Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fuel

Why does my diesel run fine but start so poorly?

esereth — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:02:27 -0800

My diesel-powered car doesn't want to start but once it does, it runs fine. What's up with that? I've got a 1984 Mercedes Benz 300D that for the last two days doesn't want to start but, after a few touchy seconds, runs fine. Right after starting, it seems like it isn't getting fuel or air or something. It just runs very wispy, in fact "gasping" is the word I want to use. I can have the pedal to the floor and it barely stays running.

Then, all of the sudden, it starts revving and running better.

Possibly useful info: we are in a sudden coldish snap (dipping below 30 F), the fuel is a few months old (more than 3 but less than 6), and I just had an oil change a week ago, before this started, and nothing was noted.

Automechanicfilter: The Case of the Thirsty Tank

desuetude — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:47:45 -0800

What could be some reasons why my gas mileage is very suddenly and dramatically craptastic? The decrease in fuel efficiency happened directly after I got stuck driving my car on a flooded road through deeper water than it should've been asked to handle. The car didn't stall, but it felt very close to stalling, and the steering was "stiff" for a few minutes. However, the functioning of the car returned quickly to totally normal. Except that my gas mileage is reduced by nearly half.

It's not running particularly rough or loud, using more oil than usual, running hotter than usual, or anything else that would signal an obvious "car is working too hard" issue.

The gas tank has been run down nearly to empty and filled, fuel injector cleaner has been used once. It's been a couple of months, so it's not resolving itself, that's for sure. And no, nothing's leaking when it sits.

It's a 1996 meticulously-maintained Neon. So yes, it's getting up in years, and I know that some cars lose fuel efficiency as they age, but this was a VERY dramatic change.

Is a partially working fuel gauge on a 2000 VOLVO C70 serious?

gttommy — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:52:20 -0800

Is a partially working fuel gauge on a 2000 VOLVO C70 serious? I am interested in buying this car, but it's the weekend and I can't call up a car shop to ask about this.

The gauge apparently works from a full tank, pointing to 100% till about 60% remaining, then stops there. I was told this was an easy fix. How much would this cost to fix?

in cars

bunny hugger — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:35:19 -0800

I am disappointed in my relationship with my 97 Honda Civic. Maybe you can give me some advice. YANMM. I’ve tried to talk it out, but it's just not hearing what I'm saying... I've got a 97 Civic AT (106K mil.) and after filling up with what I think was some questionable fuel a while back, it has started to “slip” when I go into 3rd. It feels like something is "whirring" trying to find itself. Once past that bumpy spot, it runs great. I have had regular maintenance on it – flushings, fill-ups, tuneups, etc. I even added some Lucas transmission fix to my tranny fluid (which is pink and not burnt). Also, when low on gas, I have trouble starting it. Could it just be my fuel line, or is the transmission in the crapper?

Mythbust supermarket petrol for me, please.

Lorc — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:18:19 -0800

Is supermarket petrol bad for my car? It seems to be common knowledge that supermarket petrol from Tesco, Asda or what have you stations is inferior to the stuff from a "proper" petrol station. That it damages the engine in the long run for any of a variety of vague and poorly explained reasons.

Is there any substance to this idea, or is it just superstition? Googling gave me lots of conjecture but nothing authoritative.

UK-centric in case it matters. Thanks.

buying home - pay for unused existing fuel?

SirStan — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:37:42 -0800

First time homebuyer - "its customary to purchase the unused fuel from the seller" urf? I am 2 months into purchasing a home; jumped numerous hurdles; and finally tomorrow am hopefully signing 30 years away.

The Realtor sprung this jem on me today -- they said "it is customary for the buyer to purchase the fuel oil that is present from the seller".

I am buying from the same Realtor that is selling the place -- but my purchase and sale does not mention the fuel oil.

So my friends -- what gives?

Alternative fuels in California?

mosk — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:19:35 -0800

Legal and bureaucratic obstacles to converting a vehicle to alternative fuel in California? First hand experiences most welcome! I have a performance vehicle that won't pass California smog inspection. That's my own doing, and I take full responsibility for its current state. It has a turbocharged, fuel injected 2.4L gasoline motor, controlled by an aftermarket, standalone EFI computer. It is a totally unassuming vehicle, but it will go stupid fast if you ask it to. Although I can tune it to pass the tailpipe tests, it won't pass the visual inspection test, 'cause the engine compartment is jammed full of all sorts of go-fast goodness ("goodness" being a relative term, of course).

Right now, the vehicle is registered as a planned non-operative vehicle (PNO), and it's just sitting in my driveway. I spent a small fortune modifying it, it's a lot of fun to drive, and I'd like to drive it again. To that end, I am interested in converting it to run one of the alternative fuels permitted by California, fuels which (as I understand the law) are not subject to any CARB-mandated smog inspections.

Does anyone have any experience with this subject? The DMV web site isn't very friendly on this topic. I'd really like to read a "soup to nuts" overview of the alternative fuel vehicle conversion and registration process, especially from someone who has experienced the process themselves, and of whom I can ask questions as I gather more info on this -- what do I need to do, what can I expect, etc.?

Whichever fuel I go with has to be amenable to turbocharging. I am most interested in running E85, as that seems like the easiest conversion and it's a fuel that responds well to turbocharging. AFAIK, E85 is the fuel the best fuel for turbocharging, but I am not sure if a) it qualifies as an alternative fuel in CA, and b) if I can get it in my area (the Bay Area/San Mateo Peninsula). IN additionto the previous questions, does anyone have more info about E85 availability in CA?

Finally, bio-diesel (or any diesel) is NOT an option. The motor is a regular petrol motor; if I decide to run diesel at some point, I'd rather look at doing a diesel motor swap than a conversion. Same with converting it to an electric vehicle: great project, just not for me or this vehicle.

Are freight trains replacing long haul trucks?

lifeofthunder — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:25:28 -0800

FreightTrainFilter: Living near train tracks in Greensboro, NC, I've noticed that there's an increase in the amount of double-stacked trailers that you would normally see being hauled by rigs on the interstate. Is this related simply to fuel costs, or are there other factors at work? Also, are there new tracks being built around the country anywhere? I've been traveling a lot by train recently, and noticed that most places there's just one track- meaning that when two trains want to use it, one has to wait for the other to pass, which can sometimes be ages. Plans for expansion?

What kind of high pressure metric fuel fitting is this?

KevCed — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:23:14 -0800

What kind of high pressure metric plumbing fitting is this? [pdf link (85kb) | jpeg link (60kb)] I am working on a prototype gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine. This fitting connects a high pressure fuel supply line from the fuel pump to the fuel rail that supplies the injectors.

The thread is metric (M14x1.5) and the tube is 8mm OD. It is pretty thick wall stainless steel. I expected it to be metric since the engine is of European origin. I'm pretty sure the other components in this system are Bosch, but I have not had much luck getting technical information from them for other stuff so I am trying AskMe first.

This fitting sort of looks like DIN 3852, maybe some kind of JIS 30° flare fitting variant that I haven't seen before.

I am hoping some tech-savvy mefite can save me some time and tell me the name of this kind of fitting, what SAE or DIN standard to which it conforms that would be great. Since I want to build a fuel system, what I'm really after is a supplier of other fittings. I don't want to build my own or just throw something together because the fuel pressure in the fuel rail is around 120 bar (1740 psi).

The pdf has a bit more technical information, the jpg is one of the pictures in the pdf for mefites who don't like pdfs.

Refill compressed natural gas tanks? Santa Cruz

Ekidnagrrl17 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:59:28 -0800

Where can I refill compressed natural gas tanks? My partner and I are tying to find a place which allows civilians to refill compressed natural gas tanks in the Santa Cruz area.

What percentage of U.S. power plants can run on either natural gas or residual fuel oil?

zembla3 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:26:54 -0800

What percentage of U.S. power plants can run on either natural gas or residual fuel oil? Please cite source.

Are gas stoves supposed to produce a sticky residue?

waldo — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:49:48 -0800

I know a couple of folks with gas stoves, and they have trouble with a sticky residue coating their walls and ceiling around the range. They describe it as inherent to cooking with gas. (It's really disgusting.) Yet other folks I know who cook with gas don't report any such problems. Is this a known problem? Any idea why it would affect some people, but not others? Different types of gas (natural vs. propane)? Badly-tuned stoves? Something they're cooking? FWIW, my wife and I are gearing up to build a house, and though we'd like to cook with gas, we don't want to deal with the residue. After extensive googling and asking around, nothing, hence asking MeFi.

Why does a BIC lighter have separated fuel chambers?

toomanyplugs — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:58:31 -0800

In a cheap ol' plastic BIC-type lighter there's a divider that separates the fuel chamber into two sections. Why does this exist? If the lighter works on the fuel (butane?) being turned to gas, why does the liquid fuel need to be separated? I don't think there needs to be an "emergency reserve" of the fuel on the other side. What gives?

Is air shipping much more inefficient than truck shipping?

Caviar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:51:31 -0800

How much jet fuel does it take to fly a 50lb box 100 miles vs. gasoline for driving the same box the same distance? Assume the vehicles are going there anyway - what I want to know is the difference between flying an empty plane and flying one carrying the box, and the same question for a car/truck. Presumably the answer depends heavily on the type and efficiency of the plane and car, but approximate answers are fine. Are we talking roughly equivalent amounts of fuel, or an order of magnitude difference?

lock in or take my chances re heating oil rate?

madamjujujive — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:16:36 -0800

I'm looking for thoughts on whether I should lock-in a heating oil rate of 3.79 for the season. FYI, I live in MA.
I realize that this is a bit of a crystal ball question, but if anyone has any informed commentary on the matter, it might help me make a better decision. I was going to lock in but rates have been recently dropping. I was thinking the drop might be a pre-election phenomenon and that prices might rise again post-election. But now with the economic crisis, I am flummoxed in trying to think about how that is likely to affect pricing/supply going forward. I'm not looking to take a poll as much as looking for reasoning about why I should or shouldn't.

My car is running at 4000 RPM at 25 mph. What is going on?

bend2squares — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:19 -0800

My car is running at 4000 RPM at 25 mph. What is going on? I drive a 98 Mitsubishi Eclipse. I was having what seemed like fuel line issues before now. After driving on the highway, the car would stall out at stops and need to be restarted, but would drive fine if speed was maintained. I found that turning the overdrive off kept this from occuring.

Didn't really have the money to look into it, so I've been driving it this way, which was maybe a terrible idea in hindsight. This morning while driving the car seized or sputtered, and afterward the car was hitting 4000 rpm's when i was only going 25 mph. It would go higher if I tried to accelerate past that.

A buddy suggested it may be an engine controller, and I've felt like there was a possible fuel line issue for a while, but I'm too ignorant to be sure. Any help would be very appreciated.

Pro-ana car

speef — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:23:50 -0800

Car help: why can't i fill up my tank? (hint: it has nothing to do with the economy) I just got a 2002 Hyundai accent. I am enjoying the car very much, except one minor detail: I can't fill it up with gas.

When I try, the pump will say it's already full and stop literally every 1 or 2 seconds. I have tried not putting the nozzle in as far, not pressing the handle as hard, tilting it sideways, turning it upside-down, standing on 1 foot, etc. Sometimes my creative positioning results in a continuous stream of gas for as long as 3 seconds, but otherwise I just have to keep starting over and over. The end result is that I get 1/3 of a tank after 10 minutes of trying and then give up, crestfallen.

This is not a big enough issue for me to want to spend money on a mechanic (I'm poor and cheap), as, technically, I can fill it up with gas, it just takes 25 minutes each time. What I want to know is how I can diagnose/fix/improve this problem. (please keep in mind that I know nothing about cars; simple clear explanations with pictures are preferred)

Looking for a green family car

Reverend John — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:35:58 -0800

Help us pick a car! We're looking for a good used family car. We have two daughters, a 2 1/2 year old and a newborn and need a car that can accommodate an infant car carrier without putting the front passenger's knees in the glovebox. We'd really like something that gets good gas mileage and is reliable. We'd consider a hybrid, but its hard to find them (new or used) to test drive and check to see if the car seats fit well, and we're also a little concerned about the battery life on a used hybrid, as we've heard they can be expensive to replace.

A few more datapoints:

We really liked the Subaru Outback, but found its gas mileage to be a little disappointing. We also liked the Mazda 5 but were also disappointed with the gas mileage.

Can anyone suggest a used car with good fuel economy, decent room for the kids, and good reliability that we ought to consider?

What's Involved In an Ethanol Conversion?

IronLizard — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:13:11 -0800

What are the differences between vehicles that are ethanol (e85+) compatible and those that are not? I'm looking for specific materials and design differences in the various fuel system parts. Fuel pump, injector(s), fuel lines, tanks, PCM curves, ect. This is with an eye toward conversions of older fuel injected vehicles.

Carnac the Magnificent

netbros — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:27:30 -0800

Can gasoline futures be used to predict the price we will pay for fuel at the local pump? Used to be a gasoline price jump at the pump would be just a penny or two, hardly noticeable. Lately, the price seems to increase 12-15 cents at a time. By studying gas futures, can we know which days are likely to have the next price increase, enabling us to top off the tank the day before?

Why won't my diesel start?

rocket_johnny — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:28:13 -0800

How can I get this diesel to start? I have a 1996 Vandura van with a 6.5L diesel motor. I stored it all winter...and with a quick jump it started. I drove it around and it did fine, but then right before I got it home it died. Now it won't start. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to add something to the fuel? The batteries are fine and it cranks, but won't turn over.

My car says it has gas but I don't think it does. It won't let me put more in. What to do?

FortyT-wo — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:36:12 -0800

My car, which is rarely driven, is unexpectedly acting like it's full of gas and will not accept more. I have no recollection of filling it with gas, though I do recall that the last time I drove it, it was hope-i-make-it-home almost empty. Am I just super forgetful? Or is there another explanation? I don't drive my car on a regular basis. Maybe once per week or once every two weeks. About three weeks ago, I was driving the car quite a bit, to work, to a home, to another home, back to work, every day, for about a week and a half. At the end of that time, I was running really low on gas, and the last day, I made it home but felt I was really pushing it. I made a mental note that I *really needed* to fill the car with gas next time I drove it.

The car then sat for about two weeks undriven. In the ensuing time, it did snow quite a bit (between 6-12 inches) and I never even bothered to clean the car off. No other interesting events.

The next time I wanted to drive it, I took it to the pump (about 5 city blocks away), went to fill it. It wouldn't accept more gas (the pump turned off immediately). I thought the pump was broken, went to a different pump, tried more, and ended up with the gas spilling out all over the ground. Not knowing what to do, I drove the car back home, and at that time I noticed that the needle was past the F.

Still, I have absolutely no recollection of filling my car with gas. I do not remember driving it or any car since the day I made a note to fill it next time I drove it. My fiance also says he didn't do it (and he wouldn't have access to the keys, nor does he ever want to drive it). I don't know what's going on.

Is it possible that the gas gauge is wrong? And is it possible this might cause the car not to accept more gas? The car is somewhat old ('95 Corsica) and not in really the greatest shape. I personally wouldn't rule out multiple things going wrong with it at once.

The alternative is that I took the car out and filled it with gas and can't remember it at all. Honestly that would be pretty weird. I'd never take the car out *just to* put gas in it (I'm too lazy!), so that means I went somewhere and fogot that, too. Also, I don't drive another car, I simply don't drive very often. So it'd mean I forgot driving, forgot going somewhere, forgot why I went there, forgot stopping at the gas pump and putting gas in it while I was out.

Anyhow, hoping for an explanation that doesn't involve my idiocy.

Also, is there any way to figure out how much gas is in the car besides the fuel indicator on the gas? I don't want deal with siphoning it, I tried pushing on the back end and couldn't hear any sloshing. Any other way?

I'm really nervous to drive it, I am afraid it's totally out of gas and I'll end up stranded someplace.

Fuel Injectors Leaking

blue shadows — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:07:19 -0800

I drive a 97 Cavalier that is otherwise in good condition, but I am having a terrible time with the injectors leaking gas. The seals have been replaced several times, including at the dealership with the correct factory seals. Each time the leak stops for 5-7 days and then returns as bad as ever. The injectors appear to be alright and the interesting thing is that when the same seals are reused and reseated, the problem again halts for a few days. It is driving me crazy because when I turn the heater on the smell in the car is so bad I can't stand it. (Yes, I know this dangerous).

I also had someone check the car with a little hand-held code checker and it came up with the following:

IDK air rpm higher than expected
Fuel Sytem 1 - CL
Fuel System 2 - CL-fault
Calc Load 39.61
ECT 195
STFT-B1 -0.78

The engine light is on but could be due to not having a catalytic converter. Anyone know what all this means and what to do about it?

Gas Puzzler

ubiquity — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:43:20 -0800

OK, I know this is a little silly but it's really beginning to bug me. Is there a way to get the nozzle from a commercial gasoline dispenser out of my car without spilling a few drops of gasoline onto the car or the ground? I have tried shaking the nozzle every which way, i have tried fiddling with the hose, but nothing seems to work. Is spilling a little gas every time I fill up a law of nature, or am I missing something that everyone else knows somehow?

look at that S car go

luriete — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:54:49 -0800

My friend says the fuel injection in my 2002 Jetta wagon (non-diesel) suffers if I let the tank get less than 1/4 full. She also believes that "el cheapo" gasoline, from locally-owned non-chain stations, isn't as good, or is actively bad, for the car. Is there any truth to either of these claims?