Where's the fuel gone?
Discussion
A mate of mine sold his car. I went to meet him to bring him back. We didn't travel together but met at the dealers place. I got there 15 mins after he was supposed to be there and he hadn't shown up. 30 mins later he rocked up.
On the way home I asked him what he was up to and his reply was going for a hoon until the fuel light came on. Just using it up.
Very strange attitude IMHO, but it works both ways
On the way home I asked him what he was up to and his reply was going for a hoon until the fuel light came on. Just using it up.
Very strange attitude IMHO, but it works both ways
Most returned end of lease cars would have a minimum left in the tank by any prudent driver. They are supplied with the low fuel light nearly on, so why shouldn't they go back the same way ?
And even if a vehicle was returned with a good quantity of fuel, they pass through so many hands - the collection driver, the lease company's storage facility, the auction house, the car supermarket etc - that somebody, if not everybody, regards it as their perk to alleviate the vehicle of its excess fuel. You can't blame them really. Can you ?
And even if a vehicle was returned with a good quantity of fuel, they pass through so many hands - the collection driver, the lease company's storage facility, the auction house, the car supermarket etc - that somebody, if not everybody, regards it as their perk to alleviate the vehicle of its excess fuel. You can't blame them really. Can you ?
davepoth said:
Car supermarket has 200 cars. Ten litres of fuel in each is £13 per car, so that's £2600 in fuel. You can't charge extra for a couple of litres of fuel, but you certainly have to pay for it.
I get that, but where does "spare" fuel go if it is drained? I struggle to imagine (as other posters have suggested) that each and every car on a 1000+ car site gets hooned about by various people until all the excess fuel is gone...BHML said:
When we went for a test drive the dealer had to stop and put in a few quid. When I enquired, I was told it was to stop fire spreading in the showroom, if one car's tank exploded, etc. So for health & safety reasons.
Seems a bit dubious to me as a valid reason - there are so many combustable elements to a car that I doubt a few litres of (rather difficult to ignite) petrol would make much of a difference. Or would it?Codswallop said:
I get that, but where does "spare" fuel go if it is drained? I struggle to imagine (as other posters have suggested) that each and every car on a 1000+ car site gets hooned about by various people until all the excess fuel is gone...
I was suggesting siphoning off rather than hooning - but if it was a decent motor...........
When I traded my last car in, I made sure it was low on fuel. Instead of just filling it up like I normally do, up until I traded it in, I just put £10, £20 in at a time.
I knew the car I was buying would have little fuel in it, so can't see why they should get anything but the same. Everyone I know has done the same, even to the point of just going on a pointless drive to use it up.
I suppose everyone does do the same and that's why most cars hardly have any fuel in them because the dealer then doesn't want to use profit to fill it up anymore than he has to. A bit like a swings and roundabouts thing. If everyone started trading and selling their cars to dealers with more fuel in them, I guess they'd have more in them throughout the selling process and when they do eventually get sold.
I knew the car I was buying would have little fuel in it, so can't see why they should get anything but the same. Everyone I know has done the same, even to the point of just going on a pointless drive to use it up.
I suppose everyone does do the same and that's why most cars hardly have any fuel in them because the dealer then doesn't want to use profit to fill it up anymore than he has to. A bit like a swings and roundabouts thing. If everyone started trading and selling their cars to dealers with more fuel in them, I guess they'd have more in them throughout the selling process and when they do eventually get sold.
Codswallop said:
davepoth said:
Car supermarket has 200 cars. Ten litres of fuel in each is £13 per car, so that's £2600 in fuel. You can't charge extra for a couple of litres of fuel, but you certainly have to pay for it.
I get that, but where does "spare" fuel go if it is drained? I struggle to imagine (as other posters have suggested) that each and every car on a 1000+ car site gets hooned about by various people until all the excess fuel is gone...Same reason the cars I sell have dribbles in the tank, petrol = beer money / profit.
And there's no tax to pay on the "profit" in siphoning fuel.
However, last but one buyer was such a gent, no haggling, nice to converse with, coming from afar, that I did put £20 into the tank for him ...
Or did this guy get to them?
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/04/man-bra...
And there's no tax to pay on the "profit" in siphoning fuel.
However, last but one buyer was such a gent, no haggling, nice to converse with, coming from afar, that I did put £20 into the tank for him ...
Or did this guy get to them?
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/04/man-bra...
Edited by C8H18Head on Friday 15th June 19:18
300bhp/ton said:
Codswallop said:
davepoth said:
Car supermarket has 200 cars. Ten litres of fuel in each is £13 per car, so that's £2600 in fuel. You can't charge extra for a couple of litres of fuel, but you certainly have to pay for it.
I get that, but where does "spare" fuel go if it is drained? I struggle to imagine (as other posters have suggested) that each and every car on a 1000+ car site gets hooned about by various people until all the excess fuel is gone...
I'm not asking why cars don't come filled up with fuel, but how many are on reserve fuel - this implies (to me at least) that fuel is siphoned or used prior to the car being put up for sale. So what can a garage do if it siphons a few litres from most cars it gets?
BHML said:
When we went for a test drive the dealer had to stop and put in a few quid. When I enquired, I was told it was to stop fire spreading in the showroom, if one car's tank exploded, etc. So for health & safety reasons.
I predict that is absolute horses
t that he made up to avoid looking like a cheapskate/shrewd businessman (delete as applicable). I have been led to believe that a tank with a bit of liquid fuel and a lot of vapour is more volatile than a brimmed tank anyway...Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff