A note about filling up your diesel fuel tank

[srivett]

Please make sure the spout is pointing down before removing it from your filler neck. If you don't the next person to buy fuel will dump a bunch of icky diesel on the side of his car. Try it for yourself, pretend to put the nozzle back in the pump and then whip it at your car.

I don't like to touch diesel fuel or wash my car so this is kind of annoying.

Thanks, Steve

 

[1sttruck]

My 'drill' starts with taking out a baby wipe and placing it on the floormat. I add a measure of Stanadyne, get a paper towel and grab the nozzle with the towel. I always fill at the slowest setting, which can take a long time on a 35 gal tank, as a fast setting seems to generate more foaming with the possibility of overflowing as the pump may not shut off. When done, I carefully drain any fuel from the nozzle before putting it back on the pump, and then wipe my hands with the baby wipe. You really don't diesel on your door handles and steering wheel.

I have had some pumps overflow and dump a couple of gallons of fuel all over the side of the truck, I never go back to those stations, and it takes a few rinses with a wheel degreaser before you don't smell fuel. I also carry some of the Gojo citrus based hand cleaner in each vehicle for whenever a very good hand cleaner is needed.

 

[JHZR2]

I aqlways try to extract every last drop from the pump handle anyway... got to save the 2c every tank!

I hate using the large diameter nozzles at truckstops. I try to find the small diameter nozzles to make filling easier and minimize foaming.

JMH

 

[y_p_w]

quote:

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Originally posted by 1sttruck:
My 'drill' starts with taking out a baby wipe and placing it on the floormat. I add a measure of Stanadyne, get a paper towel and grab the nozzle with the towel. I always fill at the slowest setting, which can take a long time on a 35 gal tank, as a fast setting seems to generate more foaming with the possibility of overflowing as the pump may not shut off. When done, I carefully drain any fuel from the nozzle before putting it back on the pump, and then wipe my hands with the baby wipe. You really don't diesel on your door handles and steering wheel.

I have had some pumps overflow and dump a couple of gallons of fuel all over the side of the truck, I never go back to those stations, and it takes a few rinses with a wheel degreaser before you don't smell fuel. I also carry some of the Gojo citrus based hand cleaner in each vehicle for whenever a very good hand cleaner is needed.

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My dad leased an '84 Mercedes-Benz 300D-Turbo sedan. We got familiar with all the (self-serve) gas stations in the vicinity that sold diesel. In particular, one place required payment first; this was back in the day when some fuel pumps were left ready to pump by an attendant and were manually reset with a key. As soon as you mentioned the number of a diesel pump, the cashier would pull out a pair of poly gloves and give them to the customer. My uncles owned a couple of early 80's Olds diesels - perhaps the worst engines ever produced by GM. I remember waiting what seemed like an eternity because he was pumping that thing at about 1/5 the max flow rate to keep the foaming down.

I know of one gas station which has a tray of moist towlettes for anyone who wants them. They don't have diesel though.

 

[Rebel Rouser]

I've heard the foaming caused when filling with diesel fuel is the small hole at the end of the nozzle which is part of the automatic shut-off feature of the pump. It entrains air when flowing.

Some say that if you hold one of your fingers over this hole after the pump has automatically shut off, you can get several more gallons of fuel in your tank. This does involve withdrawing the nozzle a bit, and getting your fingers dirty, however.

 

[widman]

I have five diesels. The only problem is with gas station attendants who insist on putting in a few extra liters after the pump shuts off.

 

[Texcowboy]

Widman, I thought full service fuel stations were a thing of the past. At least they are here.

 

[reyjay1]

Tex, you should go to Oregon sometime then and view what I call their "make jobs" program. By law there no-one but an attendant is "allowed" to pump fuel. You would think you had stepped back into the sixties.

 

[reyjay1]

Widman, I always put in about 3L more after the pump shuts off of diesel.

 

[davefr]

...and we love it that way. Each year a legislator gets in bed with the gasoline dealers lobby and tries to make self service legal but the public goes nuts.

It was originally a safety issue but now it's strictly public preference. No getting out in the rain and getting gas on your hands.

California has self serve but their prices are higher then ours.

quote:

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Originally posted by reyjay1:
Tex, you should go to Oregon sometime then and view what I call their "make jobs" program. By law there no-one but an attendant is "allowed" to pump fuel. You would think you had stepped back into the sixties.

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[labman]

I would think the owners would love self service, one cashier on the payroll and 10 pumps, many pay at the pump with a credit card.

It is bad enough getting a little gas on your hands, let alone diesel. My one dog wouldn't come near me if I got gas on me.

Try a shot of silicone spray oil before filling. May be enough silicone to cut the foaming and not hurt anything else. Flame me if you next UOA is high in silicon.

 

[mechtech]

Baby wipes, condoms, towels.....
Wait, you guys are serious!

 

[Sparkman]

I much prefer to fill the tank myself. That way I can add FP, Power Service, or whatever, accurately and without issues. On my Jetta I like to fill it right to the top to get accurate fuel economy data, and I'm pretty sure most attendants would stop when the foam shuts off the pump the first time.

I was recently in Oregon and didn't mind the full service at all, but of course I don't add FP to rental cars. Oh wait, there was that time I added 16oz of FP to a 25' Penske truck....what a difference that made!

I always thought the dribbling pump was a male/female issue, with males being well versed in the benefits of shaking the last few drops off of the nozzle.

 

[Radio]

You guys aren't serious!!! uh...you ARE???

About Oregon: As a 23-year resident, and diesel owner with a family background (dad and grandpa) owning service stations, I might have an opinion to share with you. You can pump your own DIESEL all day long; NOTHING against state law there; you simply can't pump your own GASOLINE. This can be easily confirmed with a check of the law on the state website, or call the Fire Marshall's office in Salem. Not that you might run into widespread ignorance on this issue by hourly wage earners or sometimes even station assistant managers. Educate them, they simply DON'T KNOW THE LAW. And now you DO. For awhile I carried a printout with highlighting to shut up the ignorant; later I migrated to the big-truck fuel islands at truck stops (see below) and my problems ended.

About large nozzles: These are found practically only at truck stops, virtually all service stations use the "consumer" small size. I'd prefer to go to a truck stop anyway, the fuel's usually cheaper and CERTAINLY fresher. Plus a total disappearance of "self-service" educational problems when I lived in Oregon. Additionally, as Rebel Rouser pointed out, it's not the size of the nozzle that causes foaming, but if you like the teeny nozzles more power to you.

About baby wipes etc.: Good heavens people. "icky diesel"??? (I guess it takes all types.) JUST GET A SET OF CHEAP GLOVES and keep it behind the seat or wherever you also keep your fuel lubricity additives. It doesn't matter if you pump diesel or gas, you never know what idiot was just in front of you and spilled fuel everywhere. It's simply a fact of life that if you touch ANY pump you're likely to get some crap on your hands. Man, I'm exactly with JHZR2 and will squeeze every last drop from that nozzle. As for srivett and company, simply assume that every single nozzle you handle will "P" all over you and treat it as such; you'll be fine from then on.

(Sparkman: Right on, brother!)

--Radio

 

[McKittrick]

I like to fill my diesel all the way when I add a mix of additives, stanadyne and power service cetane improver. My truck will take an extra 5 gallons after the initial stop from the high speed foaming. I do like a pump which will let you control the flowrate to a very slow rate that will not foam for final fill.

And there is something about smelling like a member of the U-boat fleet

 

[tom slick]

for $7 at the hardware store you will get 50 fill ups worth of rubber gloves. that will keep the intoxicating aroma of diesel off your hands and they are disposable too!

 

[widman]

We don't have self service or credit cards. I have accounts at two stations for my small fleet of 12 vehicles, but in the rest of the country it is cash only. When there is a shortage they let me send over a couple of 55 gallon drums to be filled(1 gasoline, 1 diesel) so we won't run out or wait in lines.

 

[SKUNKY]

" It's simply a fact of life that if you touch ANY pump you're likely to get some crap on your hands. "

That's why when I finish filling and go in to take a wizz, I wash my hands first..

 

[Pick]

For some strange reason, down here in Florida, there are very few credit card diesel pumps. Up in Ohio, non credit card pumps are few and far between.

Fueling up at a non-truck stop station is not an issue in Nort Central Florida. There are so many diesel pickups and cars, that stale fuel is not a problem.