Pulling the hose around for gas

[rk911]

our CostCo is a 20-min one-way ride so we only fill at Costco if we're there anyway and if we need fuel. the savings aren't worth a 40-min round trip.

 

[Ronstar]

I don't pull the hose over. If the only pump available is on the other side, I back in.

 

[Ronstar]

I saw somewhere that most EV's have the charging port on the driver's side. But some proponents want to put curbside chargers in urban areas. Oops. I guess they never thought of that when they decided where to locate the port.

The road agencies will probably change it so that we have to drive on the left side of the road.

 

[Shardo]

Gas

Seeing as how I get 10-15 gallons once a month and might save 20-30 cents/gallon at Costco, I'm not waiting in line to save $50/year.

 

[Andre1969]

My housemate has a membership at BJs, and has me added as a user. Sometimes he'll go to BJs, just for a fuel up and nothing else. It's about 18 miles round trip from the house. His Nissan Murano gets around 22-23 mpg on average, so I figure he's wasting about 4/5 of a gallon, just to fuel up. The closest station is a High's, which I think gets their fuel from Carroll Fuel or something like that, at 3.7 miles.

I've been too lazy to do the math to see if he's actually saving money by running all the way out to BJs, versus the extra fuel used. Depending on the cost savings, and how empty his tank is, he might actually save a bit.

He also rationalizes it by saying he goes out to get fuel during times when it's not busy, and he can pull right up to the pump. So I guess there's still some convenience factor built in.

He has a BJs credit card that gives him extra money off, per gallon as well. I don't. As for me, I usually just run up to the High's, although I make it a point to only fuel up when I'm out running errands, anyway. With that 3.7 miles each way, even running up to the High's, I'd burn about 1/2 gallon of fuel with my 2012 Ram.

Oh, on a rare occasion, I have fueled up the Ram at BJs. And can confirm that the wrong-side pump hose will reach all the way around, on a regular-cab truck with an 8-foot bed. My only issue with BJs is that they only offer 87 or 93 octane, and the Hemi calls for 89. But, if I'm around a half-tank when I top off, I'll put in 93 if it's cheap enough, or just 87 if prices seem high. I don't think I've ever taken that truck to BJs on an almost-empty tank, but I guess I'd just do half 87, half 93. With a ~28 gallon tank, it's worth the savings versus just going lazy and filling with 93.

And yeah, I know that a tank full of 87 won't kill it, as the computers these days are smart enough to retard the timing and such so it won't clatter. But, I still don't like putting more than maybe a half-tank of 87 in it.

 

[misanman]

I don't like babysitting the hose while filling. I like to get back in the car, especially if it's cold.

I was under the impression that the customer was required to stay in the proximity to the hose and certainly within direct view for safety reasons. At least that's what I've observed posted on or near the pumps.

 

[Koolau]

I was under the impression that the customer was required to stay in the proximity to the hose and certainly within direct view for safety reasons. At least that's what I've observed posted on or near the pumps.

That's certainly true at our Costco. In fact, the pumps require you to squeeze the handle to dispense gas. If you let go for any reason, the pump stops. SO, you have to be there and be "involved" or you get no gas. YMMV

 

[Jerry1]

I don't like babysitting the hose while filling. I like to get back in the car, especially if it's cold.

I was under the impression that the customer was required to stay in the proximity to the hose and certainly within direct view for safety reasons. At least that's what I've observed posted on or near the pumps.

Not only that, getting back in the car creates a possible spark and ignition of the gas fumes - very dangerous. I’m sure it’s a very unlikely possibility but a possibility nonetheless. I know myself that I’ve gotten a shock getting out of my car. I would never get back in my car while pumping gas.

 

[Slim11]

The hose will not reach around the truck. So, I go into the lane where the tank is on. And , the savings on my fuel is worth it. Its like a 38 gallon tank. Lol.

 

[Chuckanut]

Over 100 messages about pulling gas hoses around for gas.

Who says the people no longer care about the bread-and-butter issues?


When I do pull the hose around I hold the hose up and away from the car the entire time I fill up so as not to risk scratching the paint job of my venerable car.

 

[Koolau]

Over 100 messages about pulling gas hoses around for gas.

Who says the people no longer care about the bread-and-butter issues?


When I do pull the hose around I hold the hose up and away from the car the entire time I fill up so as not to risk scratching the paint job of my venerable car.

Heh, heh, Yeah, I don't want to scratch any of my dents or scrapes.

 

[Skitso999]

What you need is a normal car from the 1960's whose filler was in the middle of the rear bumper. That's where it's supposed to be in my opinion!

 

[Koolau]

What you need is a normal car from the 1960's whose filler was in the middle of the rear bumper. That's where it's supposed to be in my opinion!

Not since I got older. I might get down there, but then I couldn't get up.

 

[jazz4cash]

That's certainly true at our Costco. In fact, the pumps require you to squeeze the handle to dispense gas. If you let go for any reason, the pump stops. SO, you have to be there and be "involved" or you get no gas. YMMV

I can’t believe all Costcos are this way. If the long lines didn’t drive me away, this certainly would lose my business. I use the hold-open latch on the nozzle but I do not leave the area in case the auto-shutoff fails (happens more than you think).

 

[Jerry1]

That's certainly true at our Costco. In fact, the pumps require you to squeeze the handle to dispense gas. If you let go for any reason, the pump stops. SO, you have to be there and be "involved" or you get no gas. YMMV

I can’t believe all Costcos are this way. If the long lines didn’t drive me away, this certainly would lose my business. I use the hold-open latch on the nozzle but I do not leave the area in case the auto-shutoff fails (happens more than you think).

It’s not that way at our Costco. That might be a state policy/law. I’ve never seen that in any Michigan pump or actually any pump I’ve ever used in the continental U.S.

 

[Koolau]

I can’t believe all Costcos are this way. If the long lines didn’t drive me away, this certainly would lose my business. I use the hold-open latch on the nozzle but I do not leave the area in case the auto-shutoff fails (happens more than you think).

I believe the non-locking nozzle is required by Hawaii law. I could be wrong. I was once, so YMMV.

 

[rk911]

That's certainly true at our Costco. In fact, the pumps require you to squeeze the handle to dispense gas. If you let go for any reason, the pump stops. SO, you have to be there and be "involved" or you get no gas. YMMV

Occasionally I run into pumps that require holding the lever open to dispense gas. When that happens I use my gas tank cap to hold the lever open.

 

[Koolau]

Occasionally I run into pumps that require holding the lever open to dispense gas. When that happens I use my gas tank cap to hold the lever open.

Our sign at the station says that is illegal.

 

[Pluperfect]

My car fills on the passenger side, so I use the "German pumps" at Costco, and the lines have always been shorter because people will wait for a pump before they'll use one on the wrong side. However just the other day I pulled in and for the first time ever, only the non-German pumps had no cars, so I used one. Pulled the nozzle over my (admittedly very small) car, and filled up.

I honestly don't understand why people won't do it but it ultimately works to my benefit.

I rarely wait in line, but if I do, I position myself so I can see what's going on at the pumps in front of me. If I'm second or third in line and a pump opens up but the person in front of me doesn't move, I'll get out of my car and tell them a pump opened, and if they don't want it I pull around them.

Or they do notice but won't pull up to the pumps until all three pumps are clear. I'm not waiting for that.

 

[Pluperfect]

Even the most liberated women will gladly turn over the job of handling gasoline pumps to a man if he is available.
Just my observation.

Like at the pump, if a random man comes over and offers to handle the gas pump for her? I'm a liberated woman and certainly wouldn't turn the job over to him.

Or do you mean in the household? I would think that if a wife told the husband, "I want to do all the gas pumping from now on," he'd gladly turn that job over to her. Or maybe men get some sort of satisfaction out of pumping gas that would make them turn down the offer?

 

[Koolau]

Like at the pump, if a random man comes over and offers to handle the gas pump for her? I'm a liberated woman and certainly wouldn't turn the job over to him.

Or do you mean in the household? I would think that if a wife told the husband, "I want to do all the gas pumping from now on," he'd gladly turn that job over to her. Or maybe men get some sort of satisfaction out of pumping gas that would make them turn down the offer?

I don't particularly like pumping gas, but I prefer to pump the gas and not let DW do it. I always top it off so I can carefully calculate the fuel mileage. DW doesn't know when the tank is full and she gets bored trying to top it off. SO, it's a "me - not her" kinda thing. Not much DW can't or won't do. I love her!

 

[badatmath]

I don't particularly like pumping gas, but I prefer to pump the gas and not let DW do it. I always top it off so I can carefully calculate the fuel mileage. DW doesn't know when the tank is full and she gets bored trying to top it off. SO, it's a "me - not her" kinda thing. Not much DW can't or won't do. I love her!

I used to work with a lady who would not pump gas for her own car. This meant her husband would drive to the office, pick up her car, and put gas in it. I expressed some disbelief at this and she proudly told me she knew when it needed filled "because of that F&E thing". Note: this woman was not stupid.

 

[Koolau]

I used to work with a lady who would not pump gas for her own car. This meant her husband would drive to the office, pick up her car, and put gas in it. I expressed some disbelief at this and she proudly told me she knew when it needed filled "because of that F&E thing". Note: this woman was not stupid.

Good buddy told me about his (first) DW who proudly told him that she had topped off his car with water because she couldn't see any water in it when she took the water cap off.

Buddy was curious so went and looked. His DW had looked under the wrong cap - the oil cap.

After carefully emptying the oil (and water) good buddy refilled with oil, said a little prayer and crossed his fingers. Car started right up and ran fine. I guess every once in a while you get lucky. (Best day of his life was his divorce, he said. Nothing to do with her automotive skills.)

 

[38Chevy454]

Good buddy told me about his (first) DW who proudly told him that she had topped off his car with water because she couldn't see any water in it when she took the water cap off.

Buddy was curious so went and looked. His DW had looked under the wrong cap - the oil cap.

After carefully emptying the oil (and water) good buddy refilled with oil, said a little prayer and crossed his fingers. Car started right up and ran fine. I guess every once in a while you get lucky. (Best day of his life was his divorce, he said. Nothing to do with her automotive skills.)

Not nearly as bad as this, but a friend had his girlfriend add motor oil to the automatic trans instead of the engine. It was only 1 quart, and he did a drain and refill, but after having the vehicle driven a bit. Of course that doesn't get rid of all of it unless you do a full power flush. But it diluted enough that it seemed to have no bad effect. After all automatic transmission fluid is really more a hydraulic pressure fluid than pure lubricant. This was also back with traditional hydraulic valve body automatic, not the new electronic solenoid controlled like current cars. Plus both motor oil and ATF are petroleum based so they mix fine. Not like oil and water for sure.

 

[jazz4cash]

Military required 15W-40 compatibility for engine and auto trans with electro hydraulic controls. Worked fine