Fuel traders urge vehicle manufacturers to specify total amount of fuel that a fuel tank can hold in addition to rated capacity

Mysore/Mysuru: Fed up with customers complaining of more fuel being dispensed which is more than the capacity of vehicle’s fuel tank (mentioned in the vehicle’s manual book) and putting fuel station owners in bad light, Federation of Mysore Petroleum Traders has stated that the actual capacity of a fuel tank is more than what is mentioned in the manufacturer’s catalogue or the user manual that comes along with the vehicle.

Recalling a recent incident, the Association members said that a customer drove into UMS Fuel Station near Seth Mohandas Tulsidas Hospital at about 9 pm on Aug. 3 and asked the pump attendant to fill the car to the brim and the car was filled with 53.22 litres by the attendant.

Alleging that the pump was defective as the car had taken 53.22 litres as against the capacity of 45 litres mentioned in the car’s user manual, the customer complained that there was an error in dispensing or the dispensing unit.

The fuel station owner informed the customer that the car’s fuel tank is not calibrated and the extra space (Vapour space) provided in the tank would take additional quantity of fuel. Though the customer was also shown letter from Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), which stated that a car with 40 litres fuel tank can take up to 52 litres, the customer wanted to verify the accuracy of the quantity dispensed.

As it was late in the night, the customer, along with his car and friends were taken to the nearby car dealer, where the fuel tank of the car was removed and the fuel in the tank measured. The quantity of fuel dispensed at the fuel station was found to be accurate.

But still the customer argued that there was fuel in the car fuel tank before the fuel was dispensed and told the fuel station owner that he would tow the vehicle to the fuel station and would again fill the car’s fuel tank to the brim.

After the customer got his car towed to the fuel station, fuel was again filled. This time the car’s fuel tank took 54.75 litres and the customer was satisfied with the accuracy of the quantity dispensed.

Meanwhile, Federation President Shashikala Nagaraj, speaking to Star of Mysore, said that as all fuel dispensing pumps are fully automated, no customer can be cheated in terms of quality    and quantity.

The capacity provided in a vehicle’s fuel tank has multiple segments including usable volume, dead volume and expansion volume. It is only the ‘usable volume’ that is mentioned as the fuel tank capacity in the catalogue or the vehicle’s user manual. Ignorance about the same often results in customers arguing with the staff at the fuel stations, she added.

Akhila Karnataka Federation of Petroleum Traders General Secretary Ranjith Hegde said that fuel business is not a profitable one but is service oriented. There are instances of fuel station owners suffering losses due to fuel thefts while transportation despite fuel tankers are secured with OTP enabled locks.

Now, customers are arguing with fuel station staff over excess fuel being dispensed has become a frequent issue. Also, the customers are complaining about non-movement of the fuel gauge needle even after the fuel is filled to the vehicle. This is hurting fuel station owners as they are being placed in bad light, he added.

Shashikala Nagaraj has requested the customers to exercise vigil during dispensing of fuel and check the pump meter reading pre and post dispensing besides stating that operations in fuel stations are captured by Automation and the veracity of each and every dispensing for the day could be ascertained.

The Federation members have urged vehicle manufacturers to specify the total amount of fuel that a fuel tank can hold in addition to capacity mentioned in the user manual.