Photo: How to fit more gas into your car's tank (Getty Images) Author: Konstantin Shirokun
The nominal capacity of the tank is less than what it actually holds. RBC-Ukraine Auto journalists tell how to hold more fuel when refueling.
Read about several ways to fill the tank with more than the car manufacturer promises in the RBC-Ukraine article.
Experience of motorists shows that the factory documentation of the car almost always indicates a reduced capacity of the fuel tank. We will not find out now why this happened (although we will remember this below), but we will say that on average 5 – 8 liters can be added to the passport figure. But for many models it is not so easy to use this increase. Therefore, let's talk about some secrets of “stretching” the tank in modern passenger cars.
How to increase the capacity of a car tank
The main task of the driver who wants to fit as much fuel as possible into the car is to fill all the cavities in the upper part of the tank. The order of actions depends on how the refueling is done – from a pump at a gas station or from a canister.
At the gas station. Filling the tank to the brim is often prevented by the safety device of the fuel dispensing gun. It has a shut-off valve that automatically stops the fuel supply when the tank is full – or when the valve thinks it is full. Quite often, the overly sensitive shut-off is triggered not by filling the tank, but by a wave of fuel that sometimes forms in the neck. However, an overly sensitive sensor can be calmed down.
When the overflow safety valve is triggered, you need to partially pull the fuel nozzle out of the neck – and then slowly press the trigger again so that fuel flows out of it again. And do not press the trigger too hard, you need to keep the flow of fuel weak until the tank is completely filled.
From a canister. Filling the tank 100% of its volume from a canister is easier than from a gas station. You just need to pour the fuel slowly so that the air has time to come out of all the nooks and crannies of the tank, freeing up space for the liquid. But here the inventory will play a big role – you will need a funnel or a hose.
There is a difficulty in that in modern models the filler neck is very narrow, and also has a valve in the form of a metal petal. And in the latest generation diesel engines there may be a special ring valve in the neck, which does not allow you to insert a thin “gasoline” pistol (or a thin watering can). And you will not be able to outwit such a valve by pressing on the petal, for example, with a hose or a pencil – the valve will open only when you press on it at several points in a circle at once.
That is, you need to have a funnel (the so-called “under the valve”) that will fit this particular car – with a thin or thick spout, and also long enough. At the same time, for the mentioned diesel engines there is an original funnel-adapter. Often an alternative can be a hose – most often a flexible and thin one, with a diameter of 8-10 mm, is suitable.
Where does the extra gas go?
Fuel tanks of passenger cars often have an unusual, far from regular geometric shape. In order to use the space of the car more rationally, the tanks received a complex relief, especially in the upper part. In these depressions and bulges, additional space is formed for fuel, but since air remains in them, it is not easy to quickly fill them with fuel – which is why, in fact, when refueling, you have to resort to additional tricks.
Also, a noticeable increase in fuel, about 1-2 liters, can sometimes be accommodated by the filler neck of the tank, because in modern cars it sometimes stretches for more than half a meter. This is how additional liters of capacity are collected, which in some cars reach 15 liters (for example, Renault Duster and Logan).
Short
Handling gasoline or diesel fuel is accompanied by some unpleasant nuances for the average driver – a sharp smell and the need to wash your hands afterwards. Therefore, if you want to fill up “under the crust” at a gas station, you should simply make an agreement with the guy at the gas station. Who, for an additional fee or sincere gratitude, will perform the task professionally – so that you will soon see waves of fuel in the filler neck. By the way, some automobile engineers say that overfilling the tanks so much is not good for the car.
In preparing this article, materials from Autocentre and Autobild were used.
Let us recall that RBC-Ukraine recently reported on how the wrong gasoline affects a car and how to fix the situation.