Fuel Tips.

[YT2095]

[FONT=BBADHO+Arial]Ti[/FONT][FONT=BBADHO+Arial]ps on Filling your Vehicles... [/FONT]​

This is a Message received from a friend:
I don't know what you guys are paying for petrol... but here in Durban, we are also paying higher, up to 47.35 per litre. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every litre.
Here at the Marian Hill Pipeline, where I work in Durban, we deliver about 4 million litres in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline.
One day is diesel; the next day is jet fuel, and petrol, LRP and Unleaded. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 litres.

ONLY BUY OR FILL UP YOUR CAR OR BIKKIE IN THE EARLY MORNING WHEN THE GROUND TEMPERATURE IS STILL COLD. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground, the denser the fuel, when it gets warmer petrol expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening.... your litre is not exactly a litre.
In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the petrol, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products play an important role. A 1degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.
WHEN YOU'RE FILLING UP, DO NOT SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER OF THE NOZZLE TO A FAST MODE.

If you look, you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode, you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapours that are created, while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapour return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapour. Those vapours are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TIPS IS TO FILL UP WHEN YOUR TANK IS HALF FULL. The reason for this is, the more fuel you have in your tank, the less air occupying its empty space. Petrol evaporates faster than you can imagine. Petroleum storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the petrol and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation.
Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated, so that every litre is actually the exact amount.

ANOTHER REMINDER, IF THERE IS A FUEL TRUCK PUMPING INTO THE STORAGE TANKS, WHEN YOU STOP TO BUY, DO NOT FILL UP - most likely the petrol/diesel is being stirred up as the fuel is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
Hope, this will help you get the maximum value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS! LET'S SHARE INFORMATION AND BENEFIT ALL, FOR THE BETTER OF MANKIND.
***********************

 

[GB]

Snope article on this email.

 

[quicksilver]

Wow. thanks for the info and tips YT2095.
Some interesting tip.
I knew not to fill up if the station was receiving delivery, but now that I read your advise, it just makes sense about using "low speed" when pumping.

Keep up the good work over there.
Thanks again.

 

[Saphellae]

Getting up in the wee hours in the morning just for a .05 cent difference... I'll take the hit and fill up when I need to.

 

[DrThunder88]

Sounded like Snopes fodder. Good find as well, GB.

I've been motorcycling most of the last week. It's a naked bike, so transporting all my stuff to and from work and the store is a bit of a challenge, but 30mpg and still being able to drive like a moron is incentive enough to make do.

 

[redkitty]

I love snopes!

 

[GB]

Here is a quiz that says that all the above tips are false.

 

[Maverick2272]

This is the third time I have seen that email, that friend sure gets around...

 

[Katie H]

Sad to say, but in our area and for our budget, the "fuel tips" are don't go where you don't have to.

That's kind of challenging for Buck and me since all shopping/entertainment is 30 miles away...one way. In other words, we don't get out much.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks for the link, YT. I remember seeing that a while back when the prices were starting to climb a couple years ago.
Snopes or not, the part I don't understand is the liter density thing..... no matter the density=weight, a liter is still a liter isn't it, since a liter is volume and not weight?

If you fill up in the morning your vehicle will weigh more, thereby reducing fuel economy anyway.....

 

[pacanis]

That's kind of challenging for Buck and me since all shopping/entertainment is 30 miles away...one way. In other words, we don't get out much.

Sounds like you guys need to find other ways to "entertain" yourselves....
I know, Buck, to the woodshed

 

[jpmcgrew]

YT has offered some great smarts I for one am trying to learn hyper miling and it is helping alot. Check out link
The Ultimate Guide to Hypermiling: 100 Driving and Car Tips and Resources | EcoTrekker

 

[Katie H]

Sounds like you guys need to find other ways to "entertain" yourselves....
I know, Buck, to the woodshed

Cool! Is that where the entertainment is?

 

[pacanis]

Cool! Is that where the entertainment is?

I believe he was going to teach me the proper way to juggle cats there

 

[Uncle Bob]

My next door neighbor found a station who's pumps was not calibrated correctly....Everyone who was bying gas there was getting shortchanged!

Check the pumpswhen buying gas....at $3.89.9...10 gallons will be $38.99...etc...etc.....

 

[Nige]

Most of the OP is pure rubbish or negligable benefit.

The temperature about 20-30' down is fairly constant, so petrol stored below ground is not going to expand much anyway. Furthermore the expansion would be so minimal as to not make a real difference.

Fill up when half full, or topping your tank off often - like all of these tips it sound fine until you remember that the extra weight will mean fewer mpg.

Don't fill up when a delivery is taking place - they LET you do that in the USA, wow i'd stay clear but because of the slighly increased fire risk. As far as stirring up the tanks, the fuel is filtered.

Dont squeeze the pump handle all the way, this makes no real difference to the amount of vapours. However the fuel will 'foam' up if filled fast, therefore the cut off will start clicking, so to get as much in before the price goes up it makes sense to fill slower.

Better to take all the junk out the car, don't accelerate fast or brake late, turn off the engine if stopped for more than a minute. Oh and wind the windows up and take off the roof rack/box - a roof rack alone can cost you 5-10% in mpg!!


Nige

 

[Maverick2272]

I would think you would be better of winding the windows down and not running the AC.

 

[Nige]

The drag (and therefore higher fuel consumption) created by having the windows open is about the same as the extra fuel consumption from running air con. There have been loads of proper tests on debunking the raft of driving myths, so don't take my word for it - google it!

 

[DrThunder88]

Mythbusters did a segment on windows up/down fuel mileage. As I recall, it's better to keep the windows down under speeds of 50-55 mph and the A/C on above that threshold.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I read that cars made before 2000 are not efficient when using air but cars made after 2000 are very efficient when using air.