So I'm struggling to diagnose a refuelling issue.

Whist filling the car up, the pump automatically stops after about 20-30p worth of fuel. It takes an age to fill an empty tank!! I've had a borescope down the filler neck to check for obstructions, as you can see the fuel bubbling up the neck whilst trying to fill. I've tried every angle etc for the pump. Nothing is working. I've looked through the forums and found a couple of things about the purge valve on the tank but the car isn't throwing any codes so I'm unsure whether or not to pursue that.

Any one got any advice?

 

Hi SpiralEyeBall,

I think is is more a design 'Feature' and probably something you cannot resolve. My X-Type is similar to fill as you describe.

The fuel's journey to the tank has several relatively tight turns, doesn't have much of an incline and the filler pipe is not particularly large in diameter.
The first bend is pretty close to where the fuel nozzle tip will reach, so it is always going to be a bit hit and miss whether you can lock the nozzle on and walk away (I never do that anyway), or whether you have to hold the trigger at a less than fully open position to achieve an uninterrupted flow. Add to that the apparent foaming you get with the additives in some fuels and it is a recipe for phantom shut-offs.

I have found it does also depend which station I go to, as I have noticed some stations and brands seem to have higher delivery flow rates at their pumps than others, and those with slower flow rates do not seem to trip out the nozzle.

 

There are a couple of fixes for this common issue. I researched it pretty extensively awhile back when considering an estate that sold before I got the deal done. Most of the fixes were mentioned on this site. Some of them are expensive. One entailed just holding the nozzle higher than normal while filling.

Good luck.

 

Yes, that is normal - sadly.
But the solution is:
Don't fill it up like any other normal car, but insert the fuel-gun upside down from the top. That'll to the trick.

 

My X-Type never had this problem. However, I had this exact problem on my F-250 Super Duty and it was the EVAP Charcoal/Vapor Canister. I'm not sure if our x400s have a canister (though I assume it has something. The pumps turn off due to back pressure, so it is definitely something in the fueling system that is clogged and not allowing proper venting.