Wrong Fuel

[breadstick]

I was thinking why can't they make diesel pumps and petrol different shape so that they only fit into your vehicles fuel thingy and won't fit if you are about to put the wrong fuel in

[piggynose]

That would be too easy!?

[youngmafbog]

No point now, the leccy socket wont go in your derv filler.

Seriously though, it sounds a good but any idea how many cars/lorries and pumps would need to be changed to make it work?  I suspect its just not viable.

[bhg481]

What! and lose a lucrative source of income from those who put the wrong fuel in.

[Old_Geezer]

Because efficiency means each pump needs to be able to dispense all fuels otherwise you get different size queues and vehicles in the wrong queue.

 

They already use different nozzle sizes to prevent as many errors as they reasonably can, after that they fallback on adult's personal responsibility and trust that someone capable of driving has sufficient IQ to know which fuel they need to put in their vehicle's tank.

[barry1010]

How much more help do motorists need?  The nozzles are already different sizes and different colours, the black ones usually have 'diesel' in large letters stamped on them.

[douglas9401]

The majority of cars run on petrol, the diesel filler nozzle is too big to fit a modern petrol car, the standard colours are petrol-green, diesel-black.

You need a modicum of intelligence to be able/allowed to drive.

Accidents happen.

[davebro3]

I think it was tried once with different size nozzles - but didn't catch on.

I only once misfuelled - petrol into diesel. My usual garage the hoses were green or black. Went to a different garage and picked a black hose - it was petrol. ALL the hoses were black!

Fortunately I realised before driving the car.

It was Sunday but the rescue found a mechanic who drained the tank. Cost me a tank full of petrol. 

[davebro3]

So now you can't misfuel a petrol car - the diesel nozzle won't fit - but you can still misfuel a diesel car? 

[barry1010]

Yes you can misfuel a diesel vehicle but the nozzle would be very slack.  Many vehicles these days have a prominent 'diesel' sticker close to the filler cap.

[davebro3]

diesel sticker on the car doesn't really help if you think you've got the diesel pump hose in your hand!

[douglas9401]

Can't fix stupid.

[davebro3]

*** you dougie

[theshedman]

When working in the middle east we had one local fireman on the airport where I worked who filled a Chubb Patroller fire truck with petrol instead of diesel.  It was towed along a dirt track with plug out of tank to empty it and it took 3 of us to steer it.  Roughly 27 tons of fire truck with no power is not an easy thing to steer.

[douglas9401]

Okay, but please ensure the nozzle fits snuggly. x

[barry1010]

Dave, the sticker is useful if you are driving a car that you don't normally drive - a hire car or pool and usually drive a petrol or electric car.