A B737 EXPERIENCES A FUEL SPILL WHEN THE REFUELING TRUCK'S AUTO STOP FUNCTION FAILED. REFED TANK WAS FULL YET THE 'GAUGE' (COCKPIT?) READ LESS THAN THE 'OTHER' GAUGE (REFUELING CTL PANEL GAUGE?). CAPT HAD THE TANK 'STUCK' TO DETERMINE THAT THE TANK WAS FULL.

Narrative

FUELER COMES UP TO SAY A FUEL SPILL HAS OCCURRED. GAUGE NEVER READ FULL AND HIS AUTO STOP FUNCTION FAILED. GAUGE ON OUR (FULL) TANK READ 9180 LBS; THE OTHER GAUGE READ 9650 LBS. INOP GAUGE CAN BE PLACED ON MAINT CARRY OVER. THIS WAS THE LAST LEG (3RD) ON THE LAST DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP. THE AGENT TOLD US NO FLT TODAY HAD GONE OUT ON TIME. THE CAPT SAID WE WOULD. I SAID WE NEEDED A MECH. CONTRACT MAINT FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE CAN TAKE TIME AND DELAYS. THE CAPT REFUSED TO CALL MAINT SAYING HE WASN'T SURE THE GAUGE WAS BROKEN; CAN AN ELECTRONIC GAUGE BE STUCK? I SAID; 'THE FIRE TRUCKS ARE CALLED. THEY'RE GOING TO WRITE A RPT; WE SHOULD TOO; CYA.' CAPT SAID NO. THE CAPT ASKED THE FUELER TO STICK THE TANKS (STANDARD PROC IN THE MEL). THE TANKS READ FULL. SINCE THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE (IT WOULD BE MCO'ED WITH A LOGBOOK ENTRY); I DECIDED NOT TO PUSH THE ISSUE. THE CAPT WILL RETIRE IN 3 YRS AND DOES NOT HAVE THE PAPERWORK ATTITUDE OF US YOUNGER PLTS. SUGGESTION FROM A FRIEND: ASK THE CAPT; WHAT DOES HE GAIN AND HOW DOES HE HELP THE COMPANY BY NOT WRITING IT UP? THE QUESTION REMAINS: WHEN DO I ACT ASSERTIVELY AND WHEN DO I LET IT SLIDE? IF SAFETY WOULD BE COMPROMISED; I WOULD DEFINITELY SPEAK MORE ASSERTIVELY.