Cheating Gas Stations?

It varies state by state. Here in Washington they trust the people who install the pumps and check they very infrequently. I would look at comparing a 3 or 4 tank average. The bladder in the tank makes "fill ups" unreliable on a tank by tank basis.

 

There is no enforcement of fuel pump accuracy here in California. They "terminated" that group of state employees because it was too expensive. They go on the honor system now. I would quit trading at Chevron #2 if I were you.

 

Given that the maximum tank size is 11.9 gallons, that last fillup is extremely suspicious - you must have been running on fumes when you pulled into the gas station!

I'd definately stop going there. perhaps you could take your data to a local news station and get them to report it (i know around here you occasionally see reports do a "crime watchers" segment, during which they take letters from listeners and investigate on potential practices like your describing).

If this second one is extremely close to your house or work and you'd be going out of your way sometimes to go to the other one, you could try measuring the pump yourself. go to the hardware store and buy a 5 gallon gas can (use it in a lawnmower or something) and pump exactly 5 gallons into it - if it's filled to the fill line, then the pump would appear to be working correctly. if it's below the line, then go out of your way to avoid that station.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jbarnhart @ Aug 10 2006, 04:28 AM) [snapback]300714[/snapback]</div>

Get two 5 gallon gas cans and go to station #1, fill them up completely and see how much you get in them.

Then pour the gas from the cans into your cars and then go to station #2 and fill the cans up completely and see how much gas their pumps claimed to fill the cans.

If station #2 is over reporting the amount of gas by a significant amount, then call your local TV station. They'd love a story like that.

 

Funny thing is that I to have a diff in MPG on the MFD and when I calc by hand for MPG's. I am off some times by 4.5 MPG's ... Hummmmm interesting..
Monks

 

There is a difference in the MFD and the "Actual" calculated by hand - most have shown that it's in the range of 1-2 MPG (by averaging out over years worth of data), but individual tanks do vary.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jbarnhart @ Aug 10 2006, 01:28 AM) [snapback]300714[/snapback]</div>

I respectfully disagree with jbarnhart on this point. In California weights and measures accuracy are enforced on a local level.

In Los Angeles County the enforcement is quite stringent.

L.A. County Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights & Measures

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Aug 10 2006, 03:01 PM) [snapback]301104[/snapback]</div>

Apparently it isn't so stringent in Solano County.

Several weeks ago I filled up my Jeep Grand Cherokee at at gas station in Dixon, CA. I think it was a Union 76, but I'm not positive (I'd have to look at the receipt). In all the years of owning the vehicle I've only managed to put 21 gallons of fuel in the tank a couple times, and that was after driving for a while on empty, with the needle below the 'E'. The day I filled up in Dixon I managed to put in 25 gallons according to the pump, even though my fuel gauge registered 1/8 tank before the fillup. So I think I only really put in perhaps 19 gallons. A gallon or two off could be my mistake, but this was off by 25 or 30%.

I plan to write a complaint letter to the Solano County Dept of Weights & Measure, for whatever good that will do.

 

Welcome to the Prius world. I have not seen a less accurate gas guage in my life. I agree to avoid stations that seem suspect. But over time the GUESS gauge has been unreliable at best. I usually go 75 to 80 after Add Fuel comes on, I have run out 2 times now, and usually put in 9 to 9.5 gallons.

Al...

 

Word I have here in Washington is that pumps must be accurate til the auto-shutoff. Past that, anything goes. Part of why they say "Don't top it off"... it's hard to build a gauge that works well on a trickle, harder still to calibrate for it.

We are complaint-based in addition to a few random checks. My understanding is that a complaint generates a visit within 2 days, but the visit finds the calibrations are "close enough" most of the time, and we rarely have station cited for negligence or abuse.
cheers
Bob

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bobdavisnpf @ Aug 14 2006, 12:27 PM) [snapback]303148[/snapback]</div>

I have seen a few specific pumps that I think are off. Now I can not speak to the whole station but I tend to use one pump at a station. When I get consistent low mpg I split. I have twice complained. I my case both of the stations did a major overall of the station with replacement of all of the pumps. I can not say how they did as both changes their gasoline providers and I moved on. The State of Washington assures me everything is OK, but at these prices even a minor error in favor of the station could generate a lot of profit. Not like they are taking $.27 for a fill up like I was in High School.