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Message |
Guest
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 Posted:
Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:44 pm Post subject:
Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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Hi,
I'm trying to get some info before I get mad :)
I've got a 2004 Sentra 1.8s and filled up the tank yesterday. I
went about 1.5 miles from when the fuel light came on to pulling into
the gas station. I was able to put in 13.21 gallons. Does the light
come on that late or can the tank hold more that the 13.5 gallons
listed?
This is one of the very few times I've run the tank low enough
for the light to come on. I used a gas station that isn't very common
in these parts and wonder if they might have played with the pump so a
gallon isn't a gallon. Anyone ever go after a cheating gas station and
win?
Thanks a bunch in advance.
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E Meyer
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:08 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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On 11/1/05 11:44 AM, in article
1130867076.023893.247280@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com,
"tunet@tampabay.rr.com" <tunet@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
| Quote: |
Hi,
I'm trying to get some info before I get mad :)
I've got a 2004 Sentra 1.8s and filled up the tank yesterday. I
went about 1.5 miles from when the fuel light came on to pulling into
the gas station. I was able to put in 13.21 gallons. Does the light
come on that late or can the tank hold more that the 13.5 gallons
listed?
This is one of the very few times I've run the tank low enough
for the light to come on. I used a gas station that isn't very common
in these parts and wonder if they might have played with the pump so a
gallon isn't a gallon. Anyone ever go after a cheating gas station and
win?
Thanks a bunch in advance.
|
If you topped it off, the hoses from the filler cap down to the tank usually
hold about a gallon in addition to what is in the tank itself.
The warning lights are pretty paranoiac and usually come on about 3 gallons
from empty when they are working correctly. The light on my '96 I30 started
coming on later and later last fall and now it never comes on at all (as we
found out the hard way). You probably should watch the gauge and not wait
for the light next time. |
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Codifus
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:53 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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E Meyer wrote:
| Quote: | On 11/1/05 11:44 AM, in article
1130867076.023893.247280@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com,
"tunet@tampabay.rr.com" <tunet@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
Hi,
I'm trying to get some info before I get mad :)
I've got a 2004 Sentra 1.8s and filled up the tank yesterday. I
went about 1.5 miles from when the fuel light came on to pulling into
the gas station. I was able to put in 13.21 gallons. Does the light
come on that late or can the tank hold more that the 13.5 gallons
listed?
This is one of the very few times I've run the tank low enough
for the light to come on. I used a gas station that isn't very common
in these parts and wonder if they might have played with the pump so a
gallon isn't a gallon. Anyone ever go after a cheating gas station and
win?
Thanks a bunch in advance.
If you topped it off, the hoses from the filler cap down to the tank usually
hold about a gallon in addition to what is in the tank itself.
The warning lights are pretty paranoiac and usually come on about 3 gallons
from empty when they are working correctly. The light on my '96 I30 started
coming on later and later last fall and now it never comes on at all (as we
found out the hard way). You probably should watch the gauge and not wait
for the light next time.
It's been said that topping off damages the warning light mechanism. |
Given my experience that may be true:)
CD
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Pszemol
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:52 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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"Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message news:uQO9f.37888$rE2.34800@fe10.lga...
| Quote: | It's been said that topping off damages the warning light mechanism.
Given my experience that may be true:)
|
How can it be true ? How come this extra gallon do any harm ?
Sounds booooogus. |
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Pszemol
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:07 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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<tunet@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message news:1130867076.023893.247280@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | This is one of the very few times I've run the tank low enough
for the light to come on. I used a gas station that isn't very common
in these parts and wonder if they might have played with the pump so a
gallon isn't a gallon. Anyone ever go after a cheating gas station and
win?
|
First, *you* will have to PROVE it. And this is not easy if your only
measuring tool is "estimated tank capacity" listed in your car
User Manual... If I would suspect a site to do this kind of tricks
I would buy red, 5 gallons gas tank, calibrate it carefully with
water first and some good measuring cups, and then go to
the site with previously calibrated, marked gas container
and check my suspicion before I jump the gun...
You cannot tell a thing based on the capacity of your tank and
the warning light going on/off as the measuring device...
Let's not be paranoic... :-)
Pumps are calibrated by WEIGHTS & MEASURES and their
volumetric meters are sealed. Breaking the seal and playing
with the meter would risk serious penalties and going to jail.
And depending on the town/city you need to periodically retest
the pumps to get new certificates - it is not that easy to stesl the gas. |
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Codifus
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:19 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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Pszemol wrote:
| Quote: | "Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:uQO9f.37888$rE2.34800@fe10.lga...
It's been said that topping off damages the warning light mechanism.
Given my experience that may be true:)
How can it be true ? How come this extra gallon do any harm ?
Sounds booooogus.
|
Well, I replaced the feul pump in my sentra and attached to it I found a
mechanism which I beleive is the low feul warning mechanism. It seems to
work just like the the plunger in a toilet bowl. This ball with air in
it floats above the gas. That floater is tied to a somewhat flimsy metal
rod which attaches to some sort of circuit. The circuit apparently
measures the swing of the rod. If you fill up with too much gas the
"floater" may be pushed too far, bending the flimsy rod a little, and
thus fmaking the mechanism lose its accuracy at detecting low feul levels.
That's what I saw. From my experience, I tend to over fill alot, and
slowly I noticed my previous Altima lose accuracy in detecting low feul
levels.
CD |
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Pszemol
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:38 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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"Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message news:hZQ9f.4976$ex4.2044@fe08.lga...
| Quote: | Well, I replaced the feul pump in my sentra and attached to it I found a
mechanism which I beleive is the low feul warning mechanism. It seems to
work just like the the plunger in a toilet bowl. This ball with air in
it floats above the gas. That floater is tied to a somewhat flimsy metal
rod which attaches to some sort of circuit. The circuit apparently
measures the swing of the rod. If you fill up with too much gas the
"floater" may be pushed too far, bending the flimsy rod a little, and
thus fmaking the mechanism lose its accuracy at detecting low feul levels.
|
What you saw is the fuel gauge sensor, sometimes called a "sender unit".
The warning light is usually made as an addition to the fuel gauge: when
the electric current flowing through the variable resistor in the sending
unit and the gauge is large enough for the gauge to show near "empty"
the warning light will also go on.
Notice that when the tank is already full, the fuel is up to the ceiling of
the tank and the float does not have any room to go anywhere so it
stays submerged in fuel. It will not move until the fuel level drops...
You may have noticed how your gauge tends to stay on full for quite
a while after filling up. So I am pretty sure filling the hoses from
the filling cap down when you top-off would not change a thing...
| Quote: | That's what I saw. From my experience, I tend to over fill alot, and
slowly I noticed my previous Altima lose accuracy in detecting low feul
levels.
|
Your observation may be true, but the correlation between topping
off and diminishing fuel measuring accuracy totaly not existent...
What you probably see is the variable resistor in the sending unit
getting old and dirty, not conducting electric current like it used to
when it was brand new. That is all. I would not blame topping off. |
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Andy Champ
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:56 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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Codifus wrote:
| Quote: |
It's been said that topping off damages the warning light mechanism.
Given my experience that may be true:)
CD
|
I always fill to the brim.
I estimate I did this about 250 times to my old Primera to get to the
115,000 miles where I reckoned it wasn't worth fixing (leaky radiator,
[original] clutch on the way out) and it always worked fine.
BTW, someone else thought it was worth fixing, it's still on the road.
Andy |
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NoNoBadDog!
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 7:07 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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|
"Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:uQO9f.37888$rE2.34800@fe10.lga...
| Quote: | E Meyer wrote:
On 11/1/05 11:44 AM, in article
1130867076.023893.247280@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com,
"tunet@tampabay.rr.com" <tunet@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
Hi,
I'm trying to get some info before I get mad :)
I've got a 2004 Sentra 1.8s and filled up the tank yesterday. I
went about 1.5 miles from when the fuel light came on to pulling into
the gas station. I was able to put in 13.21 gallons. Does the light
come on that late or can the tank hold more that the 13.5 gallons
listed?
This is one of the very few times I've run the tank low enough
for the light to come on. I used a gas station that isn't very common
in these parts and wonder if they might have played with the pump so a
gallon isn't a gallon. Anyone ever go after a cheating gas station and
win?
Thanks a bunch in advance.
If you topped it off, the hoses from the filler cap down to the tank
usually
hold about a gallon in addition to what is in the tank itself.
The warning lights are pretty paranoiac and usually come on about 3
gallons
from empty when they are working correctly. The light on my '96 I30
started
coming on later and later last fall and now it never comes on at all (as
we
found out the hard way). You probably should watch the gauge and not
wait
for the light next time.
It's been said that topping off damages the warning light mechanism. Given
my experience that may be true:)
CD
|
Topping off has no negative impact whatsoever. Continually letting the tank
go below 1/4 does have a negative impact...the fuel pump must work much
harder at low fuel levels to develop sufficient vacuum to keep gas flowing
to the engine. In addition, letting the tank go to nearly empty causes
sediments that would normally be at the bottom of the tank to be introduced
into the fuel system, clogging filters and making the pump work harder.
best advice is to never let the fuel tank get below 1/4.
Bobby |
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Codifus
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 7:49 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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Pszemol wrote:
| Quote: | "Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:hZQ9f.4976$ex4.2044@fe08.lga...
Well, I replaced the feul pump in my sentra and attached to it I found
a mechanism which I beleive is the low feul warning mechanism. It
seems to work just like the the plunger in a toilet bowl. This ball
with air in it floats above the gas. That floater is tied to a
somewhat flimsy metal rod which attaches to some sort of circuit. The
circuit apparently measures the swing of the rod. If you fill up with
too much gas the "floater" may be pushed too far, bending the flimsy
rod a little, and thus fmaking the mechanism lose its accuracy at
detecting low feul levels.
What you saw is the fuel gauge sensor, sometimes called a "sender unit".
The warning light is usually made as an addition to the fuel gauge: when
the electric current flowing through the variable resistor in the sending
unit and the gauge is large enough for the gauge to show near "empty"
the warning light will also go on.
Notice that when the tank is already full, the fuel is up to the ceiling of
the tank and the float does not have any room to go anywhere so it
stays submerged in fuel. It will not move until the fuel level drops...
You may have noticed how your gauge tends to stay on full for quite
a while after filling up. So I am pretty sure filling the hoses from
the filling cap down when you top-off would not change a thing...
That's what I saw. From my experience, I tend to over fill alot, and
slowly I noticed my previous Altima lose accuracy in detecting low
feul levels.
Your observation may be true, but the correlation between topping
off and diminishing fuel measuring accuracy totaly not existent...
What you probably see is the variable resistor in the sending unit
getting old and dirty, not conducting electric current like it used to
when it was brand new. That is all. I would not blame topping off.
Fair enough. I'll continue to top off with confidence then! |
CD |
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E Meyer
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:09 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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|
On 11/1/05 2:52 PM, in article dk80bk.bc.0@poczta.onet.pl, "Pszemol"
<Pszemol@PolBox.com> wrote:
| Quote: | "Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:uQO9f.37888$rE2.34800@fe10.lga...
It's been said that topping off damages the warning light mechanism.
Given my experience that may be true:)
How can it be true ? How come this extra gallon do any harm ?
Sounds booooogus.
|
I also don't see how this can be true. The warning light is triggered by
the same mechanism that reads the tank float. when its full, its full. The
float would be at its limit.
The only thing I have heard recently about topping off is fear that raw gas
might get into the charcoal canister. |
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E Meyer
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:12 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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On 11/1/05 3:19 PM, in article hZQ9f.4976$ex4.2044@fe08.lga, "Codifus"
<codifus@optonline.net> wrote:
| Quote: | Pszemol wrote:
"Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:uQO9f.37888$rE2.34800@fe10.lga...
It's been said that topping off damages the warning light mechanism.
Given my experience that may be true:)
How can it be true ? How come this extra gallon do any harm ?
Sounds booooogus.
Well, I replaced the feul pump in my sentra and attached to it I found a
mechanism which I beleive is the low feul warning mechanism. It seems to
work just like the the plunger in a toilet bowl. This ball with air in
it floats above the gas. That floater is tied to a somewhat flimsy metal
rod which attaches to some sort of circuit. The circuit apparently
measures the swing of the rod. If you fill up with too much gas the
"floater" may be pushed too far, bending the flimsy rod a little, and
thus fmaking the mechanism lose its accuracy at detecting low feul levels.
|
That float is the gauge mechanism. It should not bend no matter what you
put in the tank (except maybe if you filled it with lead balls).
| Quote: | That's what I saw. From my experience, I tend to over fill alot, and
slowly I noticed my previous Altima lose accuracy in detecting low feul
levels.
CD |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
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Pszemol
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:48 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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"NoNoBadDog!" <no_@spam_verizon.net> wrote in message news:9jU9f.1492$W%2.126@trnddc06...
| Quote: | In addition, letting the tank go to nearly empty causes sediments
that would normally be at the bottom of the tank to be introduced
into the fuel system, clogging filters and making the pump work harder.
|
Have you guys ever cut the tank open to see these "sediments"?
I have heard about these sediments but I have never had a chance
to see them... ;-)
| Quote: | best advice is to never let the fuel tank get below 1/4.
|
I would guess the fuel is bouncing left and right there on every turn
stirring "sediments" from the bottom no matter if it is 1/4 or 1/16 full. |
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NoNoBadDog!
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:03 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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"Pszemol" <Pszemol@PolBox.com> wrote in message
news:dk8ka3.94.1@poczta.onet.pl...
| Quote: | "NoNoBadDog!" <no_@spam_verizon.net> wrote in message
news:9jU9f.1492$W%2.126@trnddc06...
In addition, letting the tank go to nearly empty causes sediments
that would normally be at the bottom of the tank to be introduced into
the fuel system, clogging filters and making the pump work harder.
Have you guys ever cut the tank open to see these "sediments"?
I have heard about these sediments but I have never had a chance
to see them... ;-)
best advice is to never let the fuel tank get below 1/4.
I would guess the fuel is bouncing left and right there on every turn
stirring "sediments" from the bottom no matter if it is 1/4 or 1/16 full.
|
The detergent that is included in most modern gasolines keeps the sediment
from staying suspended in the gasoline for any length of time (in addition
to helping keep the lines clean). In most driving situations, the sediments
are not a problem. only when the gas gets very low and they have nowhere
else to go do they get sucked into the system.
Bobby |
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Pszemol
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:32 am Post subject:
Re: Cheating gas station? True tank capacity? |
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"NoNoBadDog!" <no_@spam_verizon.net> wrote in message news:i0W9f.149$l23.77@trnddc05...
| Quote: | The detergent that is included in most modern gasolines keeps the sediment
from staying suspended in the gasoline for any length of time (in addition
to helping keep the lines clean). In most driving situations, the sediments
are not a problem. only when the gas gets very low and they have nowhere
else to go do they get sucked into the system.
|
Interesting stuff, where did you read about it ? I would like to know more. |
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