Gas pumps not always accurate
When it comes to buying gas in Wisconsin, you don't always get what you pay for.
A Journal Sentinel
analysis of nearly 60,000 gas pump inspections shows that more than 2,000 pumps delivered a different amount of fuel than the meter registered in the past two years.
In some cases, that is a good thing for motorists, especially at a time when an average gallon of gas costs more than $3. Most faulty pumps dispense extra gas - a little more than half a teaspoon per gallon on average.
Motorists unwittingly hit the jackpot at Weber's of Brillion gas station in Calumet County. In October,
the station dispensed about 4 gallons of extra gas for every 15 gallons pumped.
Then there are places such as Kettle Citgo in Waukesha County.
In May
the station shorted customers more than any other in southeastern Wisconsin, according to state data. Customers lost out on a little more than a half-gallon for every 15 gallons bought - close to $2 worth of gas.
Bruce Hanke, the station's owner, said the shortage was because of a broken part in the pump.
"I don't do anything to rip off any customers," he said." (The pumps are) tested yearly, and any problems are taken care of immediately."
The majority of pumps in the state are on target, inspection records show, but about 3.5% of stations inspected didn't put in your tank what the meter registered during the two-year period.
Racine County had the largest percentage of problem pumps in the seven-county metro area with 7% of stations' pumps failing state inspections. Pumps in the city of Milwaukee failed about 5% of the time.
The problem instead is faulty equipment, said Mike Pappas, who inspects fuel pumps for the state's weights and measures department.
"After years of wear and tear and usage, things break," Pappas said. "Usually when we find an error, it is due to the fact that (the pump) is a mechanical device."
.....
Most of the time, consumers question a pump's accuracy after finding that their plastic, portable gas can holds more fuel than expected.
Or, for instance, a car that has a 14-gallon tank will fill up with 14.5 gallons.
The plastic gas can, and even a car's fuel tank, isn't necessarily accurate, inspectors say. Plastic cans bend and bulge, and a car's gas tank doesn't always match what is outlined in the manual, Pappas said.
Plus, fuel expands and contracts because of weather. When it is below zero, you can get more gas in your car.
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