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Rigged gas pumps
- Thread starter Roadghost
- Start date
slowbird
Well-known member
I guess the best way to figure this out is to pump into a (hopefully accurate) container and then see what the Pump says.
I am more curious about what happens when you try and pump premium fuel when the person before you pumped regular. Is everything that's already in the hose regular fuel and not premium?
How much fuel will you get that's regular before you get premium?
EDIT: Nevermind. I looked it up. Someone asked Shell about it:
Hello
On the use of a single hose to dispense multiple grades of fuel - Shell standards for these multiple grade single hose pumps are for a smaller diameter hose to reduce the amount of fuel left over from a previous dispense. The fuel grade change point is directly above the hose connection resulting in a residual volume of 0.56 liters for small diameter hose, or 0.78 liters if the pump happens to be equipped with a non-standard large diameter hose. While this amount will have only a very small effect on a typical car fill up, the effect is larger on 2 cycle equipment or a motorcycle tank with limited capacity.
I am more curious about what happens when you try and pump premium fuel when the person before you pumped regular. Is everything that's already in the hose regular fuel and not premium?
How much fuel will you get that's regular before you get premium?
EDIT: Nevermind. I looked it up. Someone asked Shell about it:
Hello
On the use of a single hose to dispense multiple grades of fuel - Shell standards for these multiple grade single hose pumps are for a smaller diameter hose to reduce the amount of fuel left over from a previous dispense. The fuel grade change point is directly above the hose connection resulting in a residual volume of 0.56 liters for small diameter hose, or 0.78 liters if the pump happens to be equipped with a non-standard large diameter hose. While this amount will have only a very small effect on a typical car fill up, the effect is larger on 2 cycle equipment or a motorcycle tank with limited capacity.
Standards Canada (or another letter agency) checks pumps every few years or so. Fwiw, I have spreadsheets of all of the tanks of fuel I have ever put in my cars and the math works 100% of the time (I enter dollars and litres and spreadsheet calculates price/litre, I check vs receipt to make sure I didn't fat finger the entry).
If there is cheating going on, I would suspect it would be more along the lines of pumping 0.9 litres but saying one litre on the display. Unless you are pumping into a calibrated vessel that was empty to start, people would have great difficulty catching that. All approved gas containers have vapour space at the top so if you put 59 litres into a 55 litre tank, you are not surprised.
If there is cheating going on, I would suspect it would be more along the lines of pumping 0.9 litres but saying one litre on the display. Unless you are pumping into a calibrated vessel that was empty to start, people would have great difficulty catching that. All approved gas containers have vapour space at the top so if you put 59 litres into a 55 litre tank, you are not surprised.
Most pumps should have a Measurements Canada inspection sticker on them with test date and expiry date. Doesn't guarantee they can't mess with it after but still a bad sign if expired.
There's an Esso at Bloomington and 48 that always has cheap gas but has had theirs expired for 3 years last I went. Their esso tag/tap have also not been working for just as long. Complained to Esso corporate and all I got was that: 'we've told the message to the owner, please let us know if this continues.'
A year later it was still the same. pumps probably run low and they allure people with cheap gas prices.
I've learned to use gas buddy to find cheaper gas. Use premium so you can't go by the displayed price.
There's an Esso at Bloomington and 48 that always has cheap gas but has had theirs expired for 3 years last I went. Their esso tag/tap have also not been working for just as long. Complained to Esso corporate and all I got was that: 'we've told the message to the owner, please let us know if this continues.'
A year later it was still the same. pumps probably run low and they allure people with cheap gas prices.
I've learned to use gas buddy to find cheaper gas. Use premium so you can't go by the displayed price.
I used to pass one of the cheapest places to buy gas in London on my way to work. It's a Pioneer. Every morning I would check the price and then on the way home. EVERY DAY the gas would be 3-4 cheaper on my way home than it was in the morning.
But here's the real kicker. Pioneer is self serve and the indepeneant full serve (Ron Kraft) across the street was always only 0.1 cent more a liter. The Pioneer lot would have people waiting for pumps while the full serve across the street was empty. people are funny.
But here's the real kicker. Pioneer is self serve and the indepeneant full serve (Ron Kraft) across the street was always only 0.1 cent more a liter. The Pioneer lot would have people waiting for pumps while the full serve across the street was empty. people are funny.
Pioneer got pinched decades ago for having too much water in their underground tanks.
I've never gone back.
News to me. Never had a problem. But like I said I would often pony up the nickel and let Ron's eager staff pump it. They even ask to clean the windows!
slowbird
Well-known member
lol naw naw....I just don't want the Ethanol.
Mikedezo44
Well-known member
I buy my gas from the same station for all of my fill ups. My digital truck usage display used to be right on the money and now it is off by a couple of liters every time. I have been meaning to go to gas station across the street to see if the same thing happens.
As for premium, when I bring a jerry can I always pump a few liters of fuel into the truck first so I get all premium in jerry can. On the bike I wait until need a full tank before fueling to negate the regular/premium loss.
As for premium, when I bring a jerry can I always pump a few liters of fuel into the truck first so I get all premium in jerry can. On the bike I wait until need a full tank before fueling to negate the regular/premium loss.
I'm curious about the greater negative effect on motorcycles as mentioned earlier. What could happen with such a small amount?
My fuel gauge is somewhat pessimistic. if I refuel when the light starts flashing it'll take about 12 litres, meaning there is still 5 in the tank.
My ecu is flashed for premium so that's what I use, can 0.5L of regular mixed in cause an issue? I can't imagine such a small amount would make much difference. Even at a full tank that's only 3% of the volume.
My fuel gauge is somewhat pessimistic. if I refuel when the light starts flashing it'll take about 12 litres, meaning there is still 5 in the tank.
My ecu is flashed for premium so that's what I use, can 0.5L of regular mixed in cause an issue? I can't imagine such a small amount would make much difference. Even at a full tank that's only 3% of the volume.
Hack
Well-known member
"volume corrected to 15 degrees C."
IIRC measuring the fuel you purchase solely by volume is sure to show anomalies.
Isn't it really about the amount of energy contained within a given volume of gasoline..??
I am not a scientist or chemist.... If that's not already apparent.
IIRC measuring the fuel you purchase solely by volume is sure to show anomalies.
Isn't it really about the amount of energy contained within a given volume of gasoline..??
I am not a scientist or chemist.... If that's not already apparent.
I wouldnt be too concerned. Very few tunes will be right at the bleeding edge as you cant trust the fuel at the best of times.
^--- This. Or use a pump right after a car that uses premium is finished.
In the city I doubt you need to worry, especially at the big name suppliers.
Out in the sticks, who knows. Back home, in the sticks, there is an Econo gas station that looks like a dump and the proprietor looks a bit sketchy. One time I was there filling with premium (the pump had a ratchet strap around it to, I assume, keep the panels from falling off) and there was a guy at the other pumps on the other end of the island filling with regular. His nozzle shut off when his tank was full, and at that instant my hose jumped. How do you explain THAT?
Out in the sticks, who knows. Back home, in the sticks, there is an Econo gas station that looks like a dump and the proprietor looks a bit sketchy. One time I was there filling with premium (the pump had a ratchet strap around it to, I assume, keep the panels from falling off) and there was a guy at the other pumps on the other end of the island filling with regular. His nozzle shut off when his tank was full, and at that instant my hose jumped. How do you explain THAT?
I don't want to be running the ethanol through my motor. It is on the bleeding edge, though. Premium just cuts it.
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