GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars - View Single Post - Actual Tank Capacity: How Much Fuel Does Your Tank Hold?

bar10dah · #1 (**permalink**) 08-10-2006, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Dear Friends:

Have you ever pumped 15 ½ gallons of gasoline into a 15-gallon tank? Truth is, the tank capacity in your manual is an educated guess.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) says that actual gas tank capacity can vary by as much as 3 percent. On an 18-gallon tank, that’s a half-gallon of gasoline.

This illustration shows a typical fuel tank. If you ignore the automatic shut-off function on a gas pump and keep fueling, you can end up with gasoline in the vapor headspace or the filler pipe. Fuel may also enter these spaces if the gas station is on a slight incline.

The bottom of a gas tank is also out of reach for the fuel line. None of this is included in the fuel tank capacity rating.

Some motorists rely on their fuel gauge to determine tank capacity. This too is misleading. The gauge is designed to warn you before your car runs out of fuel. How useful would it be if it didn’t read “empty” until you were totally out of gas?

Finally, even those trip computers in newer vehicles can be misleading. They measure a number of variables, including road terrain, traffic and weather. If you were driving north on I-17 and began climbing through the mountains south of Prescott, you’d see a big difference in the computer readings.

Still, if you think you didn’t get what you paid for, please contact the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures by calling (602) 255-5211 or filing a complaint online at http://www.azdwm.gov/complaints.htm. They will look into your complaint.

As always, I encourage you to visit my Fuel Facts Web page devoted to gasoline information at www.azgovernor.gov/fuelfacts. Please check the site often throughout the summer as we add fuel saving tips.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano

Governor