Stories when filling up at "gasoline station"

squire89

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Location
Burlington, WI
TDI
2002 jetta
must say that i love driving down the interstate with my tdi and having tricked out diesel trucks crank up their power levels and blowing smoke as they passs my tdi. almost had one spin out on the interstate as he passed me in the snow over winter. i laughed as my girlfriend grabbed my arm.
 

VWWV

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2003
Location
Florida and WV
TDI
passat 96, candy white
Went to fill my Passat tank today in preparation for the annual hibernation. On the other side of the pump was a diesel Ford Excursion. The pump kept running and running so I asked his capacity. He said it "held 44 gallons and he expected that it would take $165.00 today". It took $168.00. :eek: I asked what his mpg's were and he said, " 17 hwy at speed limit and 8 to 10 in town". He was oblivious to my Passat and I figured he had his mind on other things ......besides, he might have lashed out in anger if I had offered my mpg. My last at-speed limit hwy mpg was 51...that's three (3) times what he gets. :D
 

dhdenney

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Kentucky
TDI
2012 Audi A3 TDI Ibis white
Dang I thought a Powerstroke would have gotten a little better, especially in town.
 

4XTaco

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Location
PA
TDI
11 Touareg
No our Powerstroke Ex is the same... the mpg sucks in town but on the highway it gets much better mileage. Yes we have been a victim of the $150+ tanks already on it. So I don't complain about filling the Jetta up... especially since I can drive an entire week on a tank of fuel and I commute around 100 miles/ day. Last week I got 564 miles out of the tank which rocks compared to my gassers. My Tacoma only gets 14 mpg usually with a lift and 32" tires.

So now my diesel pump story... nothing new or exciting but I stopped at a prepay Hess station and went in and the girl goes. "You do realize you are parked in front of a diesel pump?". At which I said "Yes I do" and handed her $50 and walked out to pump, I thought she wasn't going to turn it on at first but she did by time I went out to the pump.
 
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Old Navy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 15, 2001
Location
Ozark Hill's in Missouri, USA
TDI
None now, .
The fuel mileage for a ton of freight carried on a 18 wheeler (yes they will usually have 60+ tons and that is the key here) is on average 59 mpg in the US. The ton of freight carried by a diesel electric train however is suppose to be about 200 or 300 mpg in comparison.

Just some trivia for those here that like the diesel.
 

lovemybug

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Location
SE Wisconsin
TDI
2002 Red Beetle
4XTaco said:
So I don't complain about filling the Jetta up... especially since I can drive an entire week on a tank of gas and I commute around 100 miles/ day.
I didn't think TDI's ran well on gas.;)
 

TonyJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 15, 2005
Location
Tucson, Az
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI SE / '06 Jetta TDI DSG Pkg0 / '96 Passat TDI
Old Navy,
I saw some numbers similar to what you quoted on Modern Marvels last night. Shouldn't that be in Miles/gal/ton? Small point, I know.

Tony
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
TonyJetta said:
Old Navy,
I saw some numbers similar to what you quoted on Modern Marvels last night. Shouldn't that be in Miles/gal/ton? Small point, I know.

Tony
Or it could be Miles/gal/person

If they are all women, then it could be shortend to miles/gal^2. :p
 

Old Navy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 15, 2001
Location
Ozark Hill's in Missouri, USA
TDI
None now, .
TonyJetta said:
Old Navy,
I saw some numbers similar to what you quoted on Modern Marvels last night. Shouldn't that be in Miles/gal/ton? Small point, I know.

Tony
If you say so TJ, I am easy to get along with. :D

I came across the info about 10 years ago, but damn if I can remember where and why. I guess I have touch of old farts disease. Amazing how some of these odd ball facts can surface now an then, had similar experience couple weeks ago about an 50's & 60' USAF plane called F104 Strarfighter. :confused:
 

Bugwithaltitude

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2006
Location
Ft Collins, CO
TDI
2005 Blue Lagoon New Beetle GLS TDI
While filling up with B20 yesterday, a guy pulled in with his Excursion. I told him how to use the pay outside card machine (it's old). He wanted to know how my car likes the B20 and said he was disappointed he couldn't use veggie oil in his Excursion (something about fuel injectors?) That was the extent of the conversation since it was cold and snowing.:) I get a few looks when I fill up with B20, but no one has ever tried to stop me from filling up. One time Daisy was surrounded on 3 sides by a trash truck and huge flat beds hauling construction equipment. Talk about feeling veeeeeery small!
 

4XTaco

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Location
PA
TDI
11 Touareg
lovemybug said:
I didn't think TDI's ran well on gas.;)
LOL I stand corrected... I just caught it myself and edited it :D Its pretty bad I say that and I only have one gas vehicle left anymore.
 

Hintertux

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2001
Location
Fort Walton Beach, FL
TDI
2013 Beetle TDI DSG Candy White
It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant the public is about Diesel and general mathematics.

Last week I was filling up and this guy pulls up the other side of the pump. After a bit he starts laughing as he saw I was putting diesel in my car and he comments, “Guess you feel pretty stupid buying that diesel with the $3.99 price when gas only costs $3.49 per gallon… Ha, Ha, Ha!!” I smiled and replied asking how his fuel economy was he smartly noted about 22 mpg. So I said “given the current price of gas, diesel would have to cost about $6.50+ a gallon for me to spend as much as you do on fuel”.

He just looked stupid at me because he could not do the math that fast in his head. So I gave him the math in real laymen’s terms to show that I was getting nearly twice the fuel economy with only 42 mpg running around town and getting to work type of driving. He still could not understand the math, idiot….
 

naturist

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2001
Location
Bro Jerry's hometown, Virginia
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI, 2005 Jeep Libby CRD, 2012 BMW X5 35d
Hintertux said:
It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant the public is about Diesel and general mathematics. {{{SNIP}}} He still could not understand the math, idiot….
Nah, it's the general state of edjicashun is all. But I know what you mean. To make it real simple for them, I just say something like, "hmmm, fuel is 17% more expensive, but goes 50% further -- looks to me like I'm still ahead of the game."

That's if I'm driving the Jetta, which does get about 50% better mileage than the same year's 2.0 liter gasser. If I'm in the Jeep, I hafta admit I only get 30% farther on a gallon.

(DISCLAIMER: I note that at the station where I last filled up diesel was only 13% more than RUG. I'm not complaining, you understand . . . .)
 

n1das

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Location
Nashua, NH, USA
TDI
2014 BMW 535xd ///M-Sport, 2012 BMW X5 Xdrive35d, former 3x TDI owner
Hintertux said:
It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant the public is about Diesel and general mathematics.

<snip>

He just looked stupid at me because he could not do the math that fast in his head. So I gave him the math in real laymen’s terms to show that I was getting nearly twice the fuel economy with only 42 mpg running around town and getting to work type of driving. He still could not understand the math, idiot….
Too funny! LOL!! :cool:

I haven't had this happen to me yet but I'm expecting it to happen any day now. Whenever I tell a gasser driver what kind of MPGs I get, I've gotten into the habit of ALWAYS mentioning the 700 mile tank range along with it to help put things into perspective. The average gasser driver has been conditioned to having to fill their tank up every 300 or so miles or risk a long walk to the nearest gas station to get help. The thought of going 700 or more miles between fillups is totally mind boggling to them. I've occasionally had a gasser driver try to second guess me by asking how much does the tank hold. "Around 15 gallons" is my reply since the "official" rating by VW is 14.5 gallons. The look on the gasser driver's face is absolutely PRICELESS! :cool:

I too find it absolute amazing how the average gasser driver can't see past the price per gallon at the pump and blindly accept having to feed their gas guzzler every 300 miles as a way of life.

Whenever somebody asks me about MPGs in my TDIs, I ALWAYS be sure to mention the 700 mile tank range to help put things into perspective. :cool:
 
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Old Navy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 15, 2001
Location
Ozark Hill's in Missouri, USA
TDI
None now, .
I have always had problems getting people to understand the cost difference, even 8 years ago with a TDI NB when diesel was $1.45 and gas was $1.00 a gallon. People just can not get past the price on the signs, only when you tell them you go 700 miles does it start to click. However I have had one friend tell me I sure had a big fuel tank, and he got PO'd when told he had 19 to my 21 gallon tank.

But today I really got a boost from a friend that is a Toyota driver when a friends wife commented about how expensive my MB was to drive because it was diesel. He jumped right out and said it will get better mpg's then his Matrix and I noticed she didn't seem impressed, so I told her I can fuel up and do 750 miles on a tank. She was still having trouble with that from the look on her face so I told her I had a 21 gal tank and her Dodge van had about a 20 tank that she was lucky to get past 350 miles before filling up.

She also thought my CDI was about $35,000 instead of $53,000 new.
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
Comparing dollars per tank and miles per tank works better as a means of persuasion. If I was to say that $65 will take me 650 miles, then I could ask how far their car would travel for the same money.

Diesel is about $4.25 and holding steady. RUG is about $3.65 and rising fast.
 

TonyJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 15, 2005
Location
Tucson, Az
TDI
'15 Jetta TDI SE / '06 Jetta TDI DSG Pkg0 / '96 Passat TDI
TornadoRed said:
Diesel is about $4.25 and holding steady. RUG is about $3.65 and rising fast.
Depending on where you are at in Ca. SD to LA, RUG is closer to $3.85, and #2 ~$4.25. As we got out into the desert, heading home, #2 rose to ~$4.85. As we crossed stateline into AZ, it immediately dropped back to $3.35 for RUG and $3.95 for #2. Never did understand that! :confused:

Tony
 

naturist

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2001
Location
Bro Jerry's hometown, Virginia
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI, 2005 Jeep Libby CRD, 2012 BMW X5 35d
Hey, I can understand fuel costing much more out in the desert: fear of getting stranded! I'm not saying it is an intelligent pricing scheme, just that profiting on fear is a traditional way of gouging . . . er, making money . . . off the public.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
A few weeks ago Validius and I were filling up at a station just off the highway. As we were finishing up a guy in an older LeSabre pulled up and asked us if we liked the cars, what mileage we got, etc. It turns out he had an A3 TDI and loved it... for about 40,000 when the timing belt he had installed when he got the car broke :(

-Jason
 

gforce1108

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Location
Newburgh, NY
TDI
04 Jetta GLS BEW, 14 Audi A7 V6 TDI, 13 Porsche Cayenne V6 TDI
I was filling up on Sunday and got a kick out of the attendant starting a contest between the 2 gas chevy pickups he was filling to see who's was going to cost more. One hit $80, the other $100.

I told him that if I wanted to go broke I'd beat them both by coming back with my superduty that's near empty. I could easily get $140 in there at $4.20 a gallon.
 

engineerorange

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2005
Location
North Carolina
TDI
2015 Jetta
gforce1108 said:
I was filling up on Sunday and got a kick out of the attendant starting a contest between the 2 gas chevy pickups he was filling to see who's was going to cost more. One hit $80, the other $100.

I told him that if I wanted to go broke I'd beat them both by coming back with my superduty that's near empty. I could easily get $140 in there at $4.20 a gallon.
Ain't that the truth, I filled my powerstroke up Saturday, $110 and it wasn't even empty. Did get 20mpg on that tank though.
 

4mula1

Active member
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
Location
Indiana
TDI
none
Old Navy said:
I have always had problems getting people to understand the cost difference, even 8 years ago with a TDI NB when diesel was $1.45 and gas was $1.00 a gallon. People just can not get past the price on the signs, only when you tell them you go 700 miles does it start to click. However I have had one friend tell me I sure had a big fuel tank, and he got PO'd when told he had 19 to my 21 gallon tank.
I don't even own a diesel yet and I get the "Oh, diesel is sooooo expensive" remarks when I say I want to get a diesel. These are fairly educated people, even when I say 15% more at the pump gets you 30% better mileage they still say "Oh, diesel is sooooo expensive..."

It's their money to burn in a gasser. I'll let em.
 

n1das

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Location
Nashua, NH, USA
TDI
2014 BMW 535xd ///M-Sport, 2012 BMW X5 Xdrive35d, former 3x TDI owner
4mula1 said:
I don't even own a diesel yet and I get the "Oh, diesel is sooooo expensive" remarks when I say I want to get a diesel. These are fairly educated people, even when I say 15% more at the pump gets you 30% better mileage they still say "Oh, diesel is sooooo expensive..."

It's their money to burn in a gasser. I'll let em.
There are thinkers and then there are educated people. These people may be educated but they aren't THINKING too clearly. This why I ALWAYS mention my TDI's 700 mile tank range in ANY conversation at the pump to help put things into perspective. I'm also watching for the priceless look on their face when it hits home with them.

Cogito ergo dieselor = I THINK, therefore I DIESEL. :cool:

I fueled up today too but have no new story to share. *SIGHE*
 
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Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
bhtooefr said:
I got 39 MPG highway in my Golf.

I get 34 MPG in pure highway, driving for economy (same way I got 39 highway in the Golf), in my Miata.

The Miata takes regular at... last time I filled up, it was $3.269.

The Golf took diesel, which was $4.199 last I saw.

Granted, the Miata loses its advantage in city - it gets 25-28 in the city, and the Golf got 39 in the city, as well. But, repair costs are lower on the Miata. It breaks down less. :D
You got the same MPG city and highway? Magical toof'd car!

Had the car not been toofed, you'd have gotten closer to 50 MPG highway;)
 

darkscout

Grammar Scout
Joined
May 28, 2006
Location
Michigan
TDI
2003 Golf
bhtooefr said:
Granted, the Miata loses its advantage in city
No matter what, you're STILL driving a Miata.

I got stared down by some guy in a truck when I stole his pump position (Diesel is a separate pump, but you can't use both the way it's arranged).
 

kromicacid

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2004
Location
Glenmoore, PA
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL - Fixed
I filled up yesterday in NJ for 4.139/gallon. The attendent came over to the stand alone diesel pumps, looked at me, looked at my gloves, and waked away. He did not say anything or ask anything. It was kinda nice to be left alone while pumping without having to be hassled by the attendant.
 
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