pumps these days
Discussion
A couple of months ago I fuelled up my van, as usual I run it until the fuel light comes on then I know that I can get at least 50 miles, so at about 25 miles to go I pulled into a Shell forecourt, A12 south between Ipswich & Colchester, anyway the van has a 90 litre tank (from vehicle spec) & I have never got more than 85 litres in, even after fuel light on for 50 miles. This time it takes 92 litres! I had words with the cashier but that was a waste of time as his english was not too good, apart from threatening to call the police if I refused to pay, as I needed to be somewhere very soon I paid & left. I was going to contact weights & measures but had more important things to do at the time & obviously it is too late now.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? By my calculations the pump was around 8% out in the garage's favour, I don't know how often they check pumps these days, I'm sure that when I worked on a forecourt for a while as a teenager (a long time ago!) the pumps were checked weekly by the management but only annually by customs & excise.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? By my calculations the pump was around 8% out in the garage's favour, I don't know how often they check pumps these days, I'm sure that when I worked on a forecourt for a while as a teenager (a long time ago!) the pumps were checked weekly by the management but only annually by customs & excise.
This only occurred once at one fuel station, the mileage I had done was +/- 25 miles of what I normally do the point I am making was that I had to pay for more fuel that my tank can hold.
Since then I have filled up an average of twice a week with the fuel light on but cannot repeat this.
Since then I have filled up an average of twice a week with the fuel light on but cannot repeat this.
Over about fifty fill-ups in various stations in the past couple of years, I've never seen anything remotely anomalous - if one tank seems to take a particularly large or small amount of fuel for its miles, the next one cancels it out, demonstrating that the pump simply clicked later or earlier than usual. The pumps - obviously, given the vast amount of money that goes through them - are very accurate.
You probably just found that your tank is 90 litres plus a reserve, rather than including.
You probably just found that your tank is 90 litres plus a reserve, rather than including.
kambites said:
They are checked regularly.
I'd guess your fuel gauge is breaking.
I it was, then surely it would have taken even less surely as it cant be more empty than empty with a 90L tank to fill.I'd guess your fuel gauge is breaking.
However, have you considered that there could have been 2L in the filler hose? I'd say that was more than possible. Though don't know where this is measured or not when stating tank sizes.
edit - beaten to it
Sorry but I disagree, I have done nearly 70k in my van & I have always filled it up the same way, fuel light on, then between 25-50 miles, fill up. Fill untill the pump cuts out then trickle it in until I can see the fuel a few inches down the neck, I am a little OCD about things & I can say categorically that my fuel reciepts all show between 82-85 litres from fill ups so this one was wrong.
shovelheadrob said:
Sorry but I disagree, I have done nearly 70k in my van & I have always filled it up the same way, fuel light on, then between 25-50 miles, fill up. Fill untill the pump cuts out then trickle it in until I can see the fuel a few inches down the neck, I am a little OCD about things & I can say categorically that my fuel reciepts all show between 82-85 litres from fill ups so this one was wrong.
get Trading Standards to check it then. £50 says it's spot onshovelheadrob said:
Sorry but I disagree, I have done nearly 70k in my van & I have always filled it up the same way, fuel light on, then between 25-50 miles, fill up. Fill untill the pump cuts out then trickle it in until I can see the fuel a few inches down the neck, I am a little OCD about things & I can say categorically that my fuel reciepts all show between 82-85 litres from fill ups so this one was wrong.
Also then - surely if you "regularly" fill up with 25 miles to go, then you must get terrible MPG as that must be how far the last 5-8 litres would get you 
Emubiker said:
Also then - surely if you "regularly" fill up with 25 miles to go, then you must get terrible MPG as that must be how far the last 5-8 litres would get you
I have never found out how far it will go, I have as I said gone 50 miles with the light on, but I don't want the hassle of running it to empty just to find out. As I am often travelling in areas where I do not know where the next service station is I prefer to play it safe. I get around 30mpg as an average 2.0 Cdti Vivaro fully laden most of the time & often towing.Couple of possibilities spring to mind seeing as you're a van driver
You left the engine running while filling up, which took a long time as you smoked about 10 ciggies & made 5 phone calls.
Whilst filling up you spotted a 'tasty bird' and whilst not paying attention spilt 2l+ on the forecourt/van
You left the engine running while filling up, which took a long time as you smoked about 10 ciggies & made 5 phone calls.
Whilst filling up you spotted a 'tasty bird' and whilst not paying attention spilt 2l+ on the forecourt/van
My dad had this once; quite a significant amount more than the car can take (Think about 8 litres more than full tank, and he still had quarter left). Manager was called, pump was shut immediately and he got a free tank of fuel. In that case it did seem to be the pump at fault, plus it was a large supermarket as opposed to independant garage. But if people had only been putting in £10 or £20 at a time it would've gone unnoticed.
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