Stories when filling up at "gasoline station"

Owning a TDI attracts attention

I have had my 2011 Golf TDI for about 6 months now. Living in South Jersey, there are not to many TDI cars. The first experience was when hurrucane irene was coming to town. The stores were being cleaned out and I heard about the gas stations having very long lines to the pump. NJ is one of two states that you can't pump your own gas. There is one place that allows you to pump diesel on your own, it is a convience store called WaWa. This is the only one that carries diesel. I pull in and see the pumps will lines of cars, I thought this will take all day. As I drive to where the diesel pump is I see there are no cars at this pump. I was loving my new TDI even more. I pull up the attendent is running across the station not to use this pump. I happily told him my car is diesel.
The best part was now all these cars that were in line are scambling to the other side of the pump I was on. The attendent now had to babysit the pump so someone did not pump diesel into there gas guzzler.

Two weeks ago I had a man tell me that i was pulling into a diesel pump. After telling him the car was diesel, he was entertained by the thought of a small car with a diesel and it was so quiet!!

Best car I have owned yet!!

@boltz, amidst the stories on this 9 year old thread are tales of the evacuation of New Orleans as Katrina was coming that read a lot like yours. They included a few instances of folks running out of gas on the bumper-to-bumper freeway because they couldn't get to a gas pump, tales of gas stations being out of everything but diesel, and of course, how great it was to be driving a diesel car in those circumstances.

boltz said:

NJ is one of two states that you can't pump your own gas. There is one place that allows you to pump diesel on your own, it is a convience store called WaWa. This is the only one that carries diesel.

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You CAN legally pump your own DIESEL in those two states. The no self-serve laws in those states applies to gasoline only.

Haven't run into too much ignorance here in Cali (yet), just interested looks and a few curious questions. Usually by people in big trucks or SUVs.

Oh and it might be a little late but by the way...

I think it's time to quit clowning around and get back on topic.

Haha sorry, couldn't resist. Good thing this isn't the other forum I frequent (XDA) or I'd be out on my patootie. They do have like 4 million members though...

I got a funny one today, and it was only about my 6th fuel up.

I had a guy come up to me and start asking me for spare change while I was pumping (this happens all the time in Baltimore). So, I go, "no, I don't have any. Can't help ya."

As he walks off, he goes, "you know that's diesel, right?"

I thought it was pretty funny. . .a bum looking out for me.

TheCityGame said:

As he walks off, he goes, "you know that's diesel, right?"

I thought it was pretty funny. . .a bum looking out for me.

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He probably thought he was smarter than you.

Tony

That reminds me, there was a local nut who said something similar to me. He's a frequent patient at the local mental hospital. I could list a few tales, but after the clown interlude, it would be best not to. I'm selling my clown stuff if anyone wants all the cream pies they can eat.

I recently had a guy looking out for me too, although he was the owner of the gas station who refused to turn on the diesel pump for me because he thought I was filling up my gasser with diesel!

I assured him I knew what I was doing and told him to go back inside and turn on the pump.

Not so much a funny story, but at the local Hess today in Allentown, PA, as I was finishing fueling up, not 1 but 2 more TDI SportWagens pull up to the 1 diesel pump at the station. Nice to see some fellow TDIer's in the area!

11 years and my first story

I was at a filling station in Nashville recently, swiped my credit card, nothing happened. I look toward the building and make a rolling motion with my hand meaning "turn the pump on please!" this young girl comes over the intercom and says "that's the diesel pump!" My friend and I simultaneously reply "it's a diesel car!" She says "Okaaayee" and proceeds to start the pump. After 11 years this is my first time to be "corrected" at a filling station.

My favorite experience happened late one night where I usually fill up near my house in Columbia, TN. Older people love the bug, they have such memories of theirs from the '60s. This man hollered at me across the parking lot "what kind of gas mileage to you get in that little bug?" to which I replied, "wonderful, it doesn't use a drop!" He replied "diesel!?" I just smiled and said "yep". He was amazed.

Giving a bump to one of the longest running threads on the forum.

Pulled up to the only diesel pump at a convenience store that often has the cheapest diesel in my area at almost the same time as a guy driving an extended cab dually, so figuring he'd be a while filling a larger tank, I hopped out and grabbed the handle. The pump is kerosene on one end, diesel on the other, but he didn't have long to wait for me, of course. So we struck up a conversation. He gets 12-15 mpg normally, but uses the truck to tow an 18,000 lb 5th wheel RV, which he said took him down to around 9 or 10 mpg.

He didn't want to hear about my 55.6 mpg Jetta or my 34.7 mpg Jeep, so I didn't inflict them on him. Neither one is going to work dragging his RV.

Ok, so this didn't happen at the gas station but though I would share anyway. I dropped the jsw at the business valet parking at the Charlotte airport. The guy giving me my claim ticket started asking about the car, the diesel engine, and the mileage. For the two plus years, I've been using that parking, no one has ever commented before. They are getting better about not letting the cars run while waiting for us to get off the shuttle bas and pay for the parking.

had my first 'filling up' noteworthy story. I was on one side of a diesel island a couple of days ago. Big monster Ford F250 XL (?) on the other side. I looked up and the owner was standing peering into my passenger window. "You got a manual with that?" I said no, but then we had a discussion on the great mpg; how much he loved his truck, and had shopped for a used vdub for his son, but the resale cost was so high.

First time feeling some love at the diesel pump!

and that was 45 min. after driving back from a meeting with the owner of a Prius who commented that he thought diesel was 'the future' in the US more so than hybrids.

plap17 said:

and that was 45 min. after driving back from a meeting with the owner of a Prius who commented that he thought diesel was 'the future' in the US more so than hybrids.

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If only the government would stop subsidizing the hybrids... And give a little love our way, but instead they will black ball us like normal and waste their money on the flashy pipe dream.

I love when I stop at truck stops for Diesel and the only diesel are with the Semis. They ALWAYS look at me funny when I'm waiting in line. I've had a truck pull in behind me and tell me the gas pumps are up front. I said "I know, and the only diesel pumps are back here" They usually look puzzled after that, then get out of the truck to talk to me about the car while the truck in front is still filling.

I people at fuel stations that ALWAYS pull into the ONLY combo pump for GAS and I sit there behind them starring at them. They will tell me that there's another gas pump over there, I look at them and tell them "but this is the only one with diesel" and I get back in my car.

I will get people telling me that I'm putting diesel into the car and I tell them "I know, it needs diesel".

I will get people in gas guzzling trucks that know about the VW diesels and start asking questions about and then walk away saying something about going to look into them to get rid of the Gas truck....

I LOVE the little diesel!!!

i stoped a guy from putting diesel in a ford focus today. and since i know ford does not offer a focus with a diesel in the use. made sure he knew he was at a diesel pump. and he was like oh no. i don't even own a diesel vehicle.

DieselFan1984 said:

I love when I stop at truck stops for Diesel and the only diesel are with the Semis. They ALWAYS look at me funny when I'm waiting in line. I've had a truck pull in behind me and tell me the gas pumps are up front. I said "I know, and the only diesel pumps are back here" They usually look puzzled after that, then get out of the truck to talk to me about the car while the truck in front is still filling.

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Used to have that problem when I first bought the beetle. Best price for diesel at the time was about 20 miles away at a large truck stop that had no car diesel pumps and only one hose for cars in the back with the big rigs. Looked pretty funny with the beetle sitting between a couple of semis. The drivers were usually pretty great about letting me cut in front of them since they knew I would only be a few minutes and then out of the way.

Finally have my first fillup story....although, not that exciting. Pulled up to the pump next to a guy filling his diesel GMC truck. Once I put the nozzle in the filler, I see him peek around. Was waiting for "you know that's diesel, right" but he said, "how do you like that TDI?". We chatted a bit and that's about all.

Well it didn't take long to get 'my first diesel pump' story (2 months)

Yesterday a random guy came up to me after paying and spent 20 minutes promoting wvo to me and how it works great in his early 90s boxtruck. Interesting guy but he couldn't figure out why I was so against putting wvo into my car because "properly filtered its great". (I'm not against wvo, its just not for me) The odd twist to this is apparently he heard me at the drivethough at the bank and decided he had to talk to me at the next stop which was the pump!

Most people don't realize Veg polymerizes engine oil. i.e. Veg turns the oil into a thick goo that won't pump through the engine. Therefore, you need to reduce your OCI to compensate. My previous neighbor had to replace the engine in his ~'93 MB diesel because of the oil starvation.

I'll take my 45mpg on Diesel, ALL DAY LONG!

Tony

vgr said:

Yesterday a random guy came up to me after paying and spent 20 minutes promoting wvo to me and how it works great in his early 90s boxtruck. Interesting guy but he couldn't figure out why I was so against putting wvo into my car because "properly filtered its great". (I'm not against wvo, its just not for me)

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The difference between his early 90s boxtruck and your TDI is the difference between indirect injection and direct injection (among other differences).

WVO can be used safely in engines with indirect injection, assuming proper precautions are taken. It is a mistake, potentially a very expensive mistake, to run it in a direct-injection engine.

TornadoRed said:

The difference between his early 90s boxtruck and your TDI is the difference between indirect injection and direct injection (among other differences).
WVO can be used safely in engines with indirect injection, assuming proper precautions are taken. It is a mistake, potentially a very expensive mistake, to run it in a direct-injection engine.

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Even more so, his early 90s boxtruck uses diesel engine technology not far removed from WW II engines. Those things could and did burn almost anything without out missing a beat. A TDI, on the other hand, is much more picky about its fuel. For one thing, the injectors in his truck have orfices that are huge compared to what your TDI has, and can pass without difficulty small pebbles that would kill your injectors. For another, his piston rings are about a foot apart, and will tolerate deposits that yours won't. Heck, as long as his piston to bore doesn't gap more than will allow a cigarette butt to pass, he can motor on with impunity. The comparison is between a lawn mower motor and a Swiss watch.

naturist said:

[SNIP] The comparison is between a lawn mower motor and a Swiss watch.

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That needs to go in a sig line somewhere !

vgr said:

The odd twist to this is apparently he heard me at the drivethough at the bank and decided he had to talk to me at the next stop which was the pump!

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Not creepy at all...

I pulled into a truck stop last week to get some snacks,as I was letting my car idle for a min a guy came out to tell me I have no oil and it's my pistons.so I tell him it's a diesel and I just get this look and he speeds off.didnt know pd where loud?lol

chaser355 said:

I pulled into a truck stop last week to get some snacks,as I was letting my car idle for a min a guy came out to tell me I have no oil and it's my pistons.so I tell him it's a diesel and I just get this look and he speeds off.didnt know pd where loud?lol

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When I get that sort of thing, I look 'em in the eye and say "hey, pretty quiet for a DIESEL, isn't it? And I get 50 miles per gallon." Unless I'm driving the Jeep, when it's 35 miles per gallon.

chaser355 said:

I pulled into a truck stop last week to get some snacks,as I was letting my car idle for a min a guy came out to tell me I have no oil and it's my pistons.so I tell him it's a diesel and I just get this look and he speeds off.didnt know pd where loud?lol

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I'd say "man, I know this thing burns oil like crazy, I just put in 40 quarts a few minutes ago and already it's rattling again!"