Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with petrol

Air conditioning the outdoors?

bystander — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:09:58 -0800

Are gas station forecourts really air conditioned in some places in the USA? I have heard environmentalists use as an example of profligate waste the idea that some US gas station have the area out front where the pumps are air conditioned. Effectively cooling the outdoors.
Is this true? Anyone got a photo/link/citation?

Why is my car fuel tank not filling up properly?

EndsOfInvention — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:46:26 -0800

Why is my car fuel tank not filling up properly? I have a 2004 Smart Fortwo and I live in the UK. I get pretty consistent mpg, and I know how many miles it takes before the fuel indicator goes from 5/5 to 4/5 (the readout is 5 little blobs that disappear one by one as fuel is used). However, the last two times I've filled up with petrol, it's taken significantly less (~50-60 miles) distance to use up the first 1/5 of the tank and the overall mileage between fill-ups has been down by the same amount.

The first time this happened I wondered if I'd inadvertently being driving faster than usual, or if there was fuel leak somewhere, but I filled up again the other day and it used up the first 1/5 after 60 miles rather than the standard 120 or so. I also noticed that despite my tank being almostempty (in the region of 3.5 litres left), it only took about 23 litres of petrol until the petrol pump did the auto-cutoff thing (where it clicks and won't dispense any more). Now, my tank is 33 litres, so I would have expected to get at least another 5 litres in before it was "full". I always try an extra couple of squeezes on the pump handle after it cuts off the first time to make sure the tank is full but this didn't seem to change anything.

So, it seems that rather than a leak or a drop in fuel efficiency, the tank is not filling all the way up. What would cause this? Is it possible for an air bubble or something to cause the pump's auto-cutoff to think the tank is full? Is this something I can fix myself? If not, is it something that can wait a while before being fixed?

How can I stop someone stealing fuel from my car?

blacksky — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:35:29 -0800

How can I stop someone stealing fuel from my car? Three times over the last two weeks, someone has siphoned petrol from my neighbors and my car (an old mini and a mk2 vw golf). They've busted the locks on the petrol caps, and these are both old cars, so don't have any kind of anti-siphon devices fitted. We've informed the police, but they don't seem to hold out much hope of doing anything about it. Any idea how we can physically prevent them from doing this? We're in the UK if that makes any difference.

Should I warm my car up before I drive?

xoe26 — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 19:51:39 -0800

What are the advantages (if any) of letting your car engine run idle to warm up before driving? I've noticed a few people in my apartment block are starting their engines in the morning and coming back about 15 mins later. Why are they doing this? Isn't this just a waste of gas and bad for the environment.

Do I get more petrol at night?

arrowhead — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 03:55:38 -0800

Is it true that I get more bang for the buck if I fill up my tank at night? The argument is that matter expands when it's heated; so during the night, I get more volume of petrol for the same price? I know the difference is miniscule, but is the argument true?

Why do gas pumps shut off mid-fill?

waldo — Mon, 25 Apr 2005 11:15:20 -0800

When I gas up my car, I don't squeeze the lever on the pump handle, but, instead, I slide the lever into the little notch so that my tank will fill itself up while I squeegee the windows. When the tank is full, the pump shudders, the lever dislodges itself, and the filling ceases. However, probably half of the time, the filling ceases much, much too early. The result is that I can't tell when my tank is full, nor can I squeegee while my car fuels itself. What gives? My car is a 1994 Volvo, but I've had the same experience with other cars. I don't know if the problem is with the gas station's equipment or with the car -- that is, is my car triggering the nozzle's "hey the tank is full" mechanism falsely, or is the nozzle at fault? Can I twiddle my car's tank, or is it possible that I could find a gas pump that doesn't have this problem? It's really annoying -- particularly after I drive off to find that my tank is only 3/4 full.

Question number 14283

mygothlaundry — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 12:06:56 -0800

Is there such a thing as "bad" gasoline and can it mess up your car? (+)

Question number 10784

carter — Sat, 09 Oct 2004 14:32:56 -0800

Lawn mower 101. We're renting a new place. It has a large garden, with a petrol/gas-powered push lawn mower to keep it tidy. The mower has two orifices, one for petrol/gas, the other for oil; what goes in each?

Question number 8856

yesster — Tue, 20 Jul 2004 10:50:23 -0800

Gas (petrol) question: We've had discussions in the blue about regional price differences for gasoline. But why do different gas stations in the same market region come so close to each other on price? Are the markets for the raw oil and the refining so limited that they all end up with the same cost? I find that hard to believe. Also, is there any difference, in real terms, between gasoline from one vendor versus gas from another?

Question number 7386

Tallguy — Thu, 20 May 2004 07:41:50 -0800

Should I be using premium gas for my ’96 Subaru Outback? [mi]

Question number 5644

keli — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 13:46:51 -0800

An empty gasoline container stored on the carpeted floor of a vehicle: good idea or forthcoming explosive disaster?