4 Ways Gas Pumps Screw You

[ferrarif50]

from consumerist.com

1. Meter Jump

You go to put gas in but before you pull the nozzle switch, there's already a dollar amount on the meter. This usually happens because some part inside is worn out. When you hit the activation switch it's supposed to recharge itself with a bit of gas, but when meter jump occurs, the meter is charging you for the gas that's charging the system.

2. Meter Creep

The nozzle clicks off because it thinks the tank is full, but the machine keeps adding pennies even though no gas is flowing.

3. Short Volume

Can happen for a number of reasons, but essentially the pump is not pumping as much gas it says it is.

4. Big Sign, Little Price, But Little Sign, Bigger Price

This is when the big sign facing the road shows a lower price than is on your pump or on your receipt. With gas prices fluctuating the way they do these days, this usually happens because the gas station didn't get a chance to change the sign yet.

The reality is that consumers are not getting shafted at the pump that much, and of them, the first three we mentioned are the most common.

Stats from the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures:

66,000 fuel devices statewide

22,000 device inspections per year

9% of inspections find actionable problems

1-2% of the inspections find pumps shorting the customers

"Meters and gas pumps wear out and parts need to be replaced, a gas pump is a pretty complicated piece of equipment," said Steve Meissner, Communications Director of the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures.

However, If you notice any discrepancy, you should bring it up with the store. If they don't fix the problem or you don't like their answer, contact your local weights and measures department. They will take complaints by phone, email or letter. They investigate every complaint and if you request it, they will let you know the exact results of their inspection.

How do you know if there's a discrepancy? One commenter Verdigris use this technique: "...fill your tank by stopping at the 10 gallon mark. If the price is ten times the amount of 1 gallon, you know you aren't getting screwed. I tend to keep my eye on the price when it gets around 10 gallons every time I fill up."

[dinosh]

66,000 fuel devices statewide

22,000 device inspections per year

9% of inspections find actionable problems

1-2% of the inspections find pumps shorting the customers

Does anyone know the policy for fuel pump device inspection in SL for accuracy??

[priya]

Does anyone know the policy for fuel pump device inspection in SL for accuracy??

4 - TYPICAL SRI LANKAN WAYS GAS PUMPS SCREW YOU!

1)Petrol is expensive-pumps screw you

2)Petrol is expensive..95 is more expensive-pumps screw you again

3)"Mahaththayo normal iwarai! 95 gahannada? Gahanna...gahanna..-Technically screwed again

4)Petrol crisis..SL government no more import petrol.-Screwed for life big time..Good bye Merc's,BMW's, evo's etc

[ferrarif50]

4 - TYPICAL SRI LANKAN WAYS GAS PUMPS SCREW YOU!

1)Petrol is expensive-pumps screw you

2)Petrol is expensive..95 is more expensive-pumps screw you again

3)"Mahaththayo normal iwarai! 95 gahannada? Gahanna...gahanna..-Technically screwed again

4)Petrol crisis..SL government no more import petrol.-Screwed for life big time..Good bye Merc's,BMW's, evo's etc

good one !

[pradfred]

good one !

Agree, but I have one question for Priya.

Your slogan : " drive a fast car but don't drive it fast"

Makes no sense to me? Are you saying drive it fast only on a track .....?

its been bugging me a while now

[priya]

Agree, but I have one question for Priya.

Your slogan : " drive a fast car but don't drive it fast"

Makes no sense to me? Are you saying drive it fast only on a track .....?

its been bugging me a while now

Simple! This is how it applies to me. I have a modified GT which is very fast(Drive a fast car)..and for your information I drive it very slow(Don't drive it fast)! Hope you get my point! I don't wanna waste on gas bloody driving like a maniac..no point! Besides taking into account the gas prices now.

[kotte mafia]

GAS ..... how to say i don't give a DAMN ...abt it ....

water is expencive than gas ....

[GihanFX]

Simple! This is how it applies to me. I have a modified GT which is very fast(Drive a fast car)..and for your information I drive it very slow(Don't drive it fast)! Hope you get my point! I don't wanna waste on gas bloody driving like a maniac..no point! Besides taking into account the gas prices now.

Hey machan like to know the mods u have done to ur GT,

[Arc Angel]

Simple! This is how it applies to me. I have a modified GT which is very fast(Drive a fast car)..and for your information I drive it very slow(Don't drive it fast)! Hope you get my point! I don't wanna waste on gas bloody driving like a maniac..no point! Besides taking into account the gas prices now.

if fuel economy is you main concern, why bother driving a fast car in the first place? I mean, the point of driving a fast car is to enjoy it, isn't it?

why not just drive a economical car continue to 'not dive it fast'?

[GihanFX]

if fuel economy is you main concern, why bother driving a fast car in the first place? I mean, the point of driving a fast car is to enjoy it, isn't it?

why not just drive a economical car continue to 'not dive it fast'?

Another thing Starlret GT to be "Very fast" need some serious mods too, like the WEPR Starlet GT, and thats a damn Fast car

[priya]

if fuel economy is you main concern, why bother driving a fast car in the first place? I mean, the point of driving a fast car is to enjoy it, isn't it?

why not just drive a economical car continue to 'not dive it fast'?

I'ed love too bro..But it does 13kmpl on the slow revs..so thats as close to a VVti figures..more than I could expect..so why bother spending a lot more like 15-20lacks for a fuel economical domestic..besides it has much more features than something like a maruti or zen or qq which is in its range and lets keep this all aside. Besides I dont like driving fast.."Take it as personal liking"!

[GihanFX]

I'ed love too bro..But it does 13kmpl on the slow revs..so thats as close to a VVti figures..more than I could expect..so why bother spending a lot more like 15-20lacks for a fuel economical domestic..besides it has much more features than something like a maruti or zen or qq which is in its range and lets keep this all aside. Besides I dont like driving fast.."Take it as personal liking"!

hey machan can u list down the Mods u done to ur GT ?

[priya]

hey machan can u list down the Mods u done to ur GT ?

Ammo noo.muchung paprazzi is watching! Nothing much muchung just CT9 hybrid kit and front mount..thats all. I think about 50hp more..thats it.

Well I got these second hand from my bro in AUS..used ones. So I think total about 185hp. What do you think? ...or just forgot and the ECU ..piggyback

Edited August 3, 2008 by priya

[GihanFX]

Ammo noo.muchung paprazzi is watching! Nothing much muchung just CT9 hybrid kit and front mount..thats all. I think about 50hp more..thats it.

Well I got these second hand from my bro in AUS..used ones. So I think total about 185hp. What do you think? ...or just forgot and the ECU ..piggyback

Those are some nice mods machan, and im not a beliver of Human Dynos lol, we cant mesure the HP only by addin stuff, anyway deffa must be fast but cant be very fast

When u free post some images of ur Ride, cus i only saw it 6 monts ago at Nilantha

[Corolla121]

TYPICAL SRI LANKAN WAYS GAS PUMPS SCREW YOU MORE.....................

1. Adding kerosene in to petrol (Very common)

2. Mixing 90 octane with 95

3. Field offices of Petrolium Corp who are going to check fuel pumps are living very luxuiry lives compared to their salary. No wonder why.....

In addition to that,

In Sri lanka, before Indian oil came, a particular bowser could only transport one kind of fuel. It was either petrol or diesel. But Indian oil didn’t have this regulation and they transport both in the same bowser (of course not in the same time) But recently bowser owners in Sri Lanka have requested minister Fauzi to give them the same privileges similar to Indian oil transporters to transport both fuel in the same bowser and the idiot granted the permission. Problem is, a bowser will have some amount of fuel in it remaining even after its unloaded fully.

Diesel vehicles doesn’t get much issue over this, mixing little bit of petrol with diesel is not a big problem. But when you put petrol in to a previously diesel transported bowser, it is a major problem. I don’t think I have to explain what are the problems

Edited October 29, 2008 by Corolla121

[mazdaspeed]

if fuel economy is you main concern, why bother driving a fast car in the first place? I mean, the point of driving a fast car is to enjoy it, isn't it?

why not just drive a economical car continue to 'not dive it fast'?

I too don’t see the point in having a fast car but driving very slowly – A standard Starlet would give you the same comforts and all feature but the again anything that tickles your fancy …..

However Please don’t hog the rode by driving slow – put to a side any have your fancy and let other pass – Think that’s a fair request neda

[harshansenadhir]

[

Diesel vehicles doesn’t get much issue over this, mixing little bit of petrol with diesel is not a big problem. But when you put petrol in to a previously diesel transported bowser, it is a major problem. I don’t think I have to explain what are the problems

on contrary it'll be diesel vehicles will get problems .. mixing diesel with petrol with degrade the performance bit but will not harm the engine. but mixing diesel with petrol will be a killer for diesel engines. if the petrol ratio is too high then it will bust the engine very shortly. however little petrol in diesel will improve performance a bit but life span of the engine will be very little. however once you mix petrol with diesel and run engine you require to have that to start the engine. I experienced this with my previous vehi which was a diesel and i ran for sometime with Soltron. After sometime it refused to start without soltron. I couldn't accept this and checked with a mechanic. What he told was there are carbon diposits in diesel engines (used ones) which will spontaneously help to have a good compression in the combustion chamber and will continue to run without any major issue. but when you mix certain boosters such as soltron or Petrol for some vehicles, this carbon deposits will remove with the time and will cause engine to go under compression very soon. I don't know how far he was correct but I noticed this as if you mix little bit of petrol to a worn out diesel engine it'll get used to it.

[xXx]

I too don’t see the point in having a fast car but driving very slowly – A standard Starlet would give you the same comforts and all feature but the again anything that tickles your fancy …..

However Please don’t hog the rode by driving slow – put to a side any have your fancy and let other pass – Think that’s a fair request neda

are you suggesting that all the fast car owners should drive fast ever time he gets an opportunity?

on contrary it'll be diesel vehicles will get problems .. mixing diesel with petrol with degrade the performance bit but will not harm the engine. but mixing diesel with petrol will be a killer for diesel engines. if the petrol ratio is too high then it will bust the engine very shortly. however little petrol in diesel will improve performance a bit but life span of the engine will be very little. however once you mix petrol with diesel and run engine you require to have that to start the engine. I experienced this with my previous vehi which was a diesel and i ran for sometime with Soltron. After sometime it refused to start without soltron. I couldn't accept this and checked with a mechanic. What he told was there are carbon diposits in diesel engines (used ones) which will spontaneously help to have a good compression in the combustion chamber and will continue to run without any major issue. but when you mix certain boosters such as soltron or Petrol for some vehicles, this carbon deposits will remove with the time and will cause engine to go under compression very soon. I don't know how far he was correct but I noticed this as if you mix little bit of petrol to a worn out diesel engine it'll get used to it.

heard this is a habbit (adding a bit of petrol to a tank full of diesel) of our bus boys to get that extra boost to overtake each other

[Corolla121]

mixing diesel with petrol with degrade the performance bit but will not harm the engine.

What about carbon dipposits in the plugs, lets say, you clean your engine with 3M/Wurth fuel system cleaner and next day you are a victim of diesel mixed petrol. Whats the point in cleaning your system spending 4-5K. But i agree with you that it doesnt harm your engine.