"dpb" wrote in message
...

While perhaps it is relatively common, it's still highly unlikely to be a
problem. If there's enough fuel to crank and start the engine, there's
enough to suppress the spark and have high enough vapor pressure to
prevent flammability at any temperature above about -10F. Remember the
flashpoint of gasoline is -40C (which iirc is the magic point
where -40C=-40F???).

The problem is though people run out of gas, people run over things on the
highway, Houston Freeways, that bounce up and puncture the bottoms of the
tanks. Tanks commonly run dry with the pump running.





About the only time above about 0F one could get a real problem would be
an essentially dry tank w/ residual vapor and run the pump dry. I'd think
that if vehicles were so poor condition as to be left w/ empty tanks and
no lid there would be little likelihood of them being cranked in any
near-term time frame. Hence the evaporation over a period of time would
likely imo serve to remove even the vapors.

That is possible but GM has been using a fuel tank pump since the "early
70's I worked directly and exclusively with GM vehicles for 17 years and
never ever heard of a problem. And I am not in doubt that what works,
"works" effectively. I was and still am curious as to exactly what makes
the set up "fool proof".