Pumps

robbie_998

Any fuel for filling up your car.

Generally I've found any station I go to I have to keep my hand on the pump for petrol to go in.

Rather annoying cos anytime I get petrol I always go all the way to the top.

Are there any pumps that are automatic like that and like in the U.S ?

Or am I just stupid and not noticing some kind of clip on the pumps ?

Talk about lazy :pac:

L1011

They're illegal in Ireland for petrol.

Not illegal for diesel but generally the clips are removed for all of them. I know a tiny number of stations that leave the diesel ones on for cars (Topaz Kilbeggan and a few others); more common for trucks.

Bandara

Most modern cars have fuel caps that fit perfectly into the handle of the pump allowing you to operate it hands free.

E39MSport

My Amazon used to take ages to fill up so stuck the cap under the trigger as HT says and sat in the car.

Got shouted at a few times over Tannoy and also had till attendant come out to see what I was up to.

However, once out of hundreds of times I had fuel fly out of the filler when then trigger didn't disengage but I assume this would have happened anyway.

Keep an eye on the filler in the mirror and listen for the disengage click.

Nissan doctor

robbie_998 wrote: »

Any fuel for filling up your car.

Generally I've found any station I go to I have to keep my hand on the pump for petrol to go in.

Rather annoying cos anytime I get petrol I always go all the way to the top.

Are there any pumps that are automatic like that and like in the U.S ?

Or am I just stupid and not noticing some kind of clip on the pumps ?

Talk about lazy :pac:

:P Americans get confused when they have to do something for themselves:D


The american system is fine if you live there are are used to your car, I've always found it a bit of a pain with rentals and prepay pumps as you don't know how much it'll take to fill, so you normally end up having to make two trips into the shop, 1 to pre-pay, then another to pay more to continue filling or get your change because you paid too much:(

si_guru

Nissan doctor wrote: »

:P Americans get confused when they have to do something for themselves:D

Too true.

Bodhan

I used to like the auto pumps in New Zealand. You pressed how much you wanted to put in E.G. 20 dollars and the pump would cut off at the right time. BTW you could also press fill up and the pump would keep going.

Simples

mathepac

Bodhan wrote: »

I used to like the auto pumps in New Zealand. You pressed how much you wanted to put in E.G. 20 dollars and the pump would cut off at the right time. BTW you could also press fill up and the pump would keep going.

Simples

Ah yes, the ongoing Americanisation of NZ.

Bodhan

mathepac wrote: »

Ah yes, the ongoing Americanisation of NZ.

Still better than what the English did too them

_Kaiser_

Bodhan wrote: »

I used to like the auto pumps in New Zealand. You pressed how much you wanted to put in E.G. 20 dollars and the pump would cut off at the right time. BTW you could also press fill up and the pump would keep going.

Simples

Most of the "prepay" stations work in the same way - there's one in Ratoath that you would go in, tell the attendent how much ya wanted, pay, go back to the car and fill the amount you'd paid for after which the pump would cut off, replace nozzle and drive away.

It'd probably cut down on the drive-offs if they all worked like that and it wouldn't/shouldn't take any longer than it does now?

Gary ITR

With the amount of money I'm spending on a fill now I'm going to hold the damn thing and make sure not to spill a drop! :pac:

GreeBo

Pre pay in the states is usually:
- you give them your card/details whatever and they charge whatever it is you actually take from the pump without you going back in. The pump gives a receipt to you for confirmation.

voojeq

Bodhan wrote: »

I used to like the auto pumps in New Zealand. You pressed how much you wanted to put in E.G. 20 dollars and the pump would cut off at the right time. BTW you could also press fill up and the pump would keep going.

Simples

saw that in Poland too

TestTransmission

Bodhan wrote: »

I used to like the auto pumps in New Zealand. You pressed how much you wanted to put in E.G. 20 dollars and the pump would cut off at the right time. BTW you could also press fill up and the pump would keep going.

Simples

Most Tesco petrol stations have this nowadays?

Gophur

Irish oil distributors have successfully squeezed the retail margins so much that they are the ones reaping the rewards from fuel sales.

The margins at the pumps are so small it's not viable for most fuel retailers to sell just fuel alone, they need the footfall of motorists into the shop to buy other products.

Pkiernan

It's so typical that the autofill option in illegal in Ireland. It's for the children I suppose...

Here, one can set it filling, clean the windows, check the oil. With a 26 gallon tank, you have plenty of time!
Since Irish drivers never clean their windows or check their oil, they might as well stand there like muppets squeezing their pumps!

robbie_998

why is it illegal ?

i mean very popular in the USA ?


i know it seems lazy on my part but i was filling up last night on the way home from work and i dont like freezing my bollox off in the cold and wet just to hold a nozzle.

auto fill would be nice !

heate

I imagine it has something to do with some stupid law that some idiot decided was valid. Plus a lot of people still only put €20 into the car or what have you and would end up not having the cash when the pump magically fills the tank up to the brim!
Out here in Switzerland I leave the car fill itself go into the shop buy what I want and then pay for the fuel or indeed I go to the neat smoking areas and have a cigarette whilst my car fills up - multitasking for men.
I don't think the prepay system is good business practice in Ireland anyway with slim margins get wallets into the profitable convienience stores.
I suppose be thankful you're not in New Jersey where self service is banned - and you pay for the attendant in your inflated gas price!

eringobragh

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Except for when your stuck in the middle of nowhere and the machine was asking me for the zip code from where the credit card was registered! That was a nervous trip to the next gas station hoping not to run out in the middle of a desert road!

I put in 90210 into the pump when I was asked in LA and it worked..result :pac:

L1011

robbie_998 wrote: »

why is it illegal ?

Self-service was legalised in the 1970s and it was clearly deemed dangerous at that stage. I suspect it being legal for diesel was a wording slip (it bans it for 'petroleum spirit', which does not describe diesel)

Older pumps were dreadful for detecting when the tank was full, so they had a point.

challengemaster

MYOB wrote: »

Self-service was legalised in the 1970s

Jaysus, I knew about the condoms thing back then, but self-service too? :eek: :pac:

randylonghorn

Gary ITR wrote: »

I'm going to hold the damn thing and make sure not to spill a drop! :pac:

Pkiernan wrote: »

... they might as well stand there like muppets squeezing their pumps!

robbie_998 wrote: »

... i dont like freezing my bollox off in the cold and wet just to hold a nozzle.

What's this thread about again?!

>_>

<_<



Sorry! :-o

robbie_998

i had an experiance trying to fill up the other night in the garage at 3:15 am

your man called me over and told me to prepay.

but i didnt actually know how much was going into the car. just fill it up and see what ever it was.

he looked at me like i was dodgy and took down my reg and got 2 cameras to stare at me.

my fill cost €54.86 - i could not have anticipated that !


but with new technology and so on and the likes of applegreen and tesco with self service pumps could this not be something wroth investing in for auto fill pumps ?

challengemaster

If it's illegal it wont be happening so not worth investing in...

Nissan doctor

robbie_998 wrote: »

i had an experiance trying to fill up the other night in the garage at 3:15 am

your man called me over and told me to prepay.

but i didnt actually know how much was going into the car. just fill it up and see what ever it was.

he looked at me like i was dodgy and took down my reg and got 2 cameras to stare at me.

my fill cost €54.86 - i could not have anticipated that !


but with new technology and so on and the likes of applegreen and tesco with self service pumps could this not be something wroth investing in for auto fill pumps ?

You couldn't fit another 14c in?:P

Bandara

With the amount of complete morons out there that don't see anything wrong with filling their car with petrol while smoking I hope to God they never allow auto fill with petrol, it would be like bonfire night.

I had a hero the other day actually SITTING on the pump having a smoke while his mate filled a petrol car. And what I lifted him out of it he genuinely had no idea what he had done wrong. His cigarette was approx 2 ft from the nozzle that was filling

dr.fuzzenstein

I had one of those extra sturdy paperclips in my car, I took a bit off that and bent it into shape.
It fits perfectly into the holes where the clips have been removed, so the automatic works as it's supposed to.
Have been filling my car that way for ten years now, no one ever shouted at me so far.;)
Since I always fill my car to the brim and don't refill till the light's on, I have to do it that way, due to the length of my commute it would be silly doing it any other way.
I find the petrol cap only fits badly.
I even started a thread on the whole subject, got some abuse for it, too.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67231473

pajo1981

robbie_998 wrote: »

why is it illegal ?

i mean very popular in the USA ?


i know it seems lazy on my part but i was filling up last night on the way home from work and i dont like freezing my bollox off in the cold and wet just to hold a nozzle.

auto fill would be nice !

Laziness is not doing something you ought to do.

Seeing as their is zip to be gained from squeezing a nozzle, I don't see how not doing it is being lazy.

Blazer

Must remember that tip about the fuel cap next time.. they're fúckin freezing to hold at the petrol station near me in this weather and I couldn't be arsed

Gary ITR

Hammertime wrote: »

With the amount of complete morons out there that don't see anything wrong with filling their car with petrol while smoking I hope to God they never allow auto fill with petrol, it would be like bonfire night.

I had a hero the other day actually SITTING on the pump having a smoke while his mate filled a petrol car. And what I lifted him out of it he genuinely had no idea what he had done wrong. His cigarette was approx 2 ft from the nozzle that was filling

Whats the story with mobiles? I saw a lad being shouted at over the tannoy to get off the phone while filling up

MarkR

Nissan doctor wrote: »

:P Americans get confused when they have to do something for themselves:D

No we don't. (If you can generalise, so can I)

JDPhotography

TestTransmission wrote: »

Most Tesco petrol stations have this nowadays?

never buy petrol from a tesco

used to have a bike before i got into cars

filled up 1 day in tesco Drogheda, think it took 25 euro to fill, had run out by the time i got to Kilmoon, about 15 min drive :eek:

Nissan doctor

JDPhotography wrote: »

never buy petrol from a tesco

used to have a bike before i got into cars

filled up 1 day in tesco Drogheda, think it took 25 euro to fill, had run out by the time i got to Kilmoon, about 15 min drive :eek:

?

Safe to say it was either a faulty pump or you had a leak.

working fool

JDPhotography wrote: »

TestTransmission wrote: »

Most Tesco petrol stations have this nowadays?

never buy petrol from a tesco

used to have a bike before i got into cars

filled up 1 day in tesco Drogheda, think it took 25 euro to fill, had run out by the time i got to Kilmoon, about 15 min drive :eek:

Do u have a jet bike or somethin ?

JDPhotography

Nissan doctor wrote: »

?

Safe to say it was either a faulty pump or you had a leak.

nope just the petrol may as well have been water

filled it up again at kilmoon then, 25 quid again, lasted me a week

Gophur

Gary ITR wrote: »

Whats the story with mobiles? I saw a lad being shouted at over the tannoy to get off the phone while filling up

Scaremongering. A mobile phone is not dangerous.

If anything, a car bulb lighting is a potential hazard and there's no issue with them.

knird evol

Mobile Phone Myth

pajo1981

JDPhotography wrote: »

nope just the petrol may as well have been water

filled it up again at kilmoon then, 25 quid again, lasted me a week

Were you down in power?

SniperSight

I work in a Topaz, all Topaz's have the prepay system where you tell the cashier how much you want and they limit the pump to cut off on that amount.

From what I remember of a safety briefing, the whole clips on the pumps is to do with fire safety.
Basically this is the reason/what happens and I've seen the videos to back it up.....

This is a problem of colder countries.
You put in the nozzle, engage the clip and sit in your car.
As we all know there are vapours from the petrol. Now, you've been sitting in your car and in the process of climbing in and out of the car you may have built up a static charge in your clothing.
Hey presto, next thing you know your jumper has just caught fire cause of a static discharge combined with the vapours.

As I said I have seen the video evidence of this happening, so thats why Topaz don't for the most part, except for maybe diesel truck pumps, have the auto clips. Can't speak for any other company, but I'd imagine its all the same.

Bandara

JDPhotography wrote: »

Nissan doctor wrote: »

?

Safe to say it was either a faulty pump or you had a leak.

nope just the petrol may as well have been water

filled it up again at kilmoon then, 25 quid again, lasted me a week

Lol. Just lol

Nissan doctor

JDPhotography wrote: »

nope just the petrol may as well have been water

filled it up again at kilmoon then, 25 quid again, lasted me a week

Obviously if there was something wrong with the petrol itself then your engine would have been running badly!

scoobymunster

Gophur wrote: »

Scaremongering. A mobile phone is not dangerous.

If anything, a car bulb lighting is a potential hazard and there's no issue with them.

I remember hearing a story that the electronic interference from a phone could mess with the "computer" inside the fuel pump, so either it can discharge more fuel than you intend(potentially getting petrol over ya-fire risk) or the digital display giving a misreading of how much fuel was truely dispensed(potentially screwing the owner out of money). Anyone know anything about that theory/myth? Not so long ago, if you had a phone near a tv/computer etc. the tv/computer would make some noise when you were about to recieve a call/text so maybe there is some truth in the story.

Furp

I seem to remember we did have them in Ireland at one point as mentioned above. I remember my dad filling up his cars this way in the 70's, with the auto fill. Also I have used it in the states too, the petrol tanks can be very large over there on older cars.

testicle

Gary ITR wrote: »

Whats the story with mobiles? I saw a lad being shouted at over the tannoy to get off the phone while filling up

It's illegal, there's an SI or something making it so, it's on notices on the forecourts.

Whether it actually does any harm is a matter for debate.

Gary ITR

testicle wrote: »

It's illegal, there's an SI or something making it so, it's on notices on the forecourts.

Whether it actually does any harm is a matter for debate.

It was quite funny, the head of yer man on the phone when the Shop Assistant was roaring at him to get off the phone

Gophur

testicle wrote: »

It's illegal, there's an SI or something making it so, it's on notices on the forecourts.

........

"an SI or something." ? You will have to be more specific than that!

It is not illegal. It may well be on notices but they are due to ignorance/caution, or whatever.

testicle wrote: »

.........

Whether it actually does any harm is a matter for debate.

It's been covered elsewhere. Until there's evidence of a fire due to a mobile phone, I'll think otherwise.

BTW it takes a voltage difference of approximately 1 million volts to arc a 1 inch gap (i.e. for a spark to jump the gap), that's approximately 400KV for 1 centimetre gap.

Now do that from a standard mobile phone battery, which is 3.7v.

Gary ITR

Gophur wrote: »

Now do that from a standard mobile phone battery, which is 3.7v.

I'm sure there's an iPhone app for it somewhere. Just search iTunes for 'blow up your local Esso'

About the mobile phone thing, with the fumes that escape while pumping petrol the very immediate vicinity to the petrol cap is essentially a Zone zero zone (Flammable atmosphere highly likely to be present or may be present for long periods or something to that effect, been a while since needed to know), the reason petrol stations and mobile phone manufacturers advice against using a mobile phone while pumping petrol is because mobile phones aren't instrinsically safe devices as they are not rated Ex ia. That doesn't mean that they will provide a source of ignition, it just means they are not certified for use in Zone zero areas, 'tis ass covering basically.

I imagine that's what Testicle was referring to with the "there's an SI or something making it so" comment

C4Kid

Theres a garage in Cork where the pumps are prepay only, all day long unless You go in first and say Your filling up. That means you've to go in twice and tbh I can't be bothered with it.

They replaced all existing with prepay ones to stop people driving off without paying.

I once mistook the pump number and the cashier freaked to which I complained that their system is the issue and that I wouldnt have this problem elsewhere.