When to Fill up at the station to get the best value.

[Explorer]

The Theory is simple. To get the BEST value at the gas station when you are filling up your gas tank is to either fill up in the EARLY morning or to Fill up LATE at night when the Air and ground is cool and the tanks under the station are in a settled state. Is this True? or another line of BS? Where I live it's hard actually test due to the price of gasoline fluctuating so frequently. I paid $2.49/gal this morning for Mid-Grade. By the time I go past the same station again tonight the price I'm sure will have changed to something higher or lower. Just from the station to my house which is approx 16 miles on the otherside of the town price was $2.69/gal at same name station for same grade. Is there a way to acutally test this theory? I'm guessing record the amount of fuel that is actually pumped if i can get there when the fuel happens to be the same price?

[SVOboy]

Someone on here way back when validated this...it can't hurt I say.

Also, I think MetroMPG has mentioned his gas pumps are volume corrected for temperature.

[Explorer]

Cool cool, thanks for the response... and at least now everyone knows that Hey It's worth keeping in the back of your mind when your out looking for gas between 11pm-5am.... yes all you party goers that forget to get gas BEFORE you go out... lol Thanks again SVOboy...

[JanGeo]

AHHHHHHHH The whole point of underground tanks is stable temeratures so I don't think you will be seeing any big change in the density of fuel between morning and night. Maybe better to gas up just after the tanks are filled or just before they are empty - fresh (cold tanker truck) gas or less volatile components (already evaporated off in the tank).

[SVOboy]

There has none the less got to be a slight difference.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

There has none the less got to be a slight difference.

Yes, possibly a slight difference. But the pump calibration would have a greater effect. Pumps are calibrated to +/- 0.5%. Choose the pump that registers 99.5% of the fuel rather than the pump that registers 100.5%. Hmmm. That might be difficult to do since the test results are not actually posted on the pump.

[JanGeo]

If you knew how much gasoline expands and contracts per degree you would realize how little we are talking about unless there is a big temperature difference. Now if you wanted to check the fuel pump then get a 5 gallon ridged fuel container that you fill at various pumps and see which one reads the least amount of fuel pumped. I recommend a 5 gallon container because that is the size they use to test the calibration of the pumps and stations that "play" with the pump calibration usually pump less below and above 5 gallons to cheat you of the fuel.

[Compaq888]

I have been told to refuel at night. I rarely do that.

[philmcneal]

here in canada, volume is corrected to 2 degrees C i think or 23 which ever one sounded more reasonable.

[JanGeo]

I just got a full tank today and they had the truck deliver this morning and they had not raised the price yet PHEW got lucky ! Usually I get gas on Sunday and the truck seems to come on Monday so I got fresh gas this time - will see if it affects the mileage. I think I will get gas on Sunday to get the better price - paid $2.459 today but I already see local prices at $2.699 for Reg $2.899 for Prem looks like $3 a gallon is not far away - say a 10 to 24 cent price difference from Newport to Tiverton where I gas up.

[pertyfly]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

here in canada, volume is corrected to 2 degrees C i think or 23 which ever one sounded more reasonable.

Actually, all around here are volume corrected to 15C

This it Ontario. I would imagine at least all of ontario if not canada would be similar

[molecule]

praying to the gas pumps is exactly what the government gods would have you do
i'll do alot to improve my mileage...
but i wont f'ing change my way just to see how bad we have it in the end...
sometimes you guys are just nuts !!!

[JanGeo]

Hey I just heard that the 711 stores sometimes lowers the gas price at midnight several cents a gallon - then raises them back up in the morning. Sounds like such a DEAL!!

[SVOboy]

What the hell for?

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

Hey I just heard that the 711 stores sometimes lowers the gas price at midnight several cents a gallon - then raises them back up in the morning. Sounds like such a DEAL!!

If that is true, it would be a great deal for night owls and 2nd shift people.

[tvent]

Read somewhere turning the gas nozzle upside down and pulling the handle, after you've stopped the pump, gets the rest of the fuel into your car from the gas line. Has this one been debunked yet?

[Gary Palmer]

I think that what this is talking about is essentially making sure that any gas that is between the pump and the nozzle, is put into your tank. Essentially you turn the handle so that the hose is coming out the top and then you hold the hose so that the hose has a downhill run to the pump.

I don't know how much gas you get, but you do get a little bit. My brother used to fill his motorcycle with gas from the hoses, when he worked at a station and he could always get enough gas to go a few miles more.

I think you get a little, but hey it's going in your tank or it's going in the next guy's. Your choice?

[Jack]

Originally Posted by krousdb

Yes, possibly a slight difference. But the pump calibration would have a greater effect. Pumps are calibrated to +/- 0.5%. Choose the pump that registers 99.5% of the fuel rather than the pump that registers 100.5%. Hmmm. That might be difficult to do since the test results are not actually posted on the pump.

I would be willing to bet that since the calibration can be checked by the actual stations that they are all calibrated to 100.1% to 100.45%. Seems that they give you the rip everywhere else I am sure that they are not too keen on "giving away" a full 1% on every tank.

[JanGeo]

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

If that is true, it would be a great deal for night owls and 2nd shift people.

EXACTLY - one of the girls downstairs has a friend that work there and she hung around one night and sure enough they lowered the price.

Originally Posted by tvent

Read somewhere turning the gas nozzle upside down and pulling the handle, after you've stopped the pump, gets the rest of the fuel into your car from the gas line. Has this one been debunked yet?

You used to be able to do that but now the hose nozzle is disabled when the pump stops.

I'm thinking a catch can to get the overflow when I over fill or adding a second tank with the filler just below the regular one inside the filler spout.

[JanGeo]

Hey here's a good one for ya - I gassed up tonight and when the tank was full I was looking for the overflow - instead I heard a sucking sound - the damn nozzle was sucking up the overflow back into the station pump - RIGHT OUT OF MY TANK!

[RGR]

Originally Posted by Gary Palmer

I think that what this is talking about is essentially making sure that any gas that is between the pump and the nozzle, is put into your tank. Essentially you turn the handle so that the hose is coming out the top and then you hold the hose so that the hose has a downhill run to the pump.

I don't know how much gas you get, but you do get a little bit. My brother used to fill his motorcycle with gas from the hoses, when he worked at a station and he could always get enough gas to go a few miles more.

I think you get a little, but hey it's going in your tank or it's going in the next guy's. Your choice?

I used to do that when I first started driving, and the gas station guy showed me that
the next guy would start out owing a couple cents to refill the hose...
He showed that after the pump reset on the next sale it registered what
I had fudged out of the hose!
Most hoses these days won't let you drain them like that, some kind of
valve that will not open with the pump off...

[JanGeo]

yup and it is also a safety feature so the hose is not presurized when the pump is turned off in case of a break in the hose.

[JanGeo]

Hey I got gas today and pumped until full - maybe not completely but I did spill some and it only took 9.511 gallons and ScanGauge indicated I burned 9.9 gallons - is the temp compensation on a hot day going to give me better gas mileage because it pumped more "hot expanded" gas into my tank giving teh BTU of gas that would have been at standard temperature so that the next tank of gas will yield less MPG when the gas cools off (or heats up more)?

[ZugyNA]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

AHHHHHHHH The whole point of underground tanks is stable temeratures so I don't think you will be seeing any big change in the density of fuel between morning and night. Maybe better to gas up just after the tanks are filled or just before they are empty - fresh (cold tanker truck) gas or less volatile components (already evaporated off in the tank).

Gas in the tanks will be pretty much at ground temps....EXCEPT right after it is delivered...because the truck and storage tanks are above ground.

BIG NO NO...fill up with cold gas and then park your car right away on a hot day?

[JanGeo]

I already lost $0.30 from not getting it a day earlier from the price increase . . . so I didn't have a lot of choice about getting it then at whatever temp it was at. Maybe time for the IR Temp Probe during fillup. My question is if the gas is warm then they gave me more than indicated to compensate for it being expanded already and thus it took less to fill my tank giving me the illusion of having burned less than expected. The next tank should show less MPG because the expanded gas was used to fill it instead of normally colder gas that would have expanded in my tank. Anyway time will tell. Got 49mpg driving back from the fillup so it

[honda_afford]

Glad someone mentioned getting the drips, I'm a believer myself.

I don't know if it's just rural areas in AL, or if it's everywhere, but there are still a good many pumps that aren't digital, and have a switch on the pump to turn it off. Anyway, a year or two ago ( when gas started going up) I decided I would shake, twist, lift the hose and squeeze the pump to get every drop I could. sometimes I lift the nozel out just enough to see how much is comming out, and when I can, I turn off the pump and then squeeze the trigger to get everything out of the hose. I know it's not much, but as much as I've done this, I like to think it's given me alittle extra (free) gas collectivly.

I have considered going pump to pump with a small container (perhaps after the station is closed) but I guess my concious would preffer I not do that.