Cheating / Short Fuelling Tricks at Petrol Pumps

[IndicaDLS2002]

one of the easiest way to avoid this "quantity cheating" headache is what I realized below of course nobody here is even discussing the quality.

Started filling full tanks initially for measuring the mileage or fuel efficiency of the car but slowly realized that doing a fulltank(after hitting reserve) everytime helps in many other ways.

1. Reset your trip meter on tankfull & It helps you track the fuel efficiency and can help you improve your driving, lot of info out there on how to drive to get good fuel efficiency. Also helps with monthly usage tracking!

2. Every time your fuel hits reserve & you do a full tank fill, the litres & amount you pay should be more or less same based on some minor increases or decreases in prices. It cannot vary too much, for example say one tankfull costs 3K + or - say 2%.

3. Its impossible for the pump to say they filled worth 3250 because its not possible! Unless of course you drove around a lot more after it hit reserve. Newer cars have DTE (Distance to empty) display which again helps even with that.

4. After tankfull the auto stop latch on the pump comes to a stop and sometimes fuel spills out & your car fuel indicator will show full so again confirms you got right quantity.

5. Saves a lot of time for yourself & others because each time you go to the pump it takes at least 5 mins to get in & get out. So more trips you make more time lost!


Rest of course quality can always be tampered so stick to BS4 pumps!

 

[generalmax]

Tips from Swami Ramdev!!!

 

[gandhi]

Whenever I go to fuel pumps, I ask for tank full to fill my Honda City Diesel.

Still people are thinking Honda means Petrol. So I always double check with attendant whether he fills from Diesel. He uses the Diesel guns only from the machine. Attendant were demanding me to look at zero in all fuel pumps wherever I visited. Even I watch it carefully.

Even after auto stop latch closing, the attendant try to pour more fuel into the tank in installments (start & stop) I thought this to avoid frothing and to bring to round figure. But none of the fuel stations they stopped at round figure.

Now here I understood start & stop of dispensing guns is a cheating trick.

Are they following the correct method of filling or cheating me?

My plan of actions:
1. Watch for Diesel gun. (I'm doing currently)
2. Look at the Zero (I'm doing)
3. Ask them to stop at auto latch (Not doing)
4. pay using the Debit card (I'm doing)
5. Ask for the Bill (Not doing)

 

[Figoian]

My plan of actions:
1. Watch for Diesel gun. (I'm doing currently)
2. Look at the Zero (I'm doing)
3. Ask them to stop at auto latch (Not doing)
4. pay using the Debit card (I'm doing)
5. Ask for the Bill (Not doing)

Start doing 3 & 5 as well. As you are paying by card, round off figure doesn't matter.

 

[IndicaDLS2002]

Even after auto stop latch closing, the attendant try to pour more fuel into the tank in installments (start & stop) I thought this to avoid frothing

Well they will also shake your car a little too when they do that, taxi guys do this a lot, apparently a tank of 40-60 liters could have a liter or two worth of air bubbles locked in so it seems one might be able to clear the air & create space for more fuel by shaking the car.

Let's just hope that they don't pump the air bubbles from their underground tank when they fill the fuel & hope the meter does not account for that air volume too, I am no expert in measurements and calibration, so I frankly don't know.

 

[Prads]

I doubt they can cheat you by pressing the gun differently,my friend claims so but i doubt it, am 99% sure most pumps cheat by calibrating the machines internally regardless of the tamperproof locks or whatever story.And others use distraction tactics ,this money is between the cashier & attendants,in rare cases the manager is in the loop.

Different lock speed are given to the nozzle handle to set the pace of filling,if its on full lock/speed my car overflows before the cut off engages on full tank.
Also some cars have fuel backing out if given full lock,i think old Zen was one of them.

Also some pumps dont prefer diesel on full speed lock because diesel takes more effort to pump than petrol.

Only thing we can do is make sure we tell the attendant the fuel type(petrol/diesel) & liters or amount in english & local language,eye on the meter & leave.

 

[gandhi]

Start doing 3 & 5 as well. As you are paying by card, round off figure doesn't matter.

Yes. I understood this by reading this thread.

Well they will also shake your car a little too when they do that, taxi guys do this a lot, apparently a tank of 40-60 liters could have a liter or two worth of air bubbles locked in so it seems one might be able to clear the air & create space for more fuel by shaking the car.

No one shakes my car as of now to add more liters of fuel. If I do tank full, it will last for a month for me. Unless I take it for a long drive on Week ends. So additional 1 or 2 more liters doesn't matter.

Let's just hope that they don't pump the air bubbles from their underground tank when they fill the fuel & hope the meter does not account for that air volume too, I am no expert in measurements and calibration, so I frankly don't know

Planned to fill at the morning from next filling onwards instead of in evening as per previous posts in this thread. I hope this will take care of air bubbles coming thru hosepipe during filling.

 

[vijayvm]

Be careful while filling the fuel at bunks - keep a watch on (a) Tank opening in the rear (that they are not filling some other can etc) (b) Reviewing the Meter which displays the fuel quantify (make sure it gets set to ZERO) (c) Keep monitoring fuel is increasing in the car indicator - that its increasing

I was subjected to a fraud, which i didn't check the 3rd point. on 16th Jan night visited Sri Venkatesa agencies, Indian oil petrol bunk opposite Adyar Ananda Bhavan (after Narayana Hrudayala, but before Chandrapura circle/fly over), when you are heading towards Hosur road towards Hosur, Tamilnadu.

Fraud was like this.
1. Attendent asks how much.. i said full tank
2. They try to fill - suddenly say they capped it only for Rs 500.. cap (its wrong.. because the meter showing 500.30 not 500.00).. i thought probably they are genuine..
- when this first fill happening, one more attendent distract your attention and asks you to switch off the engine and switch it on.. so you can't check whether really being filled in to the vehicle.
- then they inform by mistake they filled for 500 only.. now they will fill the tank.. they approx know how much is full for Innova.. stop at Rs. 2300 say tank is full [i did not verify innova fuel gauge]..
- they asked to pay for 500+2300, but they filled only for 2300 (not the initial 500).

i realized after 10kms that some thing fishy, realized innova fuel gauge is not 95-100%, but at 80%.. after 10mts realized i was duped and cheated.

yesterday night while returning to Bangalore took 2km detour to U-turn and enquire.. they returned the money.

My advise is be careful, avoid distractions with in the vehicle and avoid distractions from the Petrol bunk staff..

All the best ... Keep looking out the your car tank, Car fuel gauge and Petrol bunk fuel gauge..

 

[IndicaDLS2002]

yesterday night while returning to Bangalore took 2km detour to U-turn and enquire.. they returned the money.

This part is unbelievable so after few days, customer comes back alleging that they were cheating & they not only accepted it but also immediately returned the money as well?!

 

[patil]

This part is unbelievable so after few days, customer comes back alleging that they were cheating & they not only accepted it but also immediately returned the money as well?!

@IndicaDLS2002: This means that they are doing this kind of fraud to every other person, Hence with high confidence they returned the money . Best option is to avoid this particular pump.

 

[GrandRk]

I get down from my car and then tell attendant to make Tank Full. By doing this you can stand near to attendant and see what he is doing, you can also keep eye on the counter.

So my advice to you all is to get down from your car and watch entire activity standing there, it takes hardly couple of minutes.

 

[~~DD~~]

This part is unbelievable so after few days, customer comes back alleging that they were cheating & they not only accepted it but also immediately returned the money as well?!

This happened to me as well
It was for my bike, @ the Indian Oil Petrol bunk near Sony World signal, Bangalore.
Happened sometimes back. I told the guy to put petrol for Rs 100. He started putting petrol and the cashier distracted me. When I looked again on the meter it was stopped at Rs 30. I told him I asked for Rs 100. Then the cashier said "Put for 70 more because he asked for Rs 100"

Then the twist. He didn't reset the meter and put for Rs 40 more so the meter is now showing 70.

I was so confused and left the spot after giving Rs 100. On my way back I realized that he cheated me. Took a U turn and went to the pump again. I told the guy who put the petrol "You put for Rs 70 instead of Rs 100, I am going to consumer court"

He was so scared (a little boy, must be 18-20 of age) and he told "Sorry sir will give for Rs 30 more now" and gave it.

 

[vijayvm]

I get down from my car and then tell attendant to make Tank Full. By doing this you can stand near to attendant and see what he is doing, you can also keep eye on the counter.

So my advice to you all is to get down from your car and watch entire activity standing there, it takes hardly couple of minutes.

I did today for filling my vehicle... Steps i have followed.
0. First got down from my vehicle.
1. Informed full tank
2. made sure that Petrol bunk meter set to "Zero"
3. Asked the attended to "Auto stop" and no top-up
4. Also validated the car fuel gauge showing full tank
Am happy today that i perceived that i was not cheated

This happened with Shell petrol bunk, Bannerghatta road, GOTTIGERE just before NICE corridor.

 

[~~DD~~]

If it is Shell you don't have to worry much. They behave like professionals

 

[Rahul401]

I always fill at Shell petrol pumps only. True professionals and honest bunch of people. The extra rupees per liter is worth for the peace of mind.