Gasoline pump running dry, am I being cheated?

[Oldtom]

I sometimes stop at a " no name" gas station to fuel up. This particular station seems to run out of gas a lot. You can tell the gas is running out when the pump seems to run really slow. My question is this : When the gas pump is running out, are you being charged for air bubbles or pockets in the gas flow? It would really suck to pay for gasoline and get air.

I am going to quit stopping at the station. I am worried about getting a tank of dirt.

Thank you in advance for any info

 

[buck91]

Not sure, but I was always under the impression that slow pumps were more related to the pumps themselves as well as the age of the in-line filters? Admittedly I don't know a whole lot about filling stations, though.

 

[Bandito440]

You'd have to dispense some gas into a gallon container and measure. We can speculate, but there's no way of telling from BITOGLand.

Don't buy gas there anymore.

 

[doitmyself]

There are fuel filters that will slow down the flow when they detect water or phase separation: http://www.petroclear.com/products/spin-on-filters/green/filter-selection-green.html

"This filter is designed to sense water, both free and emulsified, and slow flow as an indicator of the presence of water in neat gasoline. This filter is also designed to detect and react to phase separation. Slow flow is an indicator of the presence of phase separation in Ethanol blended gasoline."

But, pumps are supposed to meter out the correct amount whether they are running slow or fast.

 

[gathermewool]

What makes you think they run out of gas often?

 

[eljefino]

I thought I heard some sort of leak detection sensor would trigger a slow pump just to bug people and get the station owner's attention.

I wouldn't buy gas there anymore if at all possible. They seem to be consistent losers.

 

[Oldtom]

I have been to the gas station three times, each time there were plastic bags tied over the nozzle for regular, mid grade, and premium to indicate out of gas. I will not fuel up there again.

 

[Nick1994]

I would never ever fill up at a no-name gas station. Too many unknowns.

I usually fill up at Arco. Sometimes Valero, they're the cheapest.

 

[JHZR2]

Ive been told that some stations slow the speed so youre more likely to go in and buy coffee!

 

[Donald]

The dispenser is designed to work at various gas flow rates. The pump is submersible in the tank.

A station that runs out seems like a place low on cash and looking for ways to get by cheaply.

There is a Love truck stop on my commute and they have a dedicated tanker truck and unloading lane since I assume they go through a lot of diesel.
They can fuel 6 at once and often another 6 are waiting. All 6 lanes have DEF pumps.

 

[FordBroncoVWJeta]

I highly doubt that they are cheating you. Maryland im sure has a scale and weights department that has to check it. If they were cheating you im sure the State of Maryland would have a good say in that.

 

[TmanP]

Too many good gas stations out there to stop at subpar ones, 95% of the time.

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
I highly doubt that they are cheating you. Maryland im sure has a scale and weights department that has to check it. If they were cheating you im sure the State of Maryland would have a good say in that.


This is the correct answer. The state will have a division whose responsibility is to make sure that the pumps dispense a gallon for a gallon.

To experiment, you could get a small gallon sized can and go fill up when the pumps run slow. If it's not at least a gallon then report it to the state department in charge.

 

[Revving2Redline]

I've seen pumps with bags on pumps but only because receipt machine broke or credit card reader faulty. Hyvee always has that issue,but I always drive around to get my 87 Pure Gas no problem .

 

[crazyoildude]

I dont mean to sound like a wise guy but maybe it would be a good idea to get gas someplace else

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Marco620
I've seen pumps with bags on pumps but only because receipt machine broke or credit card reader faulty. Hyvee always has that issue,but I always drive around to get my 87 Pure Gas no problem .


I've seen open pumps with "busted" cc readers and figured it was a ruse to send me inside past all the $$$ snacks.

The receipt printer might be a legal requirement though. My state lets the pump malfunction and the buyer can get a receipt inside if they really wanted.

 

[supton]

I get PO'd when the receipt printer is out of paper. I don't make a scene going in and asking for a receipt, but I make sure to leave my truck blocking the pump when it occurs. What's the point of pay at the pump if it doesn't give a receipt?

*

Personally I just don't buy off-brand gas. The gas might all be the same but the tanks aren't. Apparently the pumps may not be either.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

There is an Irving near us that has the slow pump problem a lot...the place is still very busy and people will just wait in long lines when it is taking one car 10 minutes to fill up. My wife went in to complain this week and the cashier told her that they were waiting for a new part and they expected it to be fixed by the end of the week! Maybe one of the filters mentioned above needed to be cleaned or replaced, IDK, doesn't sound like they were low on gas. This is a new station, I'd hope they don't have lots of water in their tanks...
I will stop at this place for snacks, drinks, the ATM, a propane tank, or a car wash, but usually not gas. If I do go there to fill up and they have the slow pump thing going on, I'll just stop the pump and head to the Mobil 2 miles away.

 

[Olas]

Take your 1 gal jerry can to the pump, and fill it up until the pump says it has dispensed 1 gal. Stop pumping. Look in can. Can you figure it the rest or do I need to spell it all out?

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Olas
Take your 1 gal jerry can to the pump, and fill it up until the pump says it has dispensed 1 gal. Stop pumping. Look in can. Can you figure it the rest or do I need to spell it all out?
Is that a calibrated jerry can? I'd hate to accuse fraud if I wasn't using a NIST traceable measuring device; and something I paid $9.99 for likely isn't NIST traceable (or apt to come with barn-door tolerance).

What if the pump dispenses 2% less than it should? That would be 0.4 gallons on my typical fillup, but a pretty small visual error in a single gallon can. 0.4/20 is what, not even 3 ounces? I guess you could see that, assuming a calibrated jerry can.

A lot of work to save pennies on gas.