Tips and techniques on getting petrol at the bowser

Dauphin · 29-09-2010, 02:30 PM

Some interesting points I recently heard about filling up and how to get more petrol:

- Always keep a full tank as possible. Less air space in the tank means less evaporation.

- When you finish filling up, always jiggle the nozzle.

- If you have selected a pre-paid amount on the bowser, let it fill to that amount and stop automatically. Keep the trigger pressed in and lift the hose up so the fuel in that section empties into your tank.

- Don't overfill your tank as fuel will just go out an overfill pipe around corners.

- Fill your tank at a slower speed on the nozzle trigger because at a high speed flow there is more chance of fuel splashing about into the tank and evaporating before it's gone in.

- Petrol is more denser in colder temperatures, so try to buy it first thing in the morning, giving you more for your money.

- Stop and start your filling various times at the browser, as apparently it will give you a tiny bit extra and not register on the machine each time.

- Screw your fuel cap tightly to keep it as airtight as possible.

- Don't fill up when a fuel truck is delivering fuel, as the fuel going into the storage tanks can bring up gunk from the bottom of the storage tank and go into your tank.

FNQracing · 29-09-2010, 02:40 PM

I'd rather pay the extra 0.00001c than be on display as a cheapskate.

Fled74 · 29-09-2010, 02:52 PM

Do women jiggle the nozzle after filling up, or is it just a guy thing?

sleek7 · 29-09-2010, 02:54 PM

Hehe, yea I already give the nozzle a bit of a jiggle for a few seconds before pulling it out and I keep my car more towards the full side of a tank more often just out of co-incidence but thats about it. The tiny bit of extra fuel I might save would be used up leaving the petrol station

paule11 · 29-09-2010, 02:57 PM

more than 3 shakes is playing with it

Road_Warrior · 29-09-2010, 03:01 PM

Dauphin...can I ask, who told you all this? Some of those ideas are so far off the wall it's hilarious.

MAD · 29-09-2010, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Dauphin...can I ask, who told you all this? Some of those ideas are so far off the wall it's hilarious.

Agreed. Some of those things are absolutely ridiculous.

Fuel pouring out of the tank around corners...dont think so.
The fuel systems in modern cars are closed to stop evaporation pollution.
I jiggle the nozzle, but only to stop from dripping fuel on the paint.
How much does the temperature change 10m below ground?
Can only do up the fuel cap as tight as the clicky thing will let me.

The only one that's worth half a grain of salt is the one for prepaid fuel. But how much petrol is really in the hose? I reckon 0.2lt tops, if that.

george7 · 29-09-2010, 03:25 PM

and if your paying by cash, always try get it to stop on .02c higher. to get the most for your moeny

grandpa_spec_F6 · 29-09-2010, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by george7

and if your paying by cash, always try get it to stop on .02c higher. to get the most for your moeny

Mr Hardware taught me that

I also hold the hose up in the air just so I can get the extra fuel in the line, looks stupid, but then as you step out of the petrol station you notice other people doing it, and don't feel like such a cheap skate... mm... free fuel

MickyB · 29-09-2010, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by george7

and if your paying by cash, always try get it to stop on .02c higher. to get the most for your moeny

I loved this one when I first turned 18 and would buy petrol in $20 instalments. It does seem kind of silly looking back on it now however.

george7 · 29-09-2010, 03:49 PM

haha, the one with the hose where you lift it up to get the last drops, i never thought of that.

At least with the .02c extra you don't look like a tool.

GTP owner · 29-09-2010, 04:17 PM

Always keep the tank full???? Ok and then you use more fuel by having to cart around an extra 60kg....

Mad_Aussie · 29-09-2010, 04:21 PM

I always lift and shake the hose, more because you don't want to spill petrol on your paint.

It is surprising how much fuel does stay in the hose afterwards.

50YEAR · 29-09-2010, 04:50 PM

We could all save on our petrol bills by up to 30% if we drove less aggressively. But, I bought a big petrol 6 cylinder so I could drive aggressively.

MAV50L · 29-09-2010, 05:01 PM

I crack up laughing everytime I see people lifting the hose up to try and get the fuel out of it.
From having worked on pumps before for a few years I can tell you that you are achieving absolutley nothing except looking like an idiot.
The lock off valve for the fuel flow is located in the nozzle and operated by the nozzle handle!!!
If you are not pulling the handle in no fuel is flowing as the valve is shut!
I dont know what is funnier. The tripper who thought that idea up or the idiots that do it and recommend to others to do it!
Nearly as funny as the people who will wait in the q at a Woolies or Shell servo for 45mins when there is a price war on and its 4c a litre cheaper then up the road and they buy 60 litres. Hand over their docket as well for a total of 8c discount and save a grand sum of $4.80..............................45mins effort to save $4.80! I earn $38 an hour at work so for me to spend 45mins to save $4.80 is pretty counter productive. A lot of people would be the same but their pathetic greed stops them from seeing that.

zdcol71 · 29-09-2010, 05:02 PM

I used to drain the hose in the days when we had the 20c coin operated self serve machines. 20c would get you a hell of a long way, and the hoses were usually twice as long as they are now so it was a lot of fuel to put in a motorbike tank.
Also when you buy multiple items,(fuel for the boat, or the bikes on the trailer, pay for them seperately after getting $xx.02, then they round down to .00, rather than up to.05. also works at the supermarket with fruit and veges!!

Dauphin · 29-09-2010, 05:07 PM

They came from an Aussie book. I'll try and get the title.

I was thinking about the full tank thing also, the extra weight. It's why I often leave very little in it when I don't need any more.

You could also argue that stop-starting the flow during the fill will cause splashing, which alledgedly leads to the evaporation claimed in the slow flow point.

I do the extra 2 cents thing also.

They may be dumb little things but of course it all adds up over a year.

FNQracing · 29-09-2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

I do the extra 2 cents thing also.

They may be dumb little things but of course it all adds up over a year.

Lets say you fill up twice a week. You save 4c a week, or $2.08 a year.

Don't spend it all at once

XR8 Uterous · 29-09-2010, 05:18 PM

The SG (density) of ULP ranges between .710 and .750, but this is depended more so on the manufacturing process. Temp does effect it, but not for that sort of range, maybe .002. And this makes stuff all difference in a tanker carrying 50,000 litres, so putting 60 litres into your car it wont mean squat.

kinksta · 29-09-2010, 05:20 PM

I find the best way to save on petrol is to not drive...

Iggypoppin' · 29-09-2010, 05:40 PM

When I had a car, I never bothered with any fuel saving techniques. It's such a small difference, if any, to do these things, it just isn't worth the hassle. I just shook the nozzle so fuel didn't splash on my paint, paid and left.

MAV50L · 29-09-2010, 05:49 PM

I reckon constant use of wide open throttle is a brilliant fuel saving action. More air in it must be better right? Lean the mixture out..................................

Road_Warrior · 29-09-2010, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

They came from an Aussie book. I'll try and get the title.

They may be dumb little things but of course it all adds up over a year.

They are dumb little things and all but one of those in the list are an absolute furphy. MAV50L has pointed out one such example. To quote from the list you have provided from the book:

- Always keep a full tank as possible. Less air space in the tank means less evaporation.

Fuel can't evaporate from your fuel system unless you have a leak somewhere.

- When you finish filling up, always jiggle the nozzle.

Someone else has addressed this one.

- If you have selected a pre-paid amount on the bowser, let it fill to that amount and stop automatically. Keep the trigger pressed in and lift the hose up so the fuel in that section empties into your tank.

Refer MAV50L's post.

- Don't overfill your tank as fuel will just go out an overfill pipe around corners.

Modern cars do not have overflow pipes; its illegal and if you see fuel coming out after a fill up chances are you have a system leak.

- Fill your tank at a slower speed on the nozzle trigger because at a high speed flow there is more chance of fuel splashing about into the tank and evaporating before it's gone in.

Fuel won't evaporate from being splashed around in an enclosed space!

- Petrol is more denser in colder temperatures, so try to buy it first thing in the morning, giving you more for your money.

Fuel dispensers (or pumps, as the case may be) meter the amount of product they provide. A litre of fuel is a litre of fuel, regardless of whether its midnight or frikkin 2 in the afternoon! lol!

- Stop and start your filling various times at the browser, as apparently it will give you a tiny bit extra and not register on the machine each time.

No, it wont. As said above, they will meter the correct amount. Making the dispenser stammer will not do anything.

- Screw your fuel cap tightly to keep it as airtight as possible.

Modern plastic 'click stop' fuel caps do not keep tightening after the click. But yes, a tight petrol cap will prevent fuel loss from evaporation and spillage.

- Don't fill up when a fuel truck is delivering fuel, as the fuel going into the storage tanks can bring up gunk from the bottom of the storage tank and go into your tank.

This is about the only credible 'tip' but dependent on the throughput of the actual service station, where the foot valve is located in the storage tank etc.

george7 · 29-09-2010, 06:13 PM

are petrol prices really coming down. People have been saying they are going to start coming down again. At the moment in mlebourne eastern suburbs, they sit on around 1.12-1.20 when its expensive.

I don't see them coming down to below a dollar.

anyone know more info

TheZHLANE · 29-09-2010, 06:14 PM

go buy lpg

**Peuty** · 29-09-2010, 06:30 PM

Best way to save at the bowser is to fill up and just drive off.

Airmon · 29-09-2010, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

- Fill your tank at a slower speed on the nozzle trigger because at a high speed flow there is more chance of fuel splashing about into the tank and evaporating before it's gone in.

Fuel won't evaporate from being splashed around in an enclosed space!

- Petrol is more denser in colder temperatures, so try to buy it first thing in the morning, giving you more for your money.

Fuel dispensers (or pumps, as the case may be) meter the amount of product they provide. A litre of fuel is a litre of fuel, regardless of whether its midnight or frikkin 2 in the afternoon! lol!

If the system is not sealed (I.e. when you have the nozzle in) you can get evapouration, but its going to be very, very negligible.

The density is true though, yes a Litre or fuel is a Litre of fuel, but as fuel has a very low boiling point (relatively) it can make a difference.

The difference might not be great, but say fuel has a rough density of 700g/L (not too sure on the actual figure I think its around here) at room temperature (21degrees C), then say if you fill up on a really cold morning you may be getting say 710g/L, or on a really hot day you may get 690g/L.
So while a litre is a litre, you could be getting MORE fuel in terms of weight. And as specific energy is measured in terms of J/kg, you essentially are carrying more energy in the same volume. And hence your motor wont care whether its getting the same amount of fuel, it will be burning more energy, and hence more power.

Now the difference is probably very small, we could be talking as little as 1%, but I can't say for sure without really looking into it.

jpd80 · 29-09-2010, 06:41 PM

Wanna save heaps of fuel?
Then wear your pants under your rib cage.

Try it for a week and tell me I'm wrong.

**Revolver** · 29-09-2010, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Some interesting points I recently heard about filling up and how to get more petrol:

When I first read that, I thought it was going to be an absolute laugh fest. But some do have some merit, others not. After working in servos for over 6 years, (3 sites, 2 chains) Ive seen alolt of things happen. Even had a gentleman have a heart attack & die on my shift. Spent 20 mins attempting to revive him while the ambulance was on its way. Anyway there is alot of misconceptions out there (one is that us console operators understand how the pricing of petrol works, wish I knew). But anyway lets run through them:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

- Always keep a full tank as possible. Less air space in the tank means less evaporation.

Hmm to be honest im not too sure on that. Fuel most definitely expands under heat but evapourate completely in your tank.. Dont think so... Should the fuel evaporate (turn into vapour) it can also have the reverse effect - form back into fuel.

Thats why most new servos have a line that connects from the vapour stacks that the tanker can hook up to, & as the fuel flows into the tanks, the escaping vapour makes its way up the hose connected to the tanker, & back into the compartment being emptied. They tank this back to the depot/refinery & can pick up a couple of litres from this. However this needs quite expensive & expansive equipment to do this. Alot of depots & refineries 20+ years old dont have it so its not done very often.

So as it cools in your tank, it may just have the opposite effect. Im not too sure on the physics on that.... And as mentioned before, an extra 60 kgs of fuel all the time is a bit detrimental to its consumtion... My beast seriously has a fat **** when my LPG & Petrol Tanks are full. Thats 141lts combined... So I only keep about a 1/4 tank of fuel, my Gas always full because I have to fill every second day....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

- When you finish filling up, always jiggle the nozzle.

Yeah you bet. Even I do that, I acutally turn the nozzle upside down to just get that little bit more out, for a bit off the proverbial tight value (even though i prodomenitly run on LPG), & to stop wastage....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

- If you have selected a pre-paid amount on the bowser, let it fill to that amount and stop automatically. Keep the trigger pressed in and lift the hose up so the fuel in that section empties into your tank.

Personally I LOVE watching people do this... I have a bloody good chuckle while Im looking out the window onto the forecourt, & see them do it. As '50L mentioned, the valve is infront of the trigger in the handle. You get nothing out of the hose...

Think of when you wash your car, or water the garden with one of those nozzles where you turn it on & off at the end of the hose (rather than the tap itself) when required. Now when you do turn it off you get a couple of drips just as you turn it off, (like a leaking prostrate) but thats it. You can stand there lifting the hose up & down all day. No more water is going to come out of it. Same principle with the fuel pump. It might help with getting whats infront of the valve, but so does my turning-the-handle-upsidedown technique. But feel free to do this, I need a good chuckle!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

- Don't overfill your tank as fuel will just go out an overfill pipe around corners.

Well yes & no. The only way that might happen is if you over fill the tank at the servo, in that case, only whats in the overfill pipe will flow out. Not the rest of the tank. Its not like when you milk petrol out of your tank with a hose for the mower. This may happen on older vehicles that need the cap to seal the tank. However after a certain time of driving, the usage will naturally lower the level...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

-Fill your tank at a slower speed on the nozzle trigger because at a high speed flow there is more chance of fuel splashing about into the tank and evaporating before it's gone in.

Errrrrrrr Im sorry? Evapourating as it comes out of the nozzle? The nozzle is too far into your filler pipe for it to splash back out, unless youve over filled... NEXT....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

- Petrol is more denser in colder temperatures, so try to buy it first thing in the morning, giving you more for your money.

Yep absolutely, as it is for everthing, it the expands with heat. This one does have its merits, but I can't figure out exactly how much more it would give you over filling in the evening. Mainly for the fact I dont know the expansion rates for fuel, (ethanol blend, ulp/pulp/s, & diesel, even LPG).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

- Stop and start your filling various times at the browser, as apparently it will give you a tiny bit extra and not register on the machine each time.

Yeah, refer to turning off the garden hose examlpe for this one. When you stop, it stops. If it should for some reason do this, its only quite literally a drop. It stops at the nozzle valve.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

- Screw your fuel cap tightly to keep it as airtight as possible.

How does this work? As stated earlier in this thread you can only tighten it down as far as it clicks. It doesnt tighten up further after that. Its also funny watching people do this too, hearing the: zzzzzzzzzzp, (one) zzzzzzzzzzzp (two) zzzzzzzzzzp (three). It doesnt go any tighter after the first click. & on the older cars, they had: On & off. Thats it. It doesnt get any tighter than that......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

- Don't fill up when a fuel truck is delivering fuel, as the fuel going into the storage tanks can bring up gunk from the bottom of the storage tank and go into your tank.

Yeah merit on that one, its obvious as to what happens when the tanker drops a delivery. So yes, agreement on that one.

Well i hope that clears up a few things, straight from the guy you hand your money to behind the counter....

Duaphin, I hope no offence. I know you didint come up with this yourself, as you said you got it from a book. But thanks for posting this up, its about time I managed to get the word out there on some of this stuff...

BUGGER most of this stuff has been covered while typing this post out. But I suppose its good to have an arguement re-enforcement...

**Revolver** · 29-09-2010, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

Best way to save at the bowser is to fill up and just drive off.

Yep. Then a week later you get a knock on the door from two big burly blokes in blue uniforms... Then you still have to pay it... Thanks for endorsing the actions (even if it is a joke) that makes me have to fill out reports rather than do my shift duties.. Thats not a joke.... I hate more paperwork