Just noticed this on Facebook - true or scarmongering ?

[Sootchucker]

Just reading this on facebook. Is this true (as I'll need to fill up later this week), or a bit of scare mongering ?

"WARNING !!!! - Due to increase in temperatures in the coming days, please don't fill fuel tanks to the maximum volume. It may cause an explosion in the fuel tank. Please fill the tank no more than half full and allow space for air. This week, 5 explosion accidents have happened due to filling fuel tanks to the maximum. Don't just read this message and stop, let others and your family members who drive also know about it so they can avoid this mistake. Please DO SHARE THIS"

Supposedly this is fro the Motorway Police.

Surely this can't be right as people live in much warmer climates than us here in the UK and seem to do fine, and surely the vehicle manufacturers account for this in their design ?

[Splashalot]

LOL!  Well, put it this way - everyone here in Aus fills their car to the brim and I've never heard of an explosion yet.

[Sootchucker]

Ooh...you rebels you Aussies.....always up for a bit of danger 

It's being shared like mad, but I've just noticed that the originator of the warning "Motorway Police", is based in Pakistan 

[rjwojcik]

I always thought there's a vent in the fuel tank to allow for expansion.  Load of rollocks if you ask me.

[Vwjap]

I always thought there's a vent in the fuel tank to allow for expansion.  Load of rollocks if you ask me.

also a hole in the cap 😉, but hey let’s not let the truth get in the way of a good story

[fredgroves]

Yes of course in the modern litigatious world in which we live a manufacturer such as VW would make a car which could explode from a simple mistake and not have any technical solution or a warning in the manual....

If you believe that, please, I am a crown prince of Nigeria who would like to give you millions of dollars, just supply your bank details...

[wantmygti]

It’s a known hoax.

[John F]

Absolute loads of nonsense.

I ran a petrol 6 cylinder Landcruiser pickup in Venezuela for two years, temps often hit 40c.

I used to run the tank from full to empty many, many times per month driving to a from the mine I worked in.

The only danger was the local drivers and wildlife that wandered onto the road (crocodiles, anacondas, armadillos etc). And the vultures that feasted on the roadkill. I ended up with one of those embedded in my grill once, which will happen when you hit it doing over 100 km/h!

[cossiegaz82]

Load of crap! 

[ar899]

If there is a modicum of truth in this, am sure the BBC will be letting us know in the weather forecast......

There is no issue with this in aircraft fuel tanks so I can't see it being a problem in a car.