Stories when filling up at "gasoline station"

Seafarer76 said:

No good fill up stories here yet, other than the great feeling of driving from southern New Mexico to north of Denver, Co (660 Miles) on 3/4 of a tank of gas.

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GAS????

I filled up my 02 Golf yesterday with DIESEL...no new story to share. *SIGHE*

bockegg said:

That sounds great, but knowing my car well makes it sound like a miscalculation. Unless you were driving all down hill.

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It isn't, and he wasn't. I've gotten 750 mpt, and know I can get more. I just can't keep my foot off the pedal. Oh wait, I forgot, it's a PD and it sucks .

tdisky said:

It isn't, and he wasn't. I've gotten 750 mpt, and know I can get more. I just can't keep my foot off the pedal. Oh wait, I forgot, it's a PD and it sucks .

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Ditto, but best I have done is 701 mpt. But I don't fill to the brim, 46-49+ can be done in my car on the HWY. Up to low-mid 50's can be done in the PDs Hwy.

No stories for me, have not filled up in some time now...

bockegg said:

That sounds great, but knowing my car well makes it sound like a miscalculation. Unless you were driving all down hill.

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I'll chime in here as I don't have any good stories

My dad has a 06 NB that got 500 or so miles to a tank. He's now up to 750 a tank. First he had to learn that there was over a hundred miles in the tank with the low fuel light on. Second he learned that there was room for another two and a half gallons if he vented the tank. And third he had to throw out his old mpg driving habits and relearn how a TDI gets good mpg.

There are tricks to these car, you just have to learn them.

Oh, and I just filled up in Sarasota Florida for 4.59/gal BP supreme. Only part that sucks is cash only. Kinda funny part was the station was out of reg and mid grade and people were leaving. But his super was still cheaper than other stations reg.

Jaosn

SilverGhost said:

I'll chime in here as I don't have any good stories

My dad has a 06 NB that got 500 or so miles to a tank. He's now up to 750 a tank. First he had to learn that there was over a hundred miles in the tank with the low fuel light on. Second he learned that there was room for another two and a half gallons if he vented the tank. And third he had to throw out his old mpg driving habits and relearn how a TDI gets good mpg.

There are tricks to these car, you just have to learn them.

Oh, and I just filled up in Sarasota Florida for 4.59/gal BP supreme. Only part that sucks is cash only. Kinda funny part was the station was out of reg and mid grade and people were leaving. But his super was still cheaper than other stations reg.

Jaosn

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I know how to vent and fill to the rim. I know about the 1.9 gallon reserve. So I guess the tricks for these cars you and the other 700 + miles per tank people are talking about involve driving at or below the speed limit. If that is not it please tell me how. Thanks.

bockegg said:

I know how to vent and fill to the rim. I know about the 1.9 gallon reserve. So I guess the tricks for these cars you and the other 700 + miles per tank people are talking about involve driving at or below the speed limit. If that is not it please tell me how. Thanks.

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The trick is about driving habits if all else is equal, I have a friend that always complains about his poor fuel MPG's. His problem is he is constantly varying his speed, even to the point of 20 MPH above his cruise control. He denies he does it, but I have followed him with my CC locked on what he wanted to cruise at (67 MPH) and he got as high as 86 MPH and as slow as 60 MPH all within 30 miles of the 130 mile trip we were making. On the way back he was constantly turning the radio up or down and changing the A/C settings.

Now all that said you could have a car with the IP timing off, poorly timed injectors that need to be pop tested and adjusted or even replaced. The TB could be a cog off maybe, could be your fuel that you buy is very low on cetane, 38 to 40 cetane will drop MPG drastically if you compared it to a car running 46 cetane. If you fill with 40 cetane fuel and then fill and put in 12 gallons of 46 cetane you MPG will come up some, but the 4 to 6 gallons of 40 cetane will lower the cetane value of the fuel bought and you still not get max MPG's because of the lowered cetane mix of maybe 44 cetane.

People have often over the years told me cetane does not have much effect on these diesel cars, but they are just stupid. The difference in 42 cetane and 50 cetane fuel in our ALH cars was amazing, approx 10 MPG and about 20 MPH on the top end and noticeable increase in town drive-ability by being faster off the line and to cruise speed.

In other words there is a whole host of things and combo's that could be keeping you MPG's down and you have to find which is the problem. Good luck.

Old Navy said:

The trick is about driving habits if all else is equal, I have a friend that always complains about his poor fuel MPG's. His problem is he is constantly varying his speed, even to the point of 20 MPH above his cruise control. He denies he does it, but I have followed him with my CC locked on what he wanted to cruise at (67 MPH) and he got as high as 86 MPH and as slow as 60 MPH all within 30 miles of the 130 mile trip we were making. On the way back he was constantly turning the radio up or down and changing the A/C settings.

Now all that said you could have a car with the IP timing off, poorly timed injectors that need to be pop tested and adjusted or even replaced. The TB could be a cog off maybe, could be your fuel that you buy is very low on cetane, 38 to 40 cetane will drop MPG drastically if you compared it to a car running 46 cetane. If you fill with 40 cetane fuel and then fill and put in 12 gallons of 46 cetane you MPG will come up some, but the 4 to 6 gallons of 40 cetane will lower the cetane value of the fuel bought and you still not get max MPG's because of the lowered cetane mix of maybe 44 cetane.

People have often over the years told me cetane does not have much effect on these diesel cars, but they are just stupid. The difference in 42 cetane and 50 cetane fuel in our ALH cars was amazing, approx 10 MPG and about 20 MPH on the top end and noticeable increase in town drive-ability by being faster off the line and to cruise speed.

In other words there is a whole host of things and combo's that could be keeping you MPG's down and you have to find which is the problem. Good luck.

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Thanks. I knew about the A/C thing but not the radio.

bockegg said:

Thanks. I knew about the A/C thing but not the radio.

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What I was getting at with the radio included may have been a little to subtle, it is called obsessive compulsive behavior. Most people with the mild from of the problem does not know or denies knowing.

Sorry you didn't catch the moment.

my best is 640 miles on my jetta...52mpg...but i only put 11.8xx gallons in so i know i still had more to go...was trying to not get caught in a storm i was racing so had to fill up then.

my wife did 59.4mpg once... and that was driving through the mountains in southern ohio near portsmouth. with ac on.... lol she had 500 miles w/ a hair over 3/8 of a tank left. I wanted to kno how many i could squeeze out but curiosity got the best of me to see what her mpg was...i knew i would drop it, too much of a lead foot. haha

E N O U G H A L R E A D Y !!

This, the world's best and longest lived thread, is going down the tubes.

Funny stories when filling up........... Stay on topic

Suggestion to the mods - either lock this thread and call it dead or, better yet, institute a forum rule that any and all off-topic posts will result in the offender being fined. I would suggest a $5 per violation donation to the club would be in order.

Before I hear the challenges to put my money where my mouth is: I just made a $5 donation

daedalus said:

This, the world's best and longest lived thread, is going down the tubes.

Funny stories when filling up........... Stay on topic

Suggestion to the mods - either lock this thread and call it dead or, better yet, institute a forum rule that any and all off-topic posts will result in the offender being fined. I would suggest a $5 per violation donation to the club would be in order.

Before I hear the challenges to put my money where my mouth is: I just made a $5 donation

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Man some people really get up tight if this thread strays a little. What do you expect for a thread this long and old.

Now for a fill up story, or maybe I should say a happening at the gas station.

Was with a friend this am while he filled up his "Wonder Toyota" and this guy drives in and gets out of a "Big" Ford SUV and in a very loud voice that every one can hear starts cussing the politians in DC for allowing the Arabs to be stealing us blind by not drilling here in the US and gready oil companys for gouging on the prices. All the time this is happening I am wondering what's next.

Man some people really get up tight if this thread strays a little. What do you expect for a thread this long and old.

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I agree. At least the off topic comments are keeping the thread going/at the top of the forum. As long as it doesn't turn into some wildass political piss'n contest leave it alone.

Filled up my truck yesterday. $111. I figure the Jetta and Beetle are a dime a mile right now so that $111 would take me about 1110 miles rather than the 235 in the truck.

As the guy handed me my receipt, I said, "Well that should get me through another year in this."

Money well spent. $5 is on the way.

bockegg said:

I know how to vent and fill to the rim. I know about the 1.9 gallon reserve. So I guess the tricks for these cars you and the other 700 + miles per tank people are talking about involve driving at or below the speed limit. If that is not it please tell me how. Thanks.

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Does the NB have a smaller tank than the Jetta? To get 700+ MPG in the Jetta, you only need to get 43MPG average. I did 703 on a tank and used 16.3 gallons to fill up, which comes to 43MPG. I drove a little while after the low fuel light went off to find a station to fill up at. I've done better than 43MPG, but I usually fill up when it's convenient rather than when I'm about empty.

The other night I was filling up at a new station in Rochester-Fastrac-it was $4.959.While filling up-I heard an older Mercedes diesel start up and pull out-it was a little loud and could actually hear the turbo....as I'm finishing fueling,one of those nice new Avalanches pulls in and starts filling w/ yellow(or green) nozzle-E-85-hehehe-sucker-it's only about 15 cents less per gallon than RUG(which has signs saying 10% ethanol).The Fastrac station has nozzles for diesel that are small.I didn't want to say anything-being Rochester and all and at night.......last fillup I was at station in Texaco Town filling up-pumps are on a truck island and a dump truck pulls up on other side-he starts filling and starts the usual questions.I finished and he was still going-my fill was in $60 range-he said something about pump seems slow-I peek around pump and he was still going at over $350-and he had only a single tank.

Old Navy said:

(snip) People have often over the years told me cetane does not have much effect on these diesel cars, but they are just stupid. The difference in 42 cetane and 50 cetane fuel in our ALH cars was amazing, approx 10 MPG and about 20 MPH on the top end and noticeable increase in town drive-ability by being faster off the line and to cruise speed. (snip)

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__. And my '02 with the timing changed in adaptation (~3.5 degrees) seemed to respond *even more noticably* to higher cetane numbers. I agree with you strongly. Good fuel is a wonderful thing (if you can get it ... most of us are stuck with rotgut).

mrGutWrench said:

__.
MzLauraLee - "Is this how the hatch latch is supposed to work? The manual doesn't cover it."
MrG - "I dunno honey, I'm not familiar with the wagon."
MzLL - "OK, well why don't you ask next time you're on that 'Nerd-Net' -- they know everything about VW's."

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ROTFLMAO this is about the best I have read in signature block in some time. Love it.

Old Navy said:

ROTFLMAO this is about the best I have read in signature block in some time. Love it.

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__. MzLauraLee is a great judge of character (of course, why she stays with me, I don't understand). I got her to read through a few things on this website ... once . I think that she'd prefer for me to back over her foot with my wagon than make her read anything here again.

__. But speaking of gasoline station stories, she says that she's never had anything to report. She mostly uses B20 from the Pentagon station. My guess is that more people would talk to her if they weren't laughing so hard about "that grey-headed woman is pumping diesel into dat car - she ain't gonna get 50 yards afore it dies on her".

I've had my share of funny looks and 'Hey, that's diesel!' comments from gasoline drivers, and even a couple dirty looks from diesel truck drivers waiting for combo pumps, but the one that took the cake was the 110+ degree day I pulled into this Lake Elsinore station with ancient no-card-terminal pumps:

I walked over and gave the guy my card, walked back and got it ready to pump, but when I tried to start the nozzle, I got nothing. Beginning to sweat, I checked everything over again: I gave him the right debit card, the dials were at zero, the handle was lifted, just no juice. I stepped aside and looked at the attendant, who just stared at me from his bulletproof air-conditioned booth, and concluded I'd probably have to reset it all and go ask him if my cash-card was somehow declined. I finish putting everything back, walk back over to the window and ask if there's something wrong with my card. Through the drawer under the bulletproof glass he says 'No, I stopped the pump because that's diesel.' I said 'Yeah, I know. The car is diesel.' He just looks at me funny and says 'Oh.' No 'Sorry I didn't ask you if you were sure you wanted diesel when you walked up here the first time', no 'Sorry I made you stand there in the sun and sweat for an extra 5 minutes.' Just 'Oh.'

The worst thing that happened to me was in late summer of 2000 just after buying the '00 NB I was in IL coming back from Scott AFB where I had been to get a base sticker and a few things from the PX and commissary. On the way back being new with the car I was down to about a 1/4 tank and 165 miles from home so I decided to get a splash and go at a Amoco station that had card pumps at Smithville IL. For some reason I didn't wait till I got to MO which was only about another 50 miles down the road, I lived to regret that decision.

Anyway I pulled in to the pumps and got out and I seem to remember getting a odd look from a car that had just finished fueling, but paid no mind and preceded to use the CC and take the nozzle off the pump. I inserted the nozzle and started pumping the fuel. Then as I was pumping the fuel (remember I was just getting a couple gallons) the hose came off the nozzle and splashed me from the waste down in diesel on the right front side of my jeans. I got the pump shut off and went in to tell the attendant who turned the pump off and gave me back in cash what had been rung up on my CC during the spill.

The really bad thing is I had no change of clothes and was wet with diesel from right front pocket down to my right shoe and 3 hours from home.

When I got home and went into the laundry room to change clothes I was red & raw from just above the crotch to tops of my feet. I then took a shower and hopped for the best. Needless to say I didn't have a good time that evening and night or the next day at work.

This would not have been so bad at the time if the wife had not ROFLHAO at my strawberry leg and thigh.

I think I would have driven home au natural!

daedalus said:

I think I would have driven home au natural!

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I did give it some thought, but my luck I would have been stopped by cops. At the time I was teaching HS and would not have looked good to my employeer.

bockegg said:

I'm doubtful that it's how I drive. I had an '82 diesel that did better.

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I'm not surprised you had an 82 that did better: it was a smaller, less powerful engine, of course it did better.

And I'm not trying to say that you are driving incorrectly, only that driving correctly for highest mileage will typically get you 30% better results than driving the worst possible way for mileage. Of course, you could also leave it parked and idling until the entire tank was used up, which would make it even MORE than 30% difference.

It is possible your injection timing or quantity is improperly set. It is possible your handbrake is stuck on. It is also possible that you spend an unusual percentage of your time stuck in traffic or sitting at traffic lights. It is even possible that you drive resting your left foot on the brake pedal, which causes them to drag just a bit. I wouldn't know: I haven't followed you around to find out.

Old Navy said:

I did give it some thought, but my luck I would have been stopped by cops. At the time I was teaching HS and would not have looked good to my employeer.

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Given the circumstances, I would have driven home starkers. Had I been stopped by the cops, I would have pointed out that I consider the chemical burns that would be inflicted had I driven 3+ hours soaked in diesel fuel to be a medical emergency, and given that no proper laboratory safety shower was handy, my skin is more important to me than my dignity. Or any body else's sense of outrage. And if you, Officer, don't want to see it, don't come a poundin' on the door under these circumstances.

Chemistry classes in High Schools and colleges often use an American Chemical Society safety video that instructs students splashed with dangerous/corrosive chemicals to strip off ALL clothes in the safety shower. Being a chemistry teacher, I'd point to my training, and just say I'se doin' what's s'posed to be done.

naturist said:

Given the circumstances, I would have driven home starkers. Had I been stopped by the cops, I would have pointed out that I consider the chemical burns that would be inflicted had I driven 3+ hours soaked in diesel fuel to be a medical emergency, and given that no proper laboratory safety shower was handy, my skin is more important to me than my dignity. Or any body else's sense of outrage. And if you, Officer, don't want to see it, don't come a poundin' on the door under these circumstances.

Chemistry classes in High Schools and colleges often use an American Chemical Society safety video that instructs students splashed with dangerous/corrosive chemicals to strip off ALL clothes in the safety shower. Being a chemistry teacher, I'd point to my training, and just say I'se doin' what's s'posed to be done.

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You are quite correct and in my youth I most likely have done just that, but I was/am a fat, bald old man and Modesty and dignity got the better of me.

naturist said:

I'm not surprised you had an 82 that did better: it was a smaller, less powerful engine, of course it did better.

And I'm not trying to say that you are driving incorrectly, only that driving correctly for highest mileage will typically get you 30% better results than driving the worst possible way for mileage. Of course, you could also leave it parked and idling until the entire tank was used up, which would make it even MORE than 30% difference.

It is possible your injection timing or quantity is improperly set. It is possible your handbrake is stuck on. It is also possible that you spend an unusual percentage of your time stuck in traffic or sitting at traffic lights. It is even possible that you drive resting your left foot on the brake pedal, which causes them to drag just a bit. I wouldn't know: I haven't followed you around to find out.

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None of the above. Just smooth accelerating gentle highway mileage. When I drive in the city I get about 32 - 35 MPG. However, I think that I figured out why my mileage is not so great on road trips.

and .........

Why would you buy BD20 at the exchange. Last time I was there it was $5.31/gal. That was higher then the overpriced Exxon station at Glebe and Lee Highway ($5.09) so I just drove away. The best price is at the Lukoil at Tysons on 123. It is always 25 cents lower then any station near or inside the beltway.

jerryofva said:

Why would you buy BD20 at the exchange. Last time I was there it was $5.31/gal. That was higher then the overpriced Exxon station at Glebe and Lee Highway ($5.09) so I just drove away. The best price is at the Lukoil at Tysons on 123. It is always 25 cents lower then any station near or inside the beltway.

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__. Yeah, it's always been a ripoff. But it's just down the street from where MzLauraLee works and she thinks it's "eco". Girls are like that.

__. At one time, the Lukoil had some very nice cetane ratings but then they took the stickers off ... maybe about the time they switched to ULSD. Are there cetane stickers on the pumps now?