Stories when filling up at "gasoline station"

[n1das]

Just BUMPing one of TDIclub's favorite threads to the top. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This thread should be made sticky at the top! Every time this thread has been bumped to the top because of a recent post, it's made more visible to TDIclubbers and always resulted in a wave of new fillup stories. Keep those gas station fillup stories coming! I say it deserves to be made sticky at the top because it's been a universal TDIclub favorite.

I expect some more good TDI fillup stories to come soon as gasser drivers feel more pain at the pump as GAS prices have hit $4/gallon in some areas. There's also been GAS shortages in reported some areas, but probably not DIESEL. Sooner or later, a TDIer fueling up at a station that's out of GAS but still has DIESEL will encounter a mob of gassers descending on the station like buzzards on a carcass, thinking they have GAS because they saw a car (TDI) fueling up there, only to angrily discover they're out of GAS and only have DIESEL fuel.

I've been noticing more "diesel envy" at the gas pumps lately when I've been fueling up at the Diesel pump.

 

[Gothmolly]

I notice "diesel envy" whenever someone at work complains about the price of RUG, and I mention that in 2 weeks I might need to fill up on diesel, and I wonder aloud what the price will be.

 

[PAPADUZA]

No yellow bag on my pump handle

N1DAS,

Had just that that scenario occur two weeks ago. I was the only car in a high volume station with a bunch of yellow bags over the all the gas pump handles. A guy in a gasser cruises by and yells out "are you pumping gas?" Without even looking up I simply replied "nope" and continued pumping.

73, N2ESP

 

[vwestlife]

These days it doesn't take much to get people at gas stations angry. For example, most SUVs have the fuel filler on the driver's side, and when all the right-side pumps are busy, these people like to turn around and park the wrong way at a left-side pump... so when you pull up the correct way with your passenger-side-filler VW and block them in, they get all upset because they have to back up to leave or (even worse!) wait until you're done if they're also blocked in from the other end.

 

[ofhs93]

or (even worse!) wait until you're done if they're also blocked in from the other end.

Those are the times when you take your good old time making sure you have vented as completely as is possible ....make sure you see that fuel sitting clear with no foam RIGHT at the lip....and staying there hehehe.

 

[whitedog]

These days it doesn't take much to get people at gas stations angry. For example, most SUVs have the fuel filler on the driver's side, and when all the right-side pumps are busy, these people like to turn around and park the wrong way at a left-side pump... so when you pull up the correct way with your passenger-side-filler VW and block them in, they get all upset because they have to back up to leave or (even worse!) wait until you're done if they're also blocked in from the other end.

I really need a drawing for this story, but I'll try...

One diesel pump with a hose on each side on one end of the island, Gasser pump on the other. When I pulled up there was one gasser filling up, a gasser behind him and a Diesel P/U behind him. On the other side it was three Diesel P/Us with camp trailers.

All of them fuel on the drivers side.

I could have pulled in in front of the gasser and actually been done by the time the Diesel p/u was ready, but I felt like that would have been taking cuts in front of the diesel, so I circled, parked and pondered. I wouldn't have minded getting in front of the gassers aslong as I didn't block him in, but I decided to not get in front of the brothren.

So I sat and waited for him to pull up and start filling. He actually used both pumps; diesel in the truck, gas in the camper trailer. I see he is getting close to finishing up so I drive forward kind of between the two lanes and out of everyones way. Then a truck pulls in behind him.... and it's a diesel... Crap... I mention to the attendant I need to fuel from the "wrong" way and point to the gal next in line while he is looking for my truck until I mention it's the Jetta. Then he was OK with it.

Finally the truck/camper finish and they start pulling out and I'm getting ready to pull in there.

And she is pulling forward right behind the truck...

But I'm right there and she can't get to the pump, and I point to it and me and do everything I can to indicate I need in there and it's my turn. She wasn't really happy about it and may have thought I was too stoopid to understand I was going to put diesel in, but she backed up and let me go.

It's a better story if you could watch me, but use your imagination...

 

[whitedog]

Interesting observation in The Dalles, Oregon this past weekend. At one gas station I walked by there were four gas pumps and four diesel pumps. I didn't check any other stations in town, but that is the highest ratio I have ever noticed other than a truck stop.

It's farm country there, so it's understandable. I din't notice any TDIs around though.

But then, it's farm country there so it's understandable.

 

[ICNTDRV]

Here's a "Gas" station story for ya:
This week I took a part time job at a gas station. While all of the People come in the store to pay for anywhere between 5 to 80 dollars in gas, complaining about every dollar they spend on their V8 SUV, I sit behind my counter and grin. A time is soon coming that I will be filling up out of my station's fryer vats instead of the pump.

 

[Dave_D]

Since the price of B20 at Quarters K Citgo near the Pentagon has gone up and I have added a third 5 gallon Blitz jug I am finding that the pump is stopping at $75, which appears to be the pre-authorization currently in use. Thus I need to reset the pump and finish filling up on a second receipt. This resulted in me needing to explain the problem to a CNG bus driver this morning, as I had to reset the pump and finish before he could fuel his vehicle. He seemed surprised that Jettas were available for diesel fuel and that I got 40 mpg in local driving and 50 or better on the highway. I also talked to the manager and suggested they see about increasing the pre-authorization to $100 to allow complete fillups without resetting the pump. The price was $2.929 today, up from $2.769 on 3 April.

 

[c5loadmaster]

There is an independent dealer here in Hemet that I fill up at and only had one diesel pump and it was located between the two gas pumps. I had mentioned to the owner of having to wait until all the SUVs would finish gassing up and leave as they would block the diesel pump in the middle. He recently had to overhall the tanks and now ALL the pumps are diesel/gas. I thanked him for the upgrade and he told me that there are alot more diesels in the area and they had complained also.
He is now thinking of carrying B20 ! ! !

 

[owr084]

Since the price of B20 at Quarters K Citgo near the Pentagon has gone up and I have added a third 5 gallon Blitz jug I am finding that the pump is stopping at $75, which appears to be the pre-authorization currently in use. Thus I need to reset the pump and finish filling up on a second receipt. This resulted in me needing to explain the problem to a CNG bus driver this morning, as I had to reset the pump and finish before he could fuel his vehicle. He seemed surprised that Jettas were available for diesel fuel and that I got 40 mpg in local driving and 50 or better on the highway. I also talked to the manager and suggested they see about increasing the pre-authorization to $100 to allow complete fillups without resetting the pump. The price was $2.929 today, up from $2.769 on 3 April.

The CNG buses can only fuel up on the station side of the pumps - No maneuver room to use the tank side. And you can always count on finding them there in the morning. That's why I always pull in to use the tank side.

 

[Dave_D]

The CNG buses can only fuel up on the station side of the pumps - No maneuver room to use the tank side. And you can always count on finding them there in the morning. That's why I always pull in to use the tank side.

I will keep that in mind when I am there next month. Of course that will mean a bit of maneuvering to get my passenger's side to the tank side pump, but that is no big deal for me as opposed to a CNG bus! I am there in the early morning also as that is the only time, other than over a weekend, that it is practical to make the trip from Gaithersburg and back given the horrible traffic on the GW Parkway. I made the mistake once of trying to do so at about 18:30 on a weekday evening, never again!

 

[c5loadmaster]

Dave,
Wouldn't it be nice of you could buy B20 "on base". We recently relocated to So Cal and discovered that D2 was sold on Penelton MC Base. They are the only military instulation I have been on that had a diesel pump. Even when I was at Ramstein AB, you could only purchase diesel "on the economy" but at least I had the coupons.
Rob

 

[owr084]

I will keep that in mind when I am there next month. Of course that will mean a bit of maneuvering to get my passenger's side to the tank side pump, but that is no big deal for me as opposed to a CNG bus! I am there in the early morning also as that is the only time, other than over a weekend, that it is practical to make the trip from Gaithersburg and back given the horrible traffic on the GW Parkway. I made the mistake once of trying to do so at about 18:30 on a weekday evening, never again!

Just do what I do - pull in the "wrong way" so your fuel door faces the pump. I haven't been chewed out yet Course, how can they see me when the bus is usually in the way

 

[Dave_D]

That is what I intend to do, which of course will involve passing the pumps by a few feet closer to the station and then pulling around the tank side. I will likewise need to pull around again to exit the station as they wish you to.

 

[McBrew]

Dave, just go clockwise around the station.

 

[daedalus]

My ignorance is showing

This resulted in me needing to explain the problem to a CNG bus driver this morning, as I had to reset the pump and finish before he could fuel his vehicle.

This is going to sound really dumb!
Why would a CNG vehicle be filling with diesel? Don't they run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)? I'm sure I'll regret asking this question!

 

[Dave_D]

The island with the B20 also has CNG and E85 available, thus the conflict among alternative fuel vehicles.

 

[McBrew]

I'm waiting for a fistfight to break out.

 

[daedalus]

The island with the B20 also has CNG and E85 available, thus the conflict among alternative fuel vehicles.

That was too easy. Thanks for not making feel like a total idiot!

 

[zebrajeb]

That is what I intend to do, which of course will involve passing the pumps by a few feet closer to the station and then pulling around the tank side. I will likewise need to pull around again to exit the station as they wish you to.

I hate it that our cars fuel on the passenger side. Makes getting in line hard! My solution has been to back into the line! That way I don't have to go nose to nose with big pickup trucks and SUVs that will not let me in.

 

[vwestlife]

I hate it that our cars fuel on the passenger side.

You won't hate it so much when you run out of fuel on a highway with no shoulder. Having the filler on the passenger side means you won't get hit by passing traffic while standing there and adding fuel from a can.

 

[BurpleTDI]

I've found a local station that has the diesel pump off in it's own island, kinda in exile behind the station. Pretty sweet. Usually just me and an occasional Duramax or Powerstroke guys. Let all the gassers fight for their spots! Freakin' savages.

No card reader, though, so I still need go pay cash inside.

 

[Brock_from_WI]

Most of the pumps I have used you could pull up on the "wrong" side and have enough hose to cross to the other side as long as you sort of hug the pumps as you pull in.

Still chuckling thinking of a TDI backing up in line with a bunch of Pick-Um-Ups

 

[naturist]

Well, it's not a filling-up story, but the lady who parked behind me at the post office asked me when I came out if it was really running on biodiesel.

"Sure," I answered. Then she asked me if it would also run on gasoline.

"No," said I, "but it will run on regular petroleum diesel."

With a great deal of dissapointment, she said, "then it really is a diesel . . . "

"Yes, Ma'am, it really is a diesel. And diesels and gas engines are totally incompatible as far as fuel goes." Obviously another victim of the high price for gasoline searching for a cheap alternative.

Had "it" been my TDI instead of my Jeep CRD, I'd have rubbed it in a bit by mentioning 50 mpg and 700 miles per tankful, but the Jeep "only" gets 28 and 500.

 

[Old Navy]

On two different ocassions when filling the Liberty I have had someone drive up and look the CRD over while I fill up. Both ocassions they were guys in diesel PU trucks and they never got out or spoke, I think they were going to stop me untill they saw turbo diesel badges on front fenders, reworked VW TDI "Yes it's a diesel plate holder, Turbodiesel badge on rear window and the green filler cap hanging out.

Last fill up I did watch a guy fill his Toyota PU with E85, ignoring all the warning stickers that the fuel was for flex fuel only vehicles. When I looked at him and then the pump he just smiled, I just smiled back and didn't say anything. He must have been close to empty as the pump was passing 12 gal when I hung my hose up. He is headed for one big supprise, minium of 30% to as high as 50% drop in fuel mileage and possible engine damage if too much is run in the engine.

 

[naturist]

Old Navy, are you sure he didn't have a flex-fuel vehicle?

I, too, have had some conversations with folks over filling the Libby. They usually have been of the "gee, I didn't know Jeep offerred a diesel" sort, and several have included folks who wanted to hear what it sounded like running, and then have expressed astonishment at how quiet and un-diesel like it is. I like this vehicle: too bad DC and the dealer have been so crummy to work with. (NOTE to VW folks: you think VW dealers are awful, I had a 5-star Chrysler/Jeep dealer throw me and my vehicle out of the shop half-way through a repair because I said the words "lemon law" in the context of relating a story about an angry customer. Into the bargain, their diesel mechanic did not know that diesels do not have throttle plates or that the injectors are necessarily in the head. Be glad such dealers as VW has at least know in which end of the vehicle the diesel engine is located.)

 

[bhtooefr]

naturist: Well, Toyota doesn't have any flex-fuel vehicles, is the thing.

The Nissan Titan is available as an FFV, and some Mazda B-Series models were available as FFVs. (However, the Mazda B-Series is merely a rebadged Ford Ranger.) That's it for non-American FFVs.

 

[Old Navy]

It won't be long till we start hearing the FFV owners complaining like the "hybred" about poor fuel mileage. Dodge at their fleet sales page about FFV vehicles warns of minium 30% less fuel range on their vehicles. Nothing like saving 20% on the cost of fuel and then have MPG's drop 30% to as much as 50% , wonder how long people will take to figure that out.

 

[meganuke]

Here's a non-story...pulled up, started to fill up and heard a familiar clatter behind me. I turn and see a Jetta waiting for the pump. Older guy driving, but he didn't get out. I have a TDI Club plate frame, so maybe he'll check out the site.