Inaccurate Fuel Pumps

LCBXX said:
I've been recording my petrol fill-ups for a year or so and on the odd occasion, the cost of the fuel and the litres dispensed are not accurate, with every inaccuracy being less fuel dispensed.

For the most part, the fuel dispensed is accurate.

An example was just now at an Engen: I asked for R450 @ R21.51/L, which should amount to 20.92-litres being dispensed. The reading on the pump showed 20.601-litres. Sure, it's only R7 and an error of 1.5%, for me, but another person filling a 80-litre tank will get fscked out of a lot more than R7.

Anyone else noticing this?
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Pumps should be calibrated as part of regular maintenance. The garage should have a certificate of when the last time the pumps were calibrated. It's not done very regularly. Maybe the rules have changed since I left the industry. But if you ask the manager or owner, they should be able to tell you.
Edit: if I remember correctly there is about a 0.5% to 1% margin for error. It's been a long time so don't quote me on this
 
dualmeister said:
And companies?
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my point exactly, if you come in with a "service" vehicle , they know they can charge you more and always full full tank and they can make a bit extra bucks off you,
but if your a Normie and count your Cents and pennies, youll be very angry if they messing you around,

hence a "setting" on the pump, or one specific pump they know cheats, and pocket the difference.
easy and very sneaky way to make money.
 
LCBXX said:
I've been recording my petrol fill-ups for a year or so and on the odd occasion, the cost of the fuel and the litres dispensed are not accurate, with every inaccuracy being less fuel dispensed.

For the most part, the fuel dispensed is accurate.

An example was just now at an Engen: I asked for R450 @ R21.51/L, which should amount to 20.92-litres being dispensed. The reading on the pump showed 20.601-litres. Sure, it's only R7 and an error of 1.5%, for me, but another person filling a 80-litre tank will get fscked out of a lot more than R7.

Anyone else noticing this?
Click to expand...
I haven't noticed but I haven't looked but quick one - did you check the slip and did it match the 20.601 litres?
If so then surely that's an easy way to catch them out and if not, you can simply raise it there and then.
 
NeonNinja said:
No. I read somewhere or watched a video that filling half tank is most economical. It's your cue to Google.
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You made the assertion, you bring the evidence.

I would imagine this is some weight based logic that only works on paper and is utterly inconsequential in reality.

Also it doesn’t address the time lost in running back and forth to garages and sitting in queues.

Same way it doesn’t make sense to go line up the night before the price goes up.
 
Sepeng said:
I haven't noticed but I haven't looked but quick one - did you check the slip and did it match the 20.601 litres?
If so then surely that's an easy way to catch them out and if not, you can simply raise it there and then.
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Fail from my side: I don't ask for a slip.
 
GhostSixFour said:
Cause he needs to eat as well.
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Obviously if it’s a budget problem that’s understandable.

But a lot of people do this who can perfectly afford to fill it up.

And even if it is a money problem it still doesn’t make sense if you are just going to fill it later again anyway. Then it’s a failure to plan.
 
SauRoNZA said:
You made the assertion, you bring the evidence.

I would imagine this is some weight based logic that only works on paper and is utterly inconsequential in reality.

Also it doesn’t address the time lost in running back and forth to garages and sitting in queues.

Same way it doesn’t make sense to go line up the night before the price goes up.
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I suspect it relates to lugging around less weight. Whether it actually translates to improved fuel economy over time is debatable.
 
SauRoNZA said:
You made the assertion, you bring the evidence.

I would imagine this is some weight based logic that only works on paper and is utterly inconsequential in reality.

Also it doesn’t address the time lost in running back and forth to garages and sitting in queues.

Same way it doesn’t make sense to go line up the night before the price goes up.
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:ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:
 
LCBXX said:
I suspect it relates to lugging around less weight. Whether it actually translates to improved fuel economy over time is debatable.
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Yeah 40odd kilograms isn’t going to change anything meaningful.

200kg maybe…a very big maybe.

Pointless either way if you lose all those savings driving to the garage again and waiting in the queue.

The time is lost every time no matter the difference of 0.001% in economy gained.

Would be interesting to see if it addresses your accuracy problem though.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Yeah 40odd kilograms isn’t going to change anything meaningful.

200kg maybe…a very big maybe.

Pointless either way if you lose all those savings driving to the garage again and waiting in the queue.

The time is lost every time no matter the difference of 0.001% in economy gained.

Would be interesting to see if it addresses your accuracy problem though.
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Why would filling up on literage differ from filling up on monetary value, either the pump is accurate or it’s not
 
SauRoNZA said:
I do specifically look for it as Fuelly takes the cost per litre and total litres to give you the total.

You never enter it yourself which is why it’s easy to compare.

It’s never been wrong.

Any reason to ask for R450 instead of just filling it up?
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I also use Fuelly and I have had two occasions were it was out by a cent or two but it was always in my favour.

I have been tracking my fuel since 2015.
 
Did any of it dribble out of the nozzle before or after it was put into your tank?

Afaik they're pretty precise though.
 
neoprema said:
Did any of it dribble out of the nozzle before or after it was put into your tank?

Afaik they're pretty precise though.
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That wouldn’t matter though, it’s already been measured at the pump and the numbers would simply go up if it dribbled.

And then it would have gone over R450.
 
Pak Fa Fui said:
Why would filling up on literage differ from filling up on monetary value, either the pump is accurate or it’s not
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Only reason I can think would be a delay in the cut off or some such to make sure it doesn’t run over. They’ll have a lot more issues when it goes over R450 and the person only has R450 etc.

But I mentioned it more as a difference between how we fill up and the anomaly that could be the difference.

Ergo, it’s the one thing he does differently and he is the one reporting inaccurate measures.
 
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