Get more gas when filling up...

[Flycaster]

From a guy in the oilindustry

"

I've been in petroleum pipeline business for about 31 years, currently
working for the Kinder-Morgan Pipeline here in San Jose, CA. We deliver
about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period from the pipe line; one day
it's diesel, the next day it's jet fuel and gasoline.

We have 34 storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.
Here are some tricks to help you get your money's worth:

1. Fill up your car or truck in the morning when the
temperature is still cool. Remember that all
service stations have their storage tanks buried below
ground; and the colder the ground, the denser the gasoline. When it gets
warmer gasoline expands, so if you're filling up in the afternoon or in the
evening, what should be a gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum
business, the specific gravity and temperature of the fuel (gasoline,
diesel, jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products) are significant.
Every truckload that we load is temperature-compensated so that the
indicated gallonage is actually the amount pumped. A one-degree rise in
temperature is a big deal for businesses, but service stations don't
have temperature compensation at their pumps.

2. If a tanker truck is filling the station's tank at the time you want
to buy gas, do not fill up; most likely dirt and sludge in the tank is
being stirred up when gas is being delivered, and you might be
transferring that dirt from the bottom of their tank into your car's tank.

3. Fill up when your gas tank is half-full (or half-empty),because the more

gas you have in your tank the less air there is and gasoline evaporates rapidly,
especially when it's warm. (Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating

'roof' membrane to act as a barrier between the gas and the atmosphere, thereby
minimizing evaporation.)

4. If you look at the trigger you'll see that it has three delivery settings: slow,

medium and high. When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of
the nozzle to the highsetting. You should be pumping at the slow setting,

thereby minimizing vapors created while you are pumping. Hoses at the pump are
corrugated; the corrugations act as a return path for vapor recovery from gas that

already has been metered. If you are pumping at the high setting, the agitated

gasoline contains more vapor, which is being sucked back into the underground

tank, so you're getting less gas for your money. Hope this will help ease your 'pain

at the pump'."

[Artz 330]

[ronn888]

even if you did all of these, I wonder how much more gas can you get? 3-5%?

Hope the slowest setting doesn't take TOO long.

[Rick Hunter]

Originally Posted by ronn888

even if you did all of these, I wonder how much more gas can you get? 3-5%?

Hope the slowest setting doesn't take TOO long.

Yeah, but you can admire your car the whole time... something we don't get too many chances to do while we're on the road.

I dunno about filling it when it's 1/2 full... I'd be gassing up every 2 days.

[Flycaster]

I've posted these gas saving tips on all the BMW sites I belong to. Interestingly, while most agree with the tips, there are those who have their doubts about some of the tips. Hey, that's what makes horse racing, eh. However, I ahve one more reference that should sort of add more validation to them.

All should be aware that in Canada, ALL gas stations have temperature adjusted monitoring pumps to ensure that oil company gets the most dollars for its gas. While, in Arizona, the situation is reversed. The oil companies are fighting consumer groups who want these temperature adjusted pumps. It is estimated that in AZ the consumer is paying a lot more per gallon than he/she thinks because of mis-calculating the real amount of gas they fill with.

Please go to this site (http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/199085.php) to read the AZ newspaper article and also do read the comments after the article. Very enlightening for those who want the skinny on this subject.

[BlackSapphireZ]

Originally Posted by Flycaster

3. Fill up when your gas tank is half-full (or half-empty),because the more

gas you have in your tank the less air there is and gasoline evaporates rapidly,
especially when it's warm. (Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating

'roof' membrane to act as a barrier between the gas and the atmosphere, thereby
minimizing evaporation.)
"

i can argue that gas wasted by hauling more gas in the tank is probably higher than loss due to evaporation. shit weighs a lot

[Aebous]

Nice 2 threads same info! An this one is getting posts....a conspiracy methinks. Interesting stuff though, reckon i'll try this as now i'm up in the mornings

[Hawkeye]

I got this in the email a couple months ago too, hope you weren't trying to take credit for it...

What I don't understand is:
1. If you are filling on slow, doesn't that give the gas more time to evaporate out?

2. With the sludge and stuff from the tankers, the pumps already pull from the bottom of the tank (otherwise they would run out before the gas was gone) so wouldn't it be better to only get a little sludge?

3. If you are making the extra effort and stopping to fill up when half empty / full, you would probably be wasting more gas pulling into the station, restarting your car after pumping and then exiting the station than you would by losing vapors filling up when you are actually empty. (and the weight of gas while driving, good point BSZ)

[nyczyang27]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

I got this in the email a couple months ago too, hope you weren't trying to take credit for it...

He's not taking any credit for it. Read his post again (see his qoutations?)

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by nyczyang27

He's not taking any credit for it. Read his post again (see his qoutations?)

Oh I saw the quotations... but if I post something my friend that works a BMW AG said about the new 1 series... there will be quotes, but I still want the credit.

On second thought, that did sound a$$holish of me, so sorry.

[maxz4]

So it looks like that all thing sucks for me.... in AZ it looks like it is really bad :mad: But I love my car and I need gas... At least I get descent gas mileage

[maxz4]

Originally Posted by Flycaster

I've posted these gas saving tips on all the BMW sites I belong to. Interestingly, while most agree with the tips, there are those who have their doubts about some of the tips. Hey, that's what makes horse racing, eh. However, I ahve one more reference that should sort of add more validation to them.

All should be aware that in Canada, ALL gas stations have temperature adjusted monitoring pumps to ensure that oil company gets the most dollars for its gas. While, in Arizona, the situation is reversed. The oil companies are fighting consumer groups who want these temperature adjusted pumps. It is estimated that in AZ the consumer is paying a lot more per gallon than he/she thinks because of mis-calculating the real amount of gas they fill with.

Please go to this site (http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/199085.php) to read the AZ newspaper article and also do read the comments after the article. Very enlightening for those who want the skinny on this subject.

The AZ stuff was interesting to read, if it is about a dime per gallon, I do about 15,000 miles a year, averaging 22mpg that is 15,000/22=682 gallons a year. Loss of a dime per gallon fueled is 682*.10= $68
So I would get about another couple fill-up a year, it sucks but I think I can live with it... that would be interesting to see how much the tips can help... But I don't think it could help that much, and according to the article AZ is an extreme... it is still around 100F right now

[Waldorf]

now i understand why there's a mention on the pump that says "accuracy corrected at 20 celcius"