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Full tank vs frequent visits to petrol station

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24

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    #32
    tcawley29
    Registered Users Posts: 1,829 ✭✭✭tcawley29


    FrankC21 wrote: »
    But if you have a full tank, you're more likely to "pedal to the metal".

    Ah here, you're talking nonsense at this stage. As usual


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    #33
    FrankC21
    Registered Users Posts: 806 ✭✭✭FrankC21


    tcawley29 wrote: »
    Ah here, you're talking nonsense at this stage. As usual

    Ah, did I upset you.


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    #34
    newmember2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,594 ✭✭✭newmember2


    FrankC21 wrote: »
    Hi,

    One of my mate at work - a big car enthusiast - gave me an advice against puttin €20 each time I go to the petrol station, he said that I should fill up the tank up to the brim. I usually put €20 and when it nearly gone put another €20, I kinda think I will save money this way.

    His reason is that if I do not do this, I keep releasing the built up/gas pressure each time I visit the petrol station and that pressure/gas is the actual diesel i paid for, evaporating out into the air.

    Is that an actual fact? He recently change his car from 2007 petrol RAV4 AWD to a nissan 1.5 dci deisel and a full tank will last him 2-3weeks.

    I agree, the more times the petrol tank is opened the more evaporation.


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    #35
    yabadabado
    Registered Users Posts: 16,523 ✭✭✭✭yabadabado


    hashbones wrote: »
    filling your tank to the brim, your literally burning fuel to carry your fuel. if the distance you have to travel to the station is out of your way then thats a different matter based on how far that is. if your passing the station daily then small fill ups are the way to go.

    purely from a factual point of you. i dont think the majority care either way

    What would it actually be costing to carry the extra weight?
    I've no idea but I'd presume it's negligible over the course of a year .The extra few turns into the forecourt and stop/start probably takes care of it.


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    #36
    DaveyDave
    Registered Users Posts: 6,198 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    Stop half filling your car and going back to the petrol station unnecessarily. The extra weight of 20 litres of fuel is nothing compared to the weight of the car and driver. You won't notice the fuel consumption. Fill your car and feck off :D


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    #37
    diceyreilly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭diceyreilly


    Put €20 + and change i have in the car when i am there.


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    #38
    Montage of Feck
    Registered Users Posts: 3,512 ✭✭✭Montage of Feck


    Constantly running low isn’t good for the fuel system.

    🙈🙉🙊



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    #39
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,207 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    yabadabado wrote: »
    What would it actually be costing to carry the extra weight?
    I've no idea but I'd presume it's negligible over the course of a year .The extra few turns into the forecourt and stop/start probably takes care of it.


    You would be carrying about an extra 20 kg on average. Considering a fairly average car with two people in it weights about 2 ton, 20 kgs is less than 1%, of the gross weight.

    Fuel efficiency is also effected by aerodynamics and tyre pressure as well as other factors an extra 20 kgs will use less than 0.5%extra fuel. In a car that takes 60 litres that's about 0.3L/fill if car is filled to the brim every time compared to 1/4 filling a car.

    Starting a car uses fuel. The physical act of getting a car moving( think about trying to push a car it takes more energy to get the car rolling than to keep it rolling) using extra fuel as well as getting it back up through the gears to a road speed.

    Finally you have evaporation. A petrol tank is a sealed tank so it holds any petroleum gas within the tank. If you ever open a gallon that holds petrol for a lawnmower or chainsaw especially in hot weather you will literally see the gas escaping. Exactly the same happens when you open a tank of a car.

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #40
    dmc17
    Registered Users Posts: 3,728 ✭✭✭dmc17


    There's more hot air escaping from your friend than your petrol tank I reckon


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    #41
    MrMusician18
    Registered Users Posts: 7,247 ✭✭✭MrMusician18


    I wouldn't think there is much difference but certain cars use a fuel additive called Eoly's and that's delivered to the fuel tank every time you open and close the fuel door. While the amount added depends on the quantity of fuel in the tank, more frequent fuelling results in this rather expensive additive being used faster.


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    #42
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,845 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    McGaggs wrote: »
    My parents looked into this in the 80s, on a diesel Peugeot. They drove something like Sligo to Dublin only putting in a bit of fuel at each stop, and then on the way back brimmed it. No decent roads back then, don't was a long journey. Not filling it was actually cheaper, but they decided they'd rather have a slightly higher cost than stopping more often.

    That wouldn't be a valid test as the trip is not actually identical each way and definitely wasn't back then

    You could be stuck in Kinnegad far longer heading East than West due to right turning drivers on to the N6, could be caught at the bridge in Carrick On Shannon more often heading East too. Trying to remember other former (and current for COS) nightmares on that route is giving me traffic jam PTSD though!


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    #43
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,207 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    L1011 wrote: »
    That wouldn't be a valid test as the trip is not actually identical each way and definitely wasn't back then

    You could be stuck in Kinnegad far longer heading East than West due to right turning drivers on to the N6, could be caught at the bridge in Carrick On Shannon more often heading East too. Trying to remember other former (and current for COS) nightmares on that route is giving me traffic jam PTSD though!

    As well more than likely Sligo to Dublin the wind effect would be positive on your journey, Dublin to Sligo would have a negative impact on your journey

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #44
    maestroamado
    Registered Users Posts: 4,426 ✭✭✭maestroamado


    I have checked?? It takes a lot longer for a tank to go from say full yo half than from half to MT.
    The only logic here is the fuel at top of tank is protecting the fuel being used at bottom of tank as less air in tank so less evaporating...


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    #45
    The J Stands for Jay
    Registered Users Posts: 5,669 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    L1011 wrote: »
    That wouldn't be a valid test as the trip is not actually identical each way and definitely wasn't back then

    You could be stuck in Kinnegad far longer heading East than West due to right turning drivers on to the N6, could be caught at the bridge in Carrick On Shannon more often heading East too. Trying to remember other former (and current for COS) nightmares on that route is giving me traffic jam PTSD though!

    Totally agree it's not a valid test, but the conclusion being that stopping more often is too much hassle is the important takeaway.


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    #46
    PatM65
    Registered Users Posts: 166 ✭✭PatM65


    maestroamado wrote: »
    I have checked?? It takes a lot longer for a tank to go from say full yo half than from half to MT.
    The only logic here is the fuel at top of tank is protecting the fuel being used at bottom of tank as less air in tank so less evaporating...

    I would imagine much of that is down to the amount of fuel the pipe from the filler cap to the top of the tank holds. The fuel gauge won't start to move until you start to use the fuel in the tank itself.


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    #47
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,388 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    The shape of the fuel tank is a factor too. They’re often wider at the top.


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    #48
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,822 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    Bass Reeves wrote: »
    You would be carrying about an extra 20 kg on average. Considering a fairly average car with two people in it weights about 2 ton, 20 kgs is less than 1%, of the gross weight.

    Fuel efficiency is also effected by aerodynamics and tyre pressure as well as other factors an extra 20 kgs will use less than 0.5%extra fuel. In a car that takes 60 litres that's about 0.3L/fill if car is filled to the brim every time compared to 1/4 filling a car.

    Starting a car uses fuel. The physical act of getting a car moving( think about trying to push a car it takes more energy to get the car rolling than to keep it rolling) using extra fuel as well as getting it back up through the gears to a road speed.

    Finally you have evaporation. A petrol tank is a sealed tank so it holds any petroleum gas within the tank. If you ever open a gallon that holds petrol for a lawnmower or chainsaw especially in hot weather you will literally see the gas escaping. Exactly the same happens when you open a tank of a car.

    Modern petrol cars don't allow petrol fumes into the atmosphere, the fumes are contained in a charcoal cannister and burned by the engine.


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    #49
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,842 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Fuel is heavy. Why would you carry more of it around than absolutely necessary? All it does its increase its own consumption.

    20 quid on a typical Irish diesel is good for 300-350 kms, loads.


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    #50
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,915 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Larbre34 wrote: »
    Fuel is heavy. Why would you carry more of it around than absolutely necessary? All it does its increase its own consumption.

    20 quid on a typical Irish diesel is good for 300-350 kms, loads.

    I brim my car every time because I'd rather be sitting at home watching TV than standing at a fuel station watching the pump get close to 20.

    Not everyone is driving crappy diesels so 20 won't get that far, 300km is about half of my 70l tank.


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    #51
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,238 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    I started filling to the brim this time last year. Immediate improvements. I’d say I’m getting at least 3 months to the gallon.


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    #52
    TheChizler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,426 ✭✭✭TheChizler


    I'm going 6 months between fills these days so fuel going stale is actually something to worry about, not a few cents' worth lost through evaporation.


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    #53
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    McGaggs wrote: »
    My parents looked into this in the 80s, on a diesel Peugeot. They drove something like Sligo to Dublin only putting in a bit of fuel at each stop, and then on the way back brimmed it. No decent roads back then, don't was a long journey. Not filling it was actually cheaper, but they decided they'd rather have a slightly higher cost than stopping more often.
    They drove in to the prevaling wind on the way back in a car which had the aerodynamics of a brick.


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    #54
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,207 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    Modern petrol cars don't allow petrol fumes into the atmosphere, the fumes are contained in a charcoal cannister and burned by the engine.

    The fumes come out of the tank

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #55
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,207 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    Larbre34 wrote: »
    Fuel is heavy. Why would you carry more of it around than absolutely necessary? All it does its increase its own consumption.

    20 quid on a typical Irish diesel is good for 300-350 kms, loads.

    Fuel weight is negligible in the overall weight of the car and passengers

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #56
    McCrack
    Registered Users Posts: 2,968 ✭✭✭McCrack


    FrankC21 wrote: »
    Hi,

    One of my mate at work - a big car enthusiast - gave me an advice against puttin €20 each time I go to the petrol station, he said that I should fill up the tank up to the brim. I usually put €20 and when it nearly gone put another €20, I kinda think I will save money this way.

    His reason is that if I do not do this, I keep releasing the built up/gas pressure each time I visit the petrol station and that pressure/gas is the actual diesel i paid for, evaporating out into the air.

    Is that an actual fact? He recently change his car from 2007 petrol RAV4 AWD to a nissan 1.5 dci deisel and a full tank will last him 2-3weeks.

    The threads you start must take a lot of thinking out


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    #57
    maestroamado
    Registered Users Posts: 4,426 ✭✭✭maestroamado


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    The shape of the fuel tank is a factor too. They’re often wider at the top.
    ...
    I really meant as a joke.... point being that if we can afford to fill the tank we are not really ever looking at the guage


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    #58
    almostover
    Registered Users Posts: 1,976 ✭✭✭almostover


    WacoKid wrote: »
    I always take the approach:


    1. Don't continually run on low fuel as you are dragging the dirt from the bottom of the tank through the system.
    2. Let the tank run somewhat low before refueling so you are not keeping old fuel in the tank. Constantly filling up from 1/2 to full means there is fuel there that is never getting burned off, or a least taking a long time to do so.

    The fuel in the tank gets well mixed going over speed ramps, crashing into potholes and various other such depressions on Irish roads. The old fuel gets well mixed in.


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    #59
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,842 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Bass Reeves wrote: »
    Fuel weight is negligible in the overall weight of the car and passengers

    70 litres of diesel is 60 kgs. Or the size of a decent sized wife. That's not negligible.


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    #60
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Op a match and jet fuel is the only way to do it.


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    #61
    Buddy Bubs
    Registered Users Posts: 3,515 ✭✭✭Buddy Bubs


    For most people the amount of fuel you put in depends on how much cash you're willing to part with in one go. I think all this stuff about weight saving and fuel economy is to justify only parting with 20 euro or so at a time, or whatever will do you a week.
    When I was in college driving my Peugeot 206 I used to put a tenner in at a time. When I worked in my 20s and drove gas guzzlers I had to up this to 20s and 30s or I'd be empty ever few days.
    When I earned more money I'd go 40 or 50 euro which was about half a tank.
    Now that I've a fuel card I brim it and get every last drop in that I could, using about a tank a month now, 65 litres.
    All to do with affordability


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