Bad time with large diesel pump nozzle

[DieselDavid]

Well, I finally made a mistake at the gas station the last time I filled up my TDI with diesel. It was a name brand station. I've bought diesel at other stations with the same brand name, and this was my first - and last time - at this specific station with the same brand name. After pouring some diesel fuel additive into my car's tank and swiping my credit card at the pump, I removed the pump's nozzle to discover the diesel nozzle was too large for my passenger car! I checked the other diesel pump at this station and it too had the large-sized nozzle for trucks. I took a chance and tried to refuel anyway. Big mistake. I had to carefully hold the pump's handle near my car's opening for pump nozzles, gently squeeze the pump's handle to trickle the diesel fuel into my car's tank to avoid splashing, and it took me 35 minutes to refuel my car with about 14 gallons of diesel. Halfway through my hands began cramping.

I have complaints about the attendants at this station. None of the them knew what I was talking about with respect to the incompatible size of the diesel pump nozzle and my car's fuel tank opening. After pumping slightly more than 1 gallon the pump shut off and would not re-accept my credit card, so I had to go inside the store area for help. The attendant insisted upon holding my credit card "hostage" while I refueled. (At this point I should have given up and driven to another station.) As with most other stations, the cetane rating of the diesel fuel was not labeled at the pump, and none of the attendants could tell me the cetane rating of their diesel fuel.

I shared all of this with the gasoline/diesel company by way of an online survey at their web site. Probably nothing will result from this, but at least they are aware of the problem that I experienced, probably other customers experienced, and probably other customers will experience in the future if nothing changes.

Now I have suggestions for all gasoline/diesel stations:

• Set up diesel pumps with both a large-sized nozzle for trucks and a normal-sized nozzle for passenger cars.
• Have at least one diesel pump with each nozzle size.
• Clearly label the diesel pumps so customers know which nozzle size is in use at each pump.
• Label the cetane rating at the pump.
• Educate the attendants on diesel fuel, diesel fuel pumps, diesel cetane ratings, etc.
• Keep some sort of adapter handy for cases when customers with passenger cars need to buy diesel fuel and only the diesel pump(s) with large-sized nozzles are available.

 

[bombero]

Or you could just check the nozzle before doing anything else .
Our local Walmart only has one pump with diesel, one side has the small nozzle, the other side has the large one. I don't know why they need it, it's not like any big rigs ever stop to put fuel there.

 

[daleho1]

I carry a plastic funnel that I use when putting powerservice in, it is big enough that I can use it (in a pinch ) with the big nozzle.

 

[DrewD]

I carry a home-made adaptor nozzle made from copper plumbing pipe for emergencies. Holding a credit card hostage is not unusual nor is checking the nozzle diameter first.

 

[Joe_Meehan]

Back with my 70's diesel Rabbit, I loved those diesel truck pumps. Pop it in there pull the trigger and the tank was full in seconds. No foam either. Sorry to say my 2002 NB can't do the same thing.

 

[DieselDavid]

I carry a plastic funnel that I use when putting powerservice in, it is big enough that I can use it (in a pinch ) with the big nozzle.

Okay, I learned my lesson the hard way and I'll be looking for a funnel to keep in the trunk to help me out if I'm ever in a similar situation again.

I still say my suggestions for all gasoline/diesel stations are reasonable...

________________________________
Edited to add quotation from daleho1.

 

[DieselDavid]

Back with my 70's diesel Rabbit, I loved those diesel truck pumps. Pop it in there pull the trigger and the tank was full in seconds. No foam either. Sorry to say my 2002 NB can't do the same thing.

I wonder why all diesel passenger cars don't have larger openings to simply accomodate the larger fuel pump nozzles.

 

[2004STARWARSTDI]

nozzle

If y'all did a search on this you will find it has been discussed and cussed since VW came out with the smaller filler neck!

 

[Kier]

Had the same problem at a BP in Jersey. The pumps had the larger nozzle and it won't go into the 06's. Lucky for me they had a standard pump near the gasoline pumps. I was on fumes and sweating it out.

 

[06JettaTDIdsg]

I occoasionally have this problem with my jetta, but not with my wife's passat tdi. I don't get why vw changed it for the '06 model year.

 

[dhdenney]

Hell even my old man's Dodge 2500 is hard to fuel with the large diameter nozzle cuz the pressure is so damn high.

 

[weedeater]

Next time you might remember that 3 gallons will take you 100 miles.

 

[mdfirefighter]

This exact same thing happened to me about a month ago. Won't be going back to that station again.

 

[El Dobro]

It happened to me where the only station around where I stopped had the large nozzle. It was a royal pain, but I got $5 worth of fuel into the tank, enough to get me to a station that had the small nozzle.

 

[Driver_found]

Look before you leap. I had it occur to me in the beginning as well.
I (slowly) put 5 bucks in to get me to another station with the right size nozzle.

Many stations now have a sign that specifies Auto/Truck lane. 'Auto' meaning smaller nozzle.

-Mike

 

[kromicacid]

• Label the cetane rating at the pump.
• Educate the attendants on diesel fuel, diesel fuel pumps, diesel cetane ratings, etc.

My uncle owns and operates a garage that also sells fuel. About 3 years ago he switched his midgrade gas tank to a Diesel tank, and has it on the same pump (different nozzel) as RUG and Premium.
I asked him what the cetane was of his diesel and he looked at me like i had 3 heads. He did not even know what cetane was. I asked him if he could find out from his supplier, and either he never did, or his supplier did not know. His station is a small no-brand type of station so i dont blame him.

I agree that if even a few of your suggestions were used fuel stations would be a little bit better to use for us that use special fuel, and care about what we put in our car. The only problem with following any of your suggestions is that the Majority of people driving only know 2 things about their cars. 1. im nearly out of gas - must refill, where is the cheapest place; 2. they are dirty - we should drive through a car wash.

 

[diesel-dave]

say!!!?? my 03 has the big filler hole with vent mod..

 

[kromicacid]

say!!!?? my 03 has the big filler hole with vent mod..

and you have a A4 model or Mark4 which ever you want to call it, and this is the A5 model section.

 

[trapperkeeper]

VW should fix this

I think this is the stupidiest thing VW did on the MK5's. I continually run into issues in NE and VT in particular when I travel and need fuel that the station invariably only has the larger diameter nozzles. I'd say about 1/3 of the stations in VT have this problem and it's not the station's fault, it's VW's fault for changing the fuel opening on the MK5's so that they can't accomodate all pump nozzles like the A4 and prior generations. Hopefully they've learned and will fix it for the newer 2009 diesels. What VW has done is take the 30-40% of stations that have diesel and reduced it to about 20-25%. Not good if you're trying to market diesels as an alternative to hybrid.

 

[dhdenney]

I have been able to successfully use the larger diameter nozzle a couple times. I don't run into this problem much, but am able to cope with it. The only problem I have had with the big nozzle is trying to fill a jerry can with it cuz the hole is the same diameter as the nozzle.

 

[diesel-dave]

Yes I know its a A5 section. my point was the many times that all i had was a big nozzle to use or i could not fill up. The mercedes had a big fuel hole too. I was puzzled why the newer one did anyway with it sorry to strike a nerve kromicacid.

 

[tdi1stimer]

Maybe it's just specific to my area, but it seems that the auto (smaller) diesel nozzels have a green plasic handle, and the big rigs (larger) nozzles are yellow plastic. I usually fill up at HESS stations, but have noticed the same trend at other stations as well. I don't just go by that though, I always look at the nozzle before I shut it down.