There’s this email being circulated touting the best way to fill up your car. You know the one, giving advice such as:
“ONLY BUY OR FILL UP YOUR CAR OR BIKKIE IN THE EARLY MORNING WHEN THE GROUND TEMPERATURE IS STILL COLD.”
I would suggest you visit snopes.com, and read their take on these tips. In response to the above, their comment is that fuel is stored in underground tanks, which act as giant thermos bottles. This, coupled with the the observation that below-ground temperatures don’t change much during the course of a day, leads me to conclude that there is no need to join the dawn patrol when planning when to fill up your car.
From an engineering standpoint, here are other things to think about:
- The flow of fuel from the storage tank to the car should be sheltered from the sun so that fuel isn’t heated as it travels, and produces vapour (and less liquid) at the nozzle.
- If the fuel goes into the underground tank hot (midday fuel delivery?) then it will probably stay hot no matter what time of day you fill up.
- You might want to ensure your car fuel tank isn’t hot so as to vapourise fuel as soon as it comes in. Is this a reason to pay the premium for covered parking?
I’d agree with snopes’ conclusion:
“…The bottom line is that there are much easier and better ways of improving the efficiency of your car (and thus of saving you money at the pump) than the tips outlined above. Particularly important is proper maintenance, including engine tune-ups, wheel alignments, tire pressure checks, and filter replacement…”
If there were any tips to follow, follow the ones on being a more efficient driver.
Wata - Malaysian Oil and Gas Engineer 
better still, take the bus/train/public transport
yeah 🙂
Hi,There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the soaring gas prices we are facing today. There is no shortage of fuel or crude oil and no disaster or war that has affected the production drilling or distribution of oil or fuel.