Can I make a plea through this forum relating to the (over)filling of fuel (particularly diesel) tanks. I'm sure other backroom bikers will agree that one of the motoring nightmares we face is that of spilled diesel on a roundabout usually caused by filling the tank brim full just to get another litre or half litre in it. There's no real need to fill a tank further than the first pump 'knock off' and any that spills out is a waste
of money too. A few times I have watched drivers squeezing in the last few pence worth of diesel and explained to them the possible consequences of their actions. This has always been met with genuine surprise and a promise not to do it again. I ealise that the main offenders are commercial drivers but anything that can spread the word is worth a try.
Keep upright
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Cabman
Mainly agree with you. Spilled diesel is not only a menace on roundabouts but on forecourts too.
The only point I'd argue with you is the first "knock off". Fuel brand and tank design play a part but in my experience this can be up to 10 litres below tank capacity, which is significant if you're trying to work out consumption etc.
Terry
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Cabman
Mainly agree with you. Spilled diesel is not only a menace on roundabouts but on forecourts too.
The only point I'd argue with you is the first "knock off". Fuel brand and tank design play a part but in my experience this can be up to 10 litres below tank capacity, which is significant if you're trying to work out consumption etc.
Terry
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I am sorry to say that i am one of these people who fill it up to the brim. I find that certain garages have such frothy diesel that if I stopped at the first knock I would only have ¾ of a tank!
As for spilling, my petrol cap seems to have a really nice snug fit and nothing comes out. the reason i know this is that it does not have anb excess run off that falls out under the car but it would just roll own the side of the car and as there is never a diesel smear there I take it that it does not leak.
I think that perhaps you should forget about car drivers leaving diesel at r'bouts and look more towards lorries. More than once have I seen a lorry with a rag shoved in the top of the tank to replace the lost cap. Also I see fuel tanks that surely can't be safe as they always seem to be dripping,
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A fuel cap should not allow any fuel to escape, even if the car is turned upside down. They should ban those little green ones that have fins inside, which do not prevent fuel from being spilled. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this an MOT failure?
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I agree with J.
You'll never convince anyone to fill below the brim. Decent Fuel Caps are the key.
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These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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This is all news to me. Call me naive but I always assumed the filler cap was diesel-tight! What other joy is there for a diesel driver if he/she cannot take pride in a car which goes over 600miles between fill-ups?
Splodgeface
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"What other joy is there for a diesel driver.."
None at all! :-)
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There are two roundabouts near here which seem to suffer badly from diesel spillage - after a while we worked out that they're the first roundabouts in either direction from the council dustcart depot! The 'carts come out first thing in the morning having been brim-filled, and on some of their runs they can use pretty much a whole tank. As dustmen seem to be on "job and finish", they don't hang around at 5.30am when leaving the depot. Hey presto, instant skidpan!
Ian - my 7.5t taxi can be seen at:
groups.msn.com/honestjohn/davestaxiphotos.msnw?act...1
taken on the way back from taking two 8ft long commercial freezers to a supermarket in Perth!
I know why some lorry drivers can be seen with bits of old rag sticking out where their fuel cap used to be. It's not because they don't care, it's not because they have no morals. It's usually because they have an important timed delivery to make, they don't want to let their customer down, they do want to get paid, and the previous night some thieving b*****d bludgeoned the cap off and siphoned out 200 litres of diesel. It's b****y annoying, inconvenient and expensive when it happens to you. Trust me.
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there is so much spilt diesel on the roads that it can`t all have come out of tanks with temporary filler caps fabricated from rags. Surely every new vehicle leaves the manufacturer with a leak proof lockable cap . What happens to them all? an astonishing number of commercial vehicles still seem to use the old fashioned rubber cap that was sold as a temporary relacement (when they were legal). I live in a rural area and on auction day the road down to the auction mart is plastered with a mixture of mud and diesel . A fair percentage of this comes from agricultural vehicles whose drivers have little regard for other road users and probably none at all for motorcyclists , the evidence is clear to anyone driving past farm buildings or gate ways.Perhaps the price of diesel is too cheap ?
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It is if someone else is paying for it...
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But definitely not if you're paying for it yourself....
HF
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For forum members who do not ride motorcycles (and don't know), diesel on the road (especially when the roads are wet) is a similar experience to a motorcyclist as black ice is to a car driver, except that a motorcycle and its rider is more likely to have serios damage inflicted on it / them. I am sure that there are a majority of car drivers and lorry drivers who have no inkling of this and how dangerous deisel spilt on a road is.
Having said that, I also run a diesel car and brim it, as like CM, I am confident that there are no leaks, for the same reasons.
Reggie
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All fuel tanks must have some means of 'breathing' to allow the fuel to empty, and I suspect that this also allows very full tanks to leak via a vent pipe. I appreciate that there are ways round this (e.g. pressurised systems) but I'd be surprised if many commercial vehicles had them.
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This thread makes clear the potential nuisance of vehicles with FULL tanks. I can think of two reasons to support doing this - to "accurately calculate consumption", and to visit the filling station as rarely as possible and save time.
On reason 1, I suggest that by buying (say) 20 or 30 litres at a time (a) calculation is simpler and (b) more data is obtained so results are potentially more accurate. Can't argue with reason 2, though I would rather do without 20kg of unnecessary weight in my vehicle.
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My reason for filling the tank is that I take advantage of a supermarket coupon for 4p per litre off and only fill up once a fortnight.
However, as a motorcyclist I am aware of the slippee slidee risk and make sure the cap is well on.
Added to that I don't "ear-ole" the car round corners.
BTW, I found the worst car for slopping fuel out of the filler on a full tank was the Ford Capri. I concluded that the high narrow tank positioned behind the rear seat was the reason. I assume also that the tank had no baffles. Do any other cars share that design?
Brian
Still learning (I hope)
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fill to the brim here, and you'll lose a fair few litres as the stuff heats up in the sun, and overflows.
many craparks near us show evidence of this - the tar has 'melted' in the area where there has been an overflow.
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many craparks....
open air toilet maybe?
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And has the swear filter got the day off?
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oh dear!
"crap" is also featured in "crap", "Scrape" etc, hence the lack of filter...
my mistake, sorry.
(PS, dyslexia is an anagram of daily sex)
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Just wondered why we can say 'crapark' but not 's**ium'.
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Just wondered why we can say 'crapark' but not 's**ium'.
Must be you. No probs here with the word s0dium.
Hmm, time to be moved to silly thread me thinks.
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Yep, I will see you there sometime Dynamic :)
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Brian - I thought early Metros were famous for it, with a filler mounted low by the rear wheel?
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Andrew-T
I never had problems with petrol coming out on the move with the Metro I used to use.
However, filling it up was a nightmare because it used to blow back as it came up to full and covered your trousers and shoes with Arab-juice.
Brian
Still learning (I hope)
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Perhaps a little more diesel spilt in London would go some way to solving the problem with the crazy bikers - see two wheeled maniacs thread.
Just a thought - I am not serious, no I am not serious, Just a thought though!!
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Not sure about that! My Focus TDCI (Estate) did a good job of leaving the rather bemused driver of a Saxo VTR for dead last weekend + he got a face full of diesel smoke for his trouble!
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"What other joy is there for a diesel driver.." None at all! :-)
Not sure about that! My Focus TDCI (Estate) did a good job of leaving the rather bemused driver of a Saxo VTR for dead last weekend + he got a face full of diesel smoke for his trouble! (makes a bit more sense with the referance!)
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Hmm. I daresay things are improving, although I'd still rather not leave a smoke trail everywhere. Still, each to their own - I wasn't being entirely serious, hence the smiley...
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Can I make a plea through this forum relating to the (over)filling of fuel (particularly diesel) tanks. ......
Thanks for the tip mate, I'll bear this in mind, especially with my recently acquired van (diesel).
I'll think of you next time I fill up.
I know someone at my work place spilt a load of diesel, which immediately had to be cleaned up. It cause the Health and safety department quite a lot of grief, but the idiot concerned didn't seem to see the seriousness of the situation.
H
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Could try the Ronnie Barker approach as Fletcher in 'Porridge':
Having removed the petrol filler cap of the prison van for his own nefarious purpose, the van having subsequently broken down, and the cause of the breakdown having been discovered and brought to his attention:
"Would I take the petrol out of you Mr Mackay?"
Oz (as was)
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That was a long time ago, Oz - you must be nearly as old as me! (or have a tape of the programme) :-)
That's one they don't seem to repeat, for some reason...
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>>That's one they don't seem to repeat, for some reason...
Strangely enough, they do repeat it in Brazil.
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JBJ,
See my post under Mark's Nostalgia thread ;-)
Oz (as was)
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