Rental car - determining a FULL tank ??

How do they check to see if you have filled the tank on a rental car ?

I had work done on my car and was given a loaner.

I drove it home and back and probably used a ½ TO 1 GALLON AT MOST !!!

You could not possibly "weigh" the car with a "full" tank when I return it and get an accurate reading in my opinion.

A half gallon of gas weighs about 3 to 4 lbs.

When "filling" a tank, some people top off and I am sure some pumps will pump a tad more or less when filling. Yes, I know the gov't supposedly inspects them for accuracy.

So there are MANY variables.

+++++++++++++++++++++++ The questions are :

1) HOW do they test for a "full" tank ?

2) How much leeway, do they give on a "full" tank ? If I fill up at a CHEAP station and then drive 15 miles, how do they know ?? There must be some leeway on the determination of a "full" tank.

TIA

Reply to
Conase
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They use a device known as the "fuel gauge." If the fuel gauge says the tank is full, the tank is full. And yes, there is a leeway of a gallon or so, depending on the car, because the fuel gauge doesn't move when use less than a gallon of gas.

-- Marcio Watanabe

Reply to
Marcio Watanabe

They simply use a dipstick in the filler hole. Make sure they do it when the car is level or they could easily overcharge you by several ounces of gas.

Well, be that as it may, it certainly is no big deal to weigh a car to a fraction of a gallon accurate. Not that I think they would.

Did you measure the fuel on acceptance of the car with the rental agent present? And get her to initial the actual amount of fuel?

See above.

They will probably not be able to estimate the cost of the fuel, which would require sophisticated testing, not just a dip stick. (Unless the gas is so cheap that it causes problems.) So there you can really save quite a bit.

Make sure that if they try to top-off, (many do it routinely,) the filler flips off immediately. The oldest trick in the book is for rental agencies to charge excessive prices for the gas they use to top-off the tank. Watch them do it and make sure they put the nozzle in the filler hole *all-the-way*.

Leon

Reply to
Leon van Dommelen

If I go to L.A. or Detroit for business, it's not uncommon for me to rent a car, drive it 20 miles to work, 20 miles back and turn it in with the gauge still registering "full". No problem. Of course if the guy before me did the same thing, then it's my turn to buy. ;)

John McClary ('94 Miata)

Reply to
John McClary

This is what I would do:

If I thought I took about a gallon, I would stop by the gas station and put a gallon back in and not worry about whether it was full or not. Chances are you car repair will make the $1.50 (or less) seem pretty inconsequential! ;o)

Daniel P.S. I'm sure they just look at the gauge needle to see if it "looks full" especially on a loaner from the garage!

Reply to
Daniel Born

Maybe they think you're honest and will do what you said you would do.

Reply to
Grant Edwards

Unlikely. They're crooks (or they wouldn't charge you $4/gallon and try to convince you it's a bargain), so they assume you're a crook too. Try not to disappoint them.

Reply to
Matthew Russotto

I've rented a lot of cars. The short answer - they typically don't check other than to look at the fuel gauge. If it looks full, it's full. I usually make an effort to fill up at the closest gas station to the rental return. More than once I've put 3 gallons in a car that I've driven 35 miles, cars like Toyota Corollas and Ford Escorts. They don't get 12 miles a gallon even on the worst days (before anyone complains that it's stupid to rent a car to drive 35 miles, keep in mind that's cheaper than the cab fare would have been over a period of two days).

So, the return people check the fuel gauge. If it's around 'F', it's good for them. The renter says, on the honor system, whether they filled the car. That's all.

I complained that I put 3 gallons in a car that had been driven

35 miles to the counter people once and they simply did not care in the slightest.

So don't worry so much. Do the right thing, top the tank off as as reasonable to the rental angency and go proudly on your way.

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers

Have you witnessed this actually being done in the US? Wow. I'd like to know which rental agency :-)

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers

Aha! You're the guy that I've been buying gas for. :-)

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers

Dana,

It's kind of sad that you have to remind people to do the right thing, isn't it?

Mike "Red '97" Verive snipped-for-privacy@mverive.com

Reply to
Michael Verive

HA! This hits right on one of the reasons I will NEVER rent a car again from Budget.

Once upon a time before I got the Rollerskate, we used to rent cars for the odd one to two day trip to the States. We had the choice on renting it of returning it "full" or not, so we always picked "full".

On one occasion when we returned the car, we had already topped it up so the gauge read full, and then a little bit more. The gas station was around the corner from the Budget office so we could have used maybe a teaspooonful between gassing up and returning the car.

We both went to the checkin office (bad idea) and were finishing the transaction when the car jockey came in and said he'd added $5 of gas. We pointed out that was totally impossible. They backed the jockey (natch). We paid.

The next time we returned a car, one of us stayed with the car while the other went to the office. The jockey was pissed because I was watching him too closely for him to claim he'd added gas, and we avoided the extra gas charge.

Each time we rented, we had to split up and supervise the car jockey, and it got to be normal behaviour on returning a car. I have no idea what one would have done if one was alone and returning the car; stick with the car until the bitter end, I guess. Eventually, we saw an article in the newspaper describing exactly what we had been hit with, and Budget finally cleaned up its act.

This does not give car rental agencies a very good reputation, but luckily most of our car rental days are over, thanks to the Rollerskate.

Reply to
Nora

Yeah, sorry about that. Situation usually is; I fly in in the morning or late at night, spend the whole day at work, ending with a meeting that they drag out until the last possible moment that I can leave and PROBABLY make my flight. Then the whole drive to the rental agency is spent wondering how much longer it's going to take getting through this traffic jam, and if I have time to buy gas, and if I'm going to make the flight... (man I hate being rushed to catch a flight). It's two gallons of gas and the company's paying for it, I certainly don't do it to save the money. More than a couple of times I've returned a car showing 7/8ths on the gauge and had to pay the charge (company pays, but gives me a hard time for buying rental car company gas). Of course I'm sure when the rental agency fills it up they stop at the first click.

Unlike Nora's experience though, I've never had Budget try to cheat me on gas. They always meet me at the car, check the gauge and print my receipt. If it shows full, no charge, if it shows 7/8ths they add on a standard charge.

John McClary ('94 Miata)

Reply to
John McClary

I recall a period in time when I was traveling a lot and the rental car companies all started asking to see a gas receipt when you dropped off the car. I haven't seen that requirement for a while now though.

Reply to
Craig Wagner

Too many gas stations upset with $0.50 credit card charges? ;)

Leon

Reply to
Leon van Dommelen

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