1998 Mercury Sable GS
 

I have a '98 Mercury Sable GS that I just bought.
It doesn't have any major issues other than the once mentioned in this topic..
Which I need fixed.
I bought it from the first owner, it currently has almost 180K miles on it.
I do not know where else to post this topic so I apologize if it's in the wrong section.

The issue is the car will only let me put under $12 of gas in it.
It completely ran out of gas last night and at 2am, and I had to walk almost 2 miles to the nearest 24 hour gas station. I left them my driver's license so I could borrow a gas can from them. The gas can they let me borrow only held a gallon of gas. Which was around $3.70 worth of gas I think.

I then walked back to the car, put the gas from the gas can in, turned the key on and off a few times (without fully starting car) then turned the key all the way on and it started up without a problem.
Then I took the gas can back to the station, got my ID back, and tried putting gas in the car and it only let me put under $13 of gas in it.

I don't understand. It was completely empty, and at almost $13 of gas there was gas coming out of the hole that the gas handle goes into...

So I had my sister's husband look under it and he said it looks like the gas tank has its own separate computer.. and we do not know how to reset it....


How do I troubleshoot this?
What should I do?
He said it has a huge gas tank that takes up pretty much the entire back part of the car, so I find it pathetic it doesn't let me put more than $13 in gas.

So there is obviously an issue. I've tried looking up instructions on how to reset the computer, but haven't found much other than a pdf file saying "reset the fuel pump
shut-off switch by pushing in the button on the
switch."

Then it tells me where the switch is. but I don't think that'd help solve the issue???

Any help please?

It runs great, starts without issues, and the fuel gauge works and so does the light, it just wont let me put much gas in the tank.

There is supposed to be a valve that opens and when you put gas into the tank it is supposed to allow the vapors to go into the charcoal canister get captured then go out a vent in the valve. It seems that that vent is either plugged or not opening and when sufficient pressure is built up in the tank at refueling it has to come out the fill opening.
Possibly if you tried to put the gas in really slowly the displacement air may be able to exit without coming back at you. Not sure where those valves are located on a Sable. Some are located near the fuel tank itself and others are elsewhere .