Are gas stations CHEATING YOU?

[Alfalfameister]

Has your FUEL CONSUMPTION gone up in the last few months and you don't know why?

For those who do a FULL TANK when they gas up, have you noticed that you now put in MORE LITERS than before?

Well, here's my conspiracy theory: GAS STATIONS (both the individual operators/owners AND the big petrol corporations) HAVE COLLUDED AND ARE CHEATING US.

That's a very bold claim, but I am stating that this is MY THEORY, MY OPINION only.

I have noticed that my fuel consumption has gone down from 8 km/liter to about 7 km/liter. By the way, I use DIESEL, so it may be different for you.

I used the following method to calculate fuel consumption:

1. Start with Full tank of gas, filled up at favorite gasoline station using "automatic"/"one-click lang" (i.e., none of that shaking the car and/or getting the last drop in); Reset counter to zero;
2. Travel (duh)
3. Fill up at same gas station ("automatic"/"one click"), preferably at same pump;
4. Take note of number on counter (kilometers traveled since last full tank), then divide that number by liters that you just put into your car;
5. REPEAT

On an almost empty tank, I used to put about 72 to 75 liters to fill up. Now, when I fill up, sometimes I have hit more than 80 liters!!! How can that be? I _NEVER_ hit that amount before. I thought it was a fluke, BUT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, I have gotten the same experience (80+ liters) when I fill up -- even with various gas stations.

Before, no matter the gas station, it would be about 72 liters of diesel, 75 when I have run it really to the ground. Now it's 80?!? No... 80+!!!

My fuel tank isn't any bigger than before, so...

Here's my THEORY:

Gas stations want to raise their prices even more (hey, gas prices continue to go up), but they are being limited by the government or something. Since the government is limiting the increase, gas stations have COLLUDED to calibrate their pumps in a certain way. What used to be 72 liters is now 80 liters -- an 11% DIFFERENCE! Instead of raising their prices by about 11%, they have given us instead about 11% LESS FUEL...

By the way, I have noticed this in the past few months, but was just annoyed with it. When I finally talked to a friend, he said TWO of his cars have also "INCREASED" the fuel consumption... He said that if it were just one car, then maybe something would have been wrong with that, but for two of his cars to show these "symptoms"...

So now my curiosity really is aroused, and I'm posting this on this board (feel free to copy&paste this in other boards to get more feedback).

Questions for all of you reading this:

1. Has your FUEL CONSUMPTION gone up in the last few months and you don't know why?

2. For those who do a FULL TANK when they gas up, have you noticed that you now put in more liters than before?

I'm trying to gather data, so I can write an editor of a newspaper or something.

--Alfalfameister

[mazdamazda]

For one... the automatic full tank sensor of gas stations are calibrated differently.

On my experience... Shell & SeaOil will fill it above the 'F' mark. With Petron it will just be right on the mark. I've been also getting consistent full tank consumption... around 40 (if I fill up right after the empty fuel warning goes on) to 45.

And another thing... contrary to your experience... my fuel consumption is improving... am estimating that I'll be hitting 10-11 km/L for my current reading (as compared to 8.5 to 8.9 km/L before).

[basti08]

hehehe....ako di nagpapa-full tank usually...
pero baka bago matapos ang month pa full tank namin before e-vat kicks in....
just a tip,,,sabi nila pag magpapalagay ka daw, if its not full tank, instruct the gas personnel to set it in "1" o "uno" kasi even though its slow hindi raw puro hangin ang kinakarga compared sa highest setting...

[Bogeyman]

The only things I noticed so far are:

1. My consumption actually improved when I switched to biodiesel, and
2. My consumption has been consistently good since the switch.

Even back when I was using regular diesel, my consumption has been the same between fill-ups (from full to half tank, a span of four days). Of course, the fact that I usually fill up the tank at my preferred gas station helped. Now, I get the same fuel consumption over five days. If it helps, I often fill up from the half-tank mark.

[theveed]

ALFA LONG TIME NO SEE!!!!

Personally, nagbabago lang consumo ko sa type of gas i put in (and which station)... So far consistent naman especially I travel the same stretch of road daily... Kahit weekend...

Pero parang dumadami fuel quality differences among stations... Medyo nafoforce ako to stick to one...

[j_avonni]

Pag nag-full tank ako when the gas empty indicator lit, it must be be between 45 to 47 liters. So far okay naman. Hindi pa tumaas sa 47 liters.

[1997]

Pwede yun for example ang full tank ng Kia is 40L lang tapos pag pa gas mo 40L din e d may daya talaga yun.

[warp]

1. Consumption improved from 7.5km/l to 9 km/l (unleaded gas)

[ghosthunter]

My fill-ups has been consistent ever since I got my car. Fuel consumption is also consistent with my driving habits. Bad habits = bad milage.

And since I have been using acetone in my gasoline, I have been getting slightly higher fuel milage than normal.

[likot]

magdala kayo ng galon or container para sakto hehehe!!! di ako maka relate di ako nagpapa full tank eh hehehehe!!!!

[JCEE]

pano ba ma cacalculate ang fuel consumption mo km/L? kahit di ka full tank? pano po ba? may gauge ba for these or self observation or formula? need ba talaga full tank para malaman yung km/L?

[squala]

AFAIK, you can only calculate your fuel consumption with a full tank. After topping up, set your trip meter to zero and travel a hundred or so kilometers. Then go back to get a full tank again. Divide the total kilometers traveled to the number of liters added. That's the best fuel economy figure you can get.

Here are some reminders when testing.

- During the second full tank, try as much as possible to do it in the same conditions as the first one. It's best to go to the same station and the same pump.

- Once the filling up stops, do not ask the gas boy to add some more so that your measurements are as accurate as possible. This applies to both the first and second full tanks.

- It's best to fill up when the engine isn't that hot yet. I read somewhere that a hot car loses fuel even when the engine is off. I think this has something to do with evaporation.

Hope this helps you. ;)

[Karding]

my fuel consumption has been the same ever since. An average of 28mpg highway/city driving.

[rst619]

my fuel consumption has been the same ever since. An average of 28mpg highway/city driving.

yout took the trouble of converting pa?

[finchy18]

My fuel consumption improves when I shifted to Petron XCS from Shell Premuim.. Ive got better mileage when I pump Xcs..

[zechs]

im kinda biased when it comes to filling up the tank, with the xtra mileage slogan in mind, i tend to conserve as much as fuel as i can. right now, we're hitting 12kms/L, we usually fill the tank about 33-34L every time...one full tank lasts about 10-11 days. :D

[attynorby]

Alfalfameister, saan ka nagpapa-fill-up? ...para maiwasan namin yang station na yan.

[kapitan88]

better bring a bottle of empty 1-liter coke, then ask to fill in 1 liter of gas, tapos compare mo sa sealed 1-liter ng coke kung pareho lang level.

[chris_d]

Last fill up ko Petron XCS, ok naman computation ko ng consumption sa accord -8.3km/l. I seem to get better mileage from Petron so I usually gas up now at Petron.

[edl100]

I also think that some Gas Stations do cheat us.

As for me, I put around P200 of gas everyday so I can easily monitor the fuel consumption of the car. Some gas stations fill up about 1/4 gas for the P200. Some fill up about 1/6 for P200 on unfamiliar gas stations.

I monitored a few gas stations in my area that fills up Gas more than what the other gasoline stations put in.

Try putting gas in Scout Rotonda in Q.C. beside Yellow Cab Pizza. They are consistent in Putting more gas than usual. Kaya laging puno dito sa PETRON Gas station na ito. Also, Petron in front of Cherry Congressional Ave is OK.

Notorious in Putting fewer gas than usual is
1) Petron Mindanao Ave near Pag-asa.
2) Petron Quezon Ave near Honda Q.A.


TRY IT and Compare so you will believe what I said. Or I may be wrong.