogged or somehow filled with gas.
2. Valve in filler neck is malfunctioning, requires entire filler neck replacement.
3. Once the dealer has tried to replace the above without success Mercedes recommends replacement of the entire gas tank.

TommiM

I have documented and pictured known good pumps and the styles that dont work, at least in our area. There is an LI for this but it doesnt go in as much detail as what I have been finding out. I have pictures but the best way to describe it is by explaining how the filler neck seals when the pump makes contact. Unlike other manufacturers, like ford for example, the filler neck has a flat surface so the pumps can actaully seal a bit easier. Mercedes, in all their glory decided to improve on this and create a raised edge in order to promote a better seal. Unfortunately many pumps can not accomodate this positive seal as the sealing area is usually a flat tapered edge. Top Tier labeled 76 stations and a handful of chevrons have the proper design to cover this edge and seal, causing no issues when pumping. Unfortunately many pumps arent designed for Benz's design so you are left with holding the pump at 40% in order to fill it up. I can try and upload pics, but next time you fill up take a really close look at the contact of the pump to your filler neck and you will see the gap and see what Im talking about. hope this helps.

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

I have had this problem occasionally. I just remove and re-insert and it usually is fine.

needs to queef or somethin

schvamf

I've had this issue a few times, holding the nozzle upside down does the trick every time.

StanNH

My dealer replaced a vent valve and the problem went away.

MASSC450

I've owned my 2016 C450 for almost 8 months now, never had an issue filling up the gas tank...at multiple gas stations no less.

DapperStyle

As tempting as it is, try not sticking the nozzle in all the way.