Ask a petrolium tech
 

I made this thread over on m.net a while back, thought I should post it here too...

I repair/install dispensers, POS equipment, tanks, monitoring equipment, etc.

I work on pretty much everything to do from the time the fuel leaves the truck to the time it enters your car, including the POS systems.
I cover WI, IL, MN, and MI up.
I work on all brands and sizes of stations, from the 32 lane truck stops to the single dispenser at the end of a boat dock.

Ask awayhttps://forum.miata.net/vb/images/sm...smiley-013.gif

Typically, how long does e85 sit in the tank at the station? IOW, how frequently does an e85 tank get refilled?

I don't handle deliveries, but it sits a LOT longer than anything else. Enthusiasts are the only ones who buy it anymore.

Do they impose a storage life? Or, do they monitor any of the fuel propertues for quality control?

Not at a site level. The only thing that's monitored is water.
State inspectors check ethonal content, and they send samples to a central lab that does testing. Usually once a year for most places.

The underground tanks are sealed, it's not like leaving an open gas can out for months.
When a new station is built, the fuel sits in the tanks for ~3+ months before they open without issue.

What is the secret back door code for the POS gas machines that will give me free gas?

Pumps do have a standalone mode, and the information on how to access it was even published in an old trucking magazine, keys were easily purchased from an RV dealer too. :nuts:
Old pumps where really easy to steal from, the newer ones, not so much. Some of them you could literally stick a screwdriver in from the outside and stop it from counting.


The new code is 42
:youwish:

Petrolatum. Petroliam. Petrolium. Petrauleum.

Many people don't realize the mid-grade is a mix of the regular and premium. I watched a guy fill up with mid-grade when the premium pump was out of order due to empty tank.

Not so much anymore. Most stations in the midwest have a dedicated tank for midgrade. But veries by the regian.
if the pumps blend and 1 of the grades doesnt work, it stops after about 1/4 gallon and thows an error.

And an empty tank is about the least common reason for a station to disable an entire grade.

We run out pretty regularly during Hurricane Season whenever anybody gets scared

I'ma n00b it up in here: WHICH STATIONS CARRY THE BEST FINISHED PRODUCT. Let's say 91 for the sake of discussion

The last hurricane in the midwest was... carry the 0... ...never.
You're argument is not valid, please try again.

Providing no issues at the local distributor, a station can get gas delivered in 1-3hrs depending on location. Obviously if there's other issues it has to come from farther away and takes longer.
Tank monitors can be setup to send an alert to the trucking company when the tanks get low. Bypassing the overworked and underpaid manager who DNGAF about anything.
Trucks run 24/7/365.
I've worked at stations that get 8, yes 8, truckloads a day and don't run out....




I don't have access to fuel blend info. I do know that the local tuners all say kwiktrip's 91oct is pisswater and they make less power on it.

I'm guessing this is what happens when the fuel guy unloads his truck full of 87 into the wrong storage tank.

http://www.codrus.com/miata/fm2r/bfk27.jpg

--Ian

One of the many things it could be. Usually something like that gets caught by the site/truck driver and get handled within a couple hrs, before the state gets there.


Stupid truck drivers cause issues, stupid transfer station operators others, stupid stupid cause lots of issues, broken parts cause most of the issues.

Last year a truck driver dumped a load of gas into 3 manifolded 30k diesel tanks... Something like 60k of diesel/gas mix was pumped out and the truck stop was opened 4hrs later.
That was a stupid transfer station employee who loaded the truck wrong.

So is there really THAT big of a difference between brands of gas, or is it one of those "it all comes from the same place, man" kind of things?

No engineer but I heard each general region gets fuel from their refineries interchangeably. The difference between the fuel is the additives the companies (such as shell and chevron) add after they get the gas.

I have a local station that regularly dispenses water with gas. They told me it was not possible. Then I pumped 5 gallons I to a clear container- 25% water. They took it from me and intimidated me with 5 huge mutherfuckers. Corporate didn't care and deferred me to the owner, who denied all.. What's my next move?
I'm convinced they are trying to balance the perfect ratio water to gas, without being caught.

single cylinder motorcycles are much more sensitive to this than the average honda accord.

Wait....

From what i understand all local stations buy from the local refinery. Say it be, metro Detroit all the gas at all the different brands of stations buy fuel form Marathon refinery(which i can see from my house BTW). Or if it's local Toledo then all the stations in that area get their gas from BP. The only difference being that at the end of the line a special additive for that particular brand gets added. And that's that. Am i wrong?


Edit*

Also, Test your own gas.

Report them to the county.

--Ian

Why does California gas suck so much?