Is it illegal to wedge a fuel pump open
Discussion
Black_mamba said:
Ditto on my 993. Love the looks on the other peoples faces as I potter around the car, they look intensely at their pump handle. Haven't burnt down a filling station yet, fill up twice a week.
You should be so lucky with a 968. Safety cut out cuts in when tank is 3/4 full and you have to do the 'half in/half out whilst watching the filler neck to make sure there is no blow back...Mr2Mike said:
I use my hand to hold the latch open. I'm clearly fortunate to not to suffer from the limp wrist or weak grip that would require me to use these alternate methods.
What a remarkable method. In the olden days we had the old flick over latch thing on the work pumps for filling up on site, I must try your novel technique.The smaller metal release pin that comes on some fire extinguishers is perfect for this, fits onto your keyring too. Paperclips are a bit weak, pop rivets work well though. Using the cap is a pain because it takes a couple of seconds to get it to sit right and no I haven't got limp wrist syndrome, it just takes bloody ages throwing 1000 Litres into a truck tank and someone might hear the prostitutes screaming for help in the cab so I have to make sure that they stay quiet.
Ilovejapcrap said:
Have done for years, last week a college was in work van and amazed by this !
Seriously how can people not think to do that !
Because quite a few cars have the filler cap attached to the car with a short length of plastic "wire" so it won't reach. That and the fact that most people are capable of holding the trigger open by themselves.Seriously how can people not think to do that !
As far as I am aware, military pumps still have pins fitted to allow the latch to lock in the 'open' position during filling. They certainly did a few years ago when I was still in. But then it's also true that the vehicles we were filling were earthed via a cable and clamp to avoid the 'static discharge' sparking risk.
Extremely useful when you need to lob 400+ litres into each of two fuel tanks on a Chieftain, and gives you time to load rations and water on from the opposite side at the same time.
There's also a far smaller static spark risk when it's diesel you are dispensing.
Anyone who has a hankering to experience "the good old days" still can (or could as late as 2012) at Brooklands Garage, a petrol station in Wimbish, on the B184 between Saffron Walden and Thaxted, north Essex.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.991726,0.2854983...
They ONLY do (did?) dispensed fuel, no self service option, with a little 'box office' for the operator under the canopy between the pumps.
Sadly, not having experienced the 'heyday' of attended pumps, I only ever found it annoying to sit in my car while trusting someone else to put in the quantity of fuel requested, and to not scratch the car or spill any fuel while doing so. How times have changed.
Extremely useful when you need to lob 400+ litres into each of two fuel tanks on a Chieftain, and gives you time to load rations and water on from the opposite side at the same time.
There's also a far smaller static spark risk when it's diesel you are dispensing.
Anyone who has a hankering to experience "the good old days" still can (or could as late as 2012) at Brooklands Garage, a petrol station in Wimbish, on the B184 between Saffron Walden and Thaxted, north Essex.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.991726,0.2854983...
They ONLY do (did?) dispensed fuel, no self service option, with a little 'box office' for the operator under the canopy between the pumps.
Sadly, not having experienced the 'heyday' of attended pumps, I only ever found it annoying to sit in my car while trusting someone else to put in the quantity of fuel requested, and to not scratch the car or spill any fuel while doing so. How times have changed.
KungFuPanda said:
According to the description, the guy tried to kill a spider with a lighter. There's only so much you can do to regulate against stupidity.
t like this happening?silentbrown said:
It's for exactly the same reason you should turn off your mobile phone 
http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
The mobile phone thing is a convenient follow-on from the days of CB radio when people discovered that using their (illegally) high-powered CB transmitters next to a petrol pump could cause the meter display to run slowly while the pump motor was still running full bore. Result: a full tank for about 25% of the true cost! http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp
The petrol companies unsurprisingly banned the use of CB radios on their forecourts and fixed the display problem but ever since have been nervous of transmitters. As usual 'elf 'n safety provides a convenient smokescreen for their actions.
http://community.evo.co.uk/users/Richard-Porter/bl...
http://www.esdjournal.com/static/Static_Fires.pdf
http://www.esdjournal.com/static/Static_Fires.pdf
Edited by Devil2575 on Friday 2nd October 13:23
The issue is static, like in this example.
http://youtu.be/tuZxFL9cGkI
You could argue that the introduction of vapour recovery on petrol nozzles has now made this scenario even less likely, but nanny knows best. Like many others I'll continue to wedge the handle open and accept the consequences.
http://youtu.be/tuZxFL9cGkI
You could argue that the introduction of vapour recovery on petrol nozzles has now made this scenario even less likely, but nanny knows best. Like many others I'll continue to wedge the handle open and accept the consequences.
helix402 said:
What a remarkable method. In the olden days we had the old flick over latch thing on the work pumps for filling up on site, I must try your novel technique.
Yes the flick over latch on a 2-1/2" nozzle filling up big Cats, Komatsu's and R54 dup trucks on the M25 muck shift contract 250 gallon tanks on some of those bad boys Ilovejapcrap said:
leigh1050 said:
I use my filler cap to hold the latch open.
Have done for years, last week a college was in work van and amazed by this ! Seriously how can people not think to do that !
Isn't latching fuel pumps a *part-reason why other countries suffer more drive-off's-with-hose-attached?
IE insert latching pump > go to pay by which time tanks full and pump stopped > go back to car and forget to remove hose.
IE insert latching pump > go to pay by which time tanks full and pump stopped > go back to car and forget to remove hose.
- I appreciate wholesale fuctardary is the main resaon
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