Diesel Fuel at Stations????

[01_Duramax_Dually]

So here I was a gas station this morning filling my truck with fuel. It always amazed me that when the pump would shut off I can always put another 3-7 gallons more. I know it always depends on the "Foamy" condition that leads to the premature shut off. So as this happened again to me this morning I happened to have a 5 gallon fuel jug in the back of the truck.I got to wondering, what am I really paying for...Foam or Fuel? I decided to put in one gallon of fuel based on the what the station pump said was 1 Gallon....As I filled it it was foaming like mad. Got to one gallon and stopped. When The foam settled in the container I had a little less than 3/4 a gallon.....but yet the station pump said 1....
Of course I went up and showed this to the attendant and it was the graveyard guy and he looked at me like I was from another planet and obviously he was wroking that shift for a particular reason..... :D ...

Needless to say I walked away dumbfounded by this situation...

Has anyone else checked and confirmed that when you pump 1 gallon of fuel when the foam settles you really got 1 Gallon or are we paying for foam?

If you do the math on say 25 gallons X 1/4 short, it can get expensive....

Just a thought....

[Lawnboy]

Jeff,

You say that you had a "5" gallon fuel jug. What are you measuring that 1 gal of fuel with? The little marked graduations on the side of that Jug?

I would like to think that Bureau of Weights and Measures certified that pump. Where is the BoW&M sticker on your 5 gallon Fuel Jug?

I do know that the pumps' meters have temperature compensators on them, so depending on the temp of ground compared to the ambeint air temp, there "may" be a slight difference due to expansion/contraction of the fuel.

Only way to check this would be to get a large volume graduated scientific flask, fill it to 1 gallon indicated on pump, and check what the flask says.

I just think that your "observation" was a little less than accurate.

[MadDuraMax]

An easier way to check how much is in the 5 gallon can would be to weigh it at the 1 gal mark and again empty. Subtract the weight of the can.

Now what does a gallon of diesel weigh?

[XTOCAK]

Standard calculation we use for diesel here in the oilfield is 6.8 pounds per gallon.

[mdrag]

01_Duramax_Doolie,

I filled at least three plastic fuel containers with diesel when I installed the TFI tank - and all of the container markings agreed (or very close) to the pump's reading. The readings may have been a tad above or below a specific line - but not the drastic difference you mentioned. Doesn't sound right to me...

[SoCalDMAX]

It might have been one of those stations with a "chipped" pump. There was a big news story about that a while ago. The pump has a modified chip in it that will indicate correctly at 5 gal increments, but will short you a certain percentage at any point in between. This way, when the BoWM comes around and tests, (they were always pumping 5gal) it looks fine.

I don't know if this still goes on, but at one time a local TV station discovered a large percentage of the stations were doing it. It was bringing them a lot in extra profits.

Regards, Steve

[MadDuraMax]

Might be the pump, but I have one of those plastic 5 gallon "cans" too. It will hold almost exactly 6 gallons to the full line! I checked it out with the weighing method, sure enoungh 6 gallons in the 5 gallon can.

Check it out first, I'd hate to call eyewitness news on this on and find out it's my blow molded can that's at fault.

[mdrag]

MadDuraMax,

Sounds like your fuel container could be sold in the US or Canada and not run afoul of false advertising laws :D

[MadDuraMax]

mdrag,

It's just another bennie of shopping at Wallyworld! :cool:

[Flyboy]

The foam is introduced in the fuel at the nozzel by the automatic shutoff. If you look at the end of the nozzel, you will see a small hole. This hole sucks air in and when fuel closes the hole, the nozzel shuts off. This is past the metering device. If you tilt the nozzel up and go slow, you can get foam free fuel.

[hdmax(mike)]

When my fuel gauge is at about 1/8 to 3/16 it takes 21-22 gal (on a 26 gal tank) and that includes the one gal or less I can get in it after it kicks off. (I top off till it is within a 1/4-1/2" from over flowing)

If The fueling station was off more then a little, it would take much more then what it is.

[01_Duramax_Dually]

Interestting feedback. Well this is the gas can I used to previously use for the race car and has always been very accurate(for what it is)

I will check this station again at my next stop with a very accurate 1 Gallon Pyrex glass container we use for mixing up our solutions for semiconductor packaging cleaning. I am very curious. We toss them regularily as the side embossed lettering starts to fade away.

As for tilting the nozzle and less foam, I have tried that on numerous occasions and that does help at all, still foams like a mad dog.

Thanks for the feedback, Was more curious than anything and now will see if the station out here is "Cheating"....

[Brucec]

When mine shuts off it's full. Tried to add once after sitting for awhile and ran out.