RETURN TO THE GATE BY THE PIC OF CARJ WHEN THE FLC REALIZES THAT THE EXTERNAL REFUELING PANEL SWITCH HAD BEEN LEFT ON BY THE FUELER AT CVG; KY.

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IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAXIING OUT OF GATE; NOTICED 'AUTO XFLOW INHIBIT' STATUS MESSAGE ON EICAS. RETURNED TO GATE IN ORDER TO TURN OFF EXTERNAL REFUELING PANEL SWITCH; LEFT IN THE 'ON' POS BY FUELER. NO FUEL WAS ORDERED. FUELER DID NOT HOOK UP TO ACFT; BUT HAD APPARENTLY TURNED ON FUEL PANEL TO CHK QUANTITY ON BOARD. DURING EXTERNAL THROUGH-FLT/PREFLT INSPECTION AFTER FUELER HAD LEFT; FUEL PANEL WAS NOTED CLOSED. DIDN'T NOTICE THE 'AUTO XFLOW INHIBIT' MESSAGE PRIOR TO DEP AMONG THE NUMEROUS OTHER MESSAGES. OUR PREFLT CHKLIST NORMAL PROCS; EXTERIOR INSPECTION; ONLY SAYS TO ENSURE THE REFUELING PANEL IS CLOSED; WITH NO REQUIREMENT TO OPEN IT TO CHK SWITCH POS -- CURIOUSLY; THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT ANYWHERE IN THE CHKLIST VIA PROC OR CHKLIST ITEM TO CHK FOR THE ABSENCE OF THE 'AUTO XFLOW INHIBIT' STATUS MESSAGE PRIOR TO TAXI OUT. IN THEORY; ONCE THE ACFT IS AIRBORNE; PWR TO THE REFUELING PANEL IS REMOVED VIA 'WOW' SWITCH [GND SENSING SWITCH]; ALLOWING AUTOMATIC XFLOW OP FOR FUEL BALANCING BTWN L AND R WING TANKS; BUT GIVEN THE LACK OF PUBLISHED STATEMENTS TO THAT EFFECT; I FELT IT WAS BEST TO CORRECT THE SWITCH POS ON THE GND. A SHORT TURNAROUND TIME MEANT THERE WAS LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO SINGLE OUT THE STATUS MESSAGE IN THE LONG STACK OF MESSAGES THAT ARE ALWAYS NORMALLY THERE DURING THAT TIME AT THE GATE; THE 'AUTO XFLOW INHIBIT' BEING ONE OF THEM. MY ATTN MOVED METHODICALLY FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER; EACH ACTIVITY CULMINATING IN A CHKLIST. IN MY PAST EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PROB; ONE PLT OR THE OTHER WOULD HAPPEN TO NOTICE THE STATUS MESSAGE STILL ON AFTER THE FUEL TRUCK HAD LEFT; MEANING ONE OF US WOULD HAVE TO GET OUT AND TURN OFF THE SWITCH IN ADDITION TO ENSURING THE PANEL WAS CLOSED. MOST TIMES; THE FO HAS TO WAIT FOR THE MESSAGE TO DISAPPEAR BEFORE ENTERING A FUEL QUANTITY ON THE LOAD MANIFEST (IN ACCORDANCE WITH FUELING COMPLETE); BUT IN THIS CASE NO REFUELING TOOK PLACE; SO THERE WAS NO APPARENT NEED TO MONITOR FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE MESSAGE. IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH A CHKLIST ITEM; I WILL HAVE TO INCORPORATE CHKING FOR THE ABSENCE OF THE 'AUTO XFLOW INHIBIT' MESSAGE PERHAPS AT COMPLETION OF THE EXTERIOR WALKAROUND; AND/OR DURING THE STARTING ENGS CHKLIST; FUEL QUANTITY ITEM.