Servo Staff / Operators - Pump Query

Iggle Piggle · 18-01-2017, 06:49 PM

Caltex servo in Adelaide's North East...pump has 3 hoses: 91, 95 and 98.

Main display of the pump is the usual 'This Sale' sort of stuff - how many litres and total cost.

Under this main display and immediately above each hose are little windows displaying the price per litre for each fuel type...and under the price per litre is what I have always assumed to be the amount of litres pumped from that tank as it is usually a figure in the 100s of 1000s.

Anyway, was pumping 98 (definitely 98 - nozzle clearly marked 98, it's charging me 98 price per litre, and the little 98 price window is lit up)...but each litre I pump is being added to the count displayed in the little 91 price per litre window (showing over 343000 litres and increases by 1 for every litre of "98" I pump). The tally for 95 and 98 both show 0000000000.

So what's the go out of the following...

(A) I got 98 and I am a womble that doesn't understand what that litre count is in the price per litre window?

(B) I got 98 and the servo guy just has his pump configured wrong so all consumption (91, 95 and 98) is shown on the one count rather than being accurately recorded across the counts for each of the 3 fuels.

(C) I got 91 and paid 98 price per litre, and Ajindah is running a dodgey operation.

(D) Other ????

Hope the description of pump display etc makes sense.

Pepscobra · 18-01-2017, 07:03 PM

I can't answer your query sorry, but I know there's a lot of strict legislation governing how fuel bowsers operate. I'm sure you got what you paid to put in.

FAS33 · 18-01-2017, 07:10 PM

What annoys me about some Caltex servos are that they put 98 on the 2nd bowser with 4 choices with only 3 at the front so you always gotta use the one behind. Dumb idea.

.:4:. · 18-01-2017, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAS33

What annoys me about some Caltex servos are that they put 98 on the 2nd bowser with 4 choices with only 3 at the front so you always gotta use the one behind. Dumb idea.

Try driving a diesel, I have a shell card for the work car and most shells only have 1 pump where I live. Throw in a person who has parked at the pump to buy the paper and some milk, then being behind 5 other diesels and a truck with 2 500 litre tanks... its hell. To the op. I have had 3 friends cop tanks of water from independent servos, your encounter does sound very sus. As regulated as pumps are there is nothing to say that someone cannot tamper with them. Not being an expert in the field, but each hose should be attached to a different underground tank. Nothing says that the pumps readouts could be faulty either. With the bum tanks my friends got from 3 different servos, when approached the station owner was conveniently un contactable.

the_scotsman · 18-01-2017, 08:18 PM

That's very weird. I can't believe they would risk deliberately making the 98 pump fill up with 91.

Weights and Measures monitor this exact thing.

Might be worth letting them know. I doubt it's something dodgy, as it would only be a counter for their own trackin purposes as far as I can think of. Those counters have no bearing on the sale of fuel. THough the fact the 91 reading was increasing is certainly a little suss.

ronwest · 18-01-2017, 09:21 PM

Just got back from filling up at local 711 (Mobil).

Pumps are as op described them.

Yes, "98" price window lit up and that litre counter rolled over as I filled.

91 and 95 lights off and counters stationary.

Kryton · 18-01-2017, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Try driving a diesel, I have a shell card for the work car and most shells only have 1 pump where I live. Throw in a person who has parked at the pump to buy the paper and some milk, then being behind 5 other diesels and a truck with 2 500 litre tanks... its hell. To the op. I have had 3 friends cop tanks of water from independent servos, your encounter does sound very sus. As regulated as pumps are there is nothing to say that someone cannot tamper with them. Not being an expert in the field, but each hose should be attached to a different underground tank. Nothing says that the pumps readouts could be faulty either. With the bum tanks my friends got from 3 different servos, when approached the station owner was conveniently un contactable.

I always laugh at the "I got water in my fuel from your servo and it ****** my car" people.
No, you didnt. you got condensation from your own fuel tank or a diesel fuel bug.
Pretty obvious it isnt the service stations fault when YOUR the only car that is water effected and the other 15000 thats been there that day hasnt been.
But no, I guess your car just magically sucked out all of the water from the servos tanks.

nstg8a · 18-01-2017, 10:09 PM

There's not enough margin in the retail of petrol to be worth risking getting busted having dodgy pumps.

commodorenutt · 18-01-2017, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Try driving a diesel, I have a shell card for the work car and most shells only have 1 pump where I live. Throw in a person who has parked at the pump to buy the paper and some milk, ......

Same with LPG.

Worst one I had was a woman blocking the pump who hadn't even got out yet, because she had to finish her smoke (with the windows up) before she could get out. Then she sauntered on in & waited for a barista coffee - not even putting fuel in. Eventually I caved in & drove across the front of her, blocking her in, where I could just reach the hose to the car.

On another similar occasion the "offender" was blocking the pump (without getting fuel) because they "didn't want to park in the shop's marked parking spots, as they are in the sun, and beside the pump is in the shade" - so everyone else waiting has to suffer because of their selfishness/narcissisim.

ronwest · 18-01-2017, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kryton

I always laugh at the "I got water in my fuel from your servo and it ****** my car" people.
No, you didnt. you got condensation from your own fuel tank or a diesel fuel bug.
Pretty obvious it isnt the service stations fault when YOUR the only car that is water effected and the other 15000 thats been there that day hasnt been.
But no, I guess your car just magically sucked out all of the water from the servos tanks.

You can be the unlucky first (or amongst the first few) though...

In the late 80's I was hosting a few Chinese business people and had the misfortune to fuel up at a Caltex service station (Woodville Rd at Villawood. Car (Calais) had been very low on fuel and after filling got about 200 metres up the road when it conked out.

Day was fairly full with a bit of sightseeing and a couple more meetings before dropping guests at airport.

I rang Caltex HO, explained circumstances to customer relations bod who organised a tow to a nearby Toyota dealership. They were to remove fuel tank, clean fuel lines, refuel, etc.

In the meantime Caltex organised a taxi which we used all day, including waiting for us at meetings, sightseeing, airport, etc.

Taxi back to Toyota where arrangements had been made for someone to hang around until I got there.

Everything paid for by Caltex.

Had a soft spot for Caltex ever since.

Iggle Piggle · 18-01-2017, 10:25 PM

Yeah, I'm thinking each hose probably delivers the legit fuel it is meant to - just the readout is screwed and it is logging all consumption for that bowser against the 91 tank whether it was 91, 95 or 98, because both 95 and 98 were 0000000000.

MDS69 · 19-01-2017, 07:23 AM

The issue with pumping say 98 as marked on the bowser from a 91 tank is that the servo can't make that change. You need to involve the tradies who lay the pipes etc. If a servo was to be caught and investigated then I am sure this will go all the way through installation and the dodgy set up found out with all parties prosecuted.

damo6 · 19-01-2017, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kryton

I always laugh at the "I got water in my fuel from your servo and it ****** my car" people.
No, you didnt. you got condensation from your own fuel tank or a diesel fuel bug.
Pretty obvious it isnt the service stations fault when YOUR the only car that is water effected and the other 15000 thats been there that day hasnt been.
But no, I guess your car just magically sucked out all of the water from the servos tanks.

What a load of crap. I suppose the $700 bill i got for a thorough fuel system removal and clean and the sample they gave me that looked like mud and the old pump that had a strainer full of gunk was purely my 1mth old brand new utes fault? And when i took my sample and box of rooted fuel parts to the servo i got it from and plonked it all on their counter and said what are they going to do about it which resulted in a full $700 refund because they admited i used a pump from their tanks that had just been refilled by tanker and didnt allow the tanks to settle before using didnt happen? Check your facts bud,it does and can happen quite easily

Itsme · 19-01-2017, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kryton

I always laugh at the "I got water in my fuel from your servo and it ****** my car" people.
No, you didnt. you got condensation from your own fuel tank or a diesel fuel bug.
Pretty obvious it isnt the service stations fault when YOUR the only car that is water effected and the other 15000 thats been there that day hasnt been.
But no, I guess your car just magically sucked out all of the water from the servos tanks.

Try telling that to a friend of mine who filled up, only got a few meters before his engine conked out, servo admitted it straight away as they had a prior delivery of fuel, they paid for his repairs, obtw all pumps were shut down once they realised of problem.