Are petrol pumps accurate?

[mrmarcus]

Somthing I've always wondered about but does anyone know about forecourt petrol pumps. could dodgy petrol station owners tweek them so that the dial shows 50 litres went in but did 50 litres actually go in. Are they accurate, do they get calibrated and do you trust them?

[Rubin215]

They are generally very accurate, however it is possible to "adjust" them.

Big fines if you are caught.

[mybrainhurts]

Trading Standards test them every now and then...

[Gingerbread Man]

mybrainhurts said:

Trading Standards test them every now and then...

Aye, I've seen this being done. Beakers being filled and taken away(?) for inspection.

[McSam]

Never actually occured to me - I've been using them to calculate my cars' fuel consumptions since the very start, so I hope so! I should imagine, as said, that Trading Standards require them to be very accurate, probably to the gram of fuel.

[hesnotthemessiah]

Slightly off topic (but on a similar theme)...I always wondered if one could invent a gadget of some description that could slow the pump reading down somewhat....so one could fill the tank for say.......mmmmm...I dunno a tenner maybe...

Mmmm...wonder if Dragons Den might be interested?


Ideas on a postcard and send them to..........

[Boosted LS1]

^ Isn't this maybe why they don't like mobile phones on the forecourt?

[Rubin215]

Boosted LS1 said:

^ Isn't this maybe why they don't like mobile phones on the forecourt?

No, the issue with mobile phones is that there is a potential (very, very slight) that electro magnetic radiation could cause a spark with enough energy to set light to fumes.

[davepoth]

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/trading_standards/co...

Probably the most accurately measured thing you'll buy. Apart from Drugs...;)

[busta]

Rubin215 said:

Boosted LS1 said:

^ Isn't this maybe why they don't like mobile phones on the forecourt?

No, the issue with mobile phones is that there is a potential (very, very slight) that electro magnetic radiation could cause a spark with enough energy to set light to fumes.

So they say. I reckon it's more to do with people paying attention, but it's easier to tell people the spark story without being patronising.

[skeggysteve]

Boosted LS1 said:

Isn't this maybe why they don't like mobile phones on the forecourt?

Yes.

[V8LM]

Rubin215 said:

Boosted LS1 said:

^ Isn't this maybe why they don't like mobile phones on the forecourt?

No, the issue with mobile phones is that there is a potential (very, very slight) that electro magnetic radiation could cause a spark with enough energy to set light to fumes.

Says who? As I've said here before, do you really think that the [previous] government would have let people commit such a dangerous act without fining them if it were even 1% true?

[Jebi]

mybrainhurts said:

Trading Standards test them every now and then...

Covered by the weights & Measures Act of 1985 and last updated this year.

[ymwoods]

hesnotthemessiah said:

Slightly off topic (but on a similar theme)...I always wondered if one could invent a gadget of some description that could slow the pump reading down somewhat....so one could fill the tank for say.......mmmmm...I dunno a tenner maybe...

Probably not without having to drill into the pump, find the right wire to cut and then insert said gadget at the cut to transmit a different amount to the cash till. Who would want to be using a drill in a petrol station though?

If they ever start using wireless technology to transmit the prices to the cashtill/computer then this would be possible but not with wires...well not anything that would cost less than the amount you would be saving anyway.

[XG332]

hesnotthemessiah said:

Slightly off topic (but on a similar theme)...I always wondered if one could invent a gadget of some description that could slow the pump reading down somewhat....so one could fill the tank for say.......mmmmm...I dunno a tenner maybe...

Mmmm...wonder if Dragons Den might be interested?


Ideas on a postcard and send them to..........

I have perfected this down to using up loose pennys to get a bit more fuel. Yes i am a poor student.

[Adz The Rat]

Yes ours are tested regularly.

Makes me laugh when some chav puts £5 in and then comes in to complain that the gauge hasnt moved, I just as which they trust more, a gauge fitted to a cheap car by a bored French man or one on a goverment tested device which can give us huge fines and problems if wrong?

[Timberwolf]

Adz The Rat said:

Makes me laugh when some chav puts £5 in and then comes in to complain that the gauge hasnt moved, I just as which they trust more, a gauge fitted to a cheap car by a bored French man or one on a goverment tested device which can give us huge fines and problems if wrong?

The town where I currently work is a bit of a chav Mecca during the daytime. Every so often I'll decide to grab a couple of things from the (always heaving) Sainsbury's at lunchtime to save shopping after work, and every so often having done that I'll regret the decision upon ending up behind some aggro-causing chav at the checkout.

It's amazing (if frustrating) to watch, and I'm always left with the thought, "if you put half as much effort into scrubbing up, getting a job and working as you put into trying it on with the supermarket staff, you'd be able to afford the extra quid's worth of shopping you're trying to con them into giving you for free."

Just wired differently, I suppose.

[ymwoods]

Which reminds me...I once had a pump that started "chugging" as if it was running out of fuel so I stopped at £10 (was going to put about £40 in) and just went and paid. I got back in the car and the needle went up to almost full! I went in and told them but they said not to worry about it and they would close the pump off...got the impression it happened a lot?

[vit4]

I know someone who once found his C2 took 50something litres of diesel, which was clever for a car with a 40 litre tank. A polite word with the manager at the point saw a free tank of diesel and the pump put out of order sharpish. Guess it shows how seriously they would take it.

Edited by vit4 on Tuesday 7th September 00:45

[RWD cossie wil]

Always confuses me on how they can sell petrol for a decimal place more than we have currency for? How can they sell petrol at 118.9p a litre? This has got to be againt normal trading practices?