Right, bit of a moan here, but a question lies within!!
Went to fill up my 1995 Pug 306 at my local filling station on Sunday. The low fuel light was starting to flicker and when this comes on I know I have 5 - 7 litres left in the tank. Went to the diesel pump and filled the 60 litre tank to the brim. According to the pump, I got 59.78 litres in. Obviously, if this pump is to be believed, I must have been running on fumes, which I most clearly was not. So, apart from having a moan on here, who can I moan to in the authorities to get the calibration of the pumps checked?? Do they have regular calibration, because I have the feeling I have been ripped off!!
Ross
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I stand to be corrected on this one but I understand that Trading Standards took over the old Weights and Measures Depts of LA and that they do spot checks as with the optics in Pubs for short measures.
A word in their shell like?
DVD
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I may be wrong but I think manufacturers measure the volume of the fuel tank itself and ignore the pipework between the filler and the tank, which in your case may or may not contain up to 5 litres of fuel. On the Synergie that I run there is a massive oval section pipe from tank to filler; I could well imagine a gallon of diesel sitting in there.
Don't let this post stop you from contacting the local trading standards office if you feel you need to.
H.
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Stranger in a strange land
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I think you're right about the pipework. I can put 60 litres in my 306 D without seeing the warning light. I think you can get at least 5 litres between the tank being full and seeing diesel at the cap.
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I have emailed my local trading standards with my concerns, Im awaiting their reply with anticipation!
I had a crawl under the car, the pipe is pretty narrow, no way enough capacity to hold a gallon, maybe a litre and a half at the most. The other reason for my moan was that the car was in no way as low on fuel as the pump suggested it was, from experience in running the 306 there should have been at least 5 litres, usually more, left.
My point is, if the pump is in need of calibration, how many more around the country need it too? We already pay through the nose for fuel, without having to pay more because of dodgy fuel pumps. 5 litres of fuel at 74.9p/litre is £3.74, if every customer of that pump pays that amount too much, the fuel company and the tax man is making an absolute killing!!
Ross
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I can add a bit of experience here having worked with fuel delivery/point of sale systems. Trading standards (as was) are very very hot on filling stations. They arrive unannounced with gleaming calibrated vessels (look like milk churns) of various sizes and deliver various amounts into these vessels to check the pumps. The pumps themselves are very accurate, very robust and very reliable. Be rest assured if you have given them the name, they will be on the doorstep in days.
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Its dependant to some extent on the local council policies and staffing levels of the Trading Standards Office how often the pumps are checked. If you have the time to spare you should fill the tank very very slowly. There is a certain amount of slippage when this is done which causes the meter to underread the amount of fluid passing through. If as most people do you pull the lever up to the max or onto the latch you get just what the meter reads no more no less.
Happy economical motoring Phil I
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I had the same experience with the xantia, low light flickers on, should be 8/10 litres remaining, stop and fill to something well in excess of the tank's advertised capacity. never before or since. There's one garage between Northampton and Milton keynes I won't use again!!!
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Check out the following thread, particularly the last post.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=96...7
Kevin...
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Hi Ross,
I know what you are saying, the tank capacity is the actual tank itself, not what is held in the fuel filler neck down to the tank, also are you sure your fuel gauge is 100% correct. The combination of these two things could explain your unexplained fuel loss.
Hope this helps,
Pastyman
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On a related note, what really cheeses me off is the pump that clicks up an extra penny when you re-holster the nozzle.
Our local station (belonging to the company that uses a tiger in its advertising) must have got so fed up with me and others complaining that they now keep a bowl of pennies on the counter for you to help yourself to!
Terry
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