Substantially less petrol in tank after fuel tank replacement

anewman

Know of someone who recently took a car to a garage for MOT and it was found the tank was leaking. There was over 20 litres in (fuel gauge near 3/4 mark), yet on collecting the car the fuel gauge was sat near the bottom. They said some of it may have been spilled or an excuse along those lines. I suspect there's a chance it will have been a litre or two stuck at the bottom that could not be siphoned, and it won't have leaked that much in the time it took to repair.

I guess this is one of those situations where you can't do anything about it as it is impossible to prove exactly how much was in there to start with and where every ml of petrol went, and the garage will simply claim they put all they got out in.

Can only muse that fuel prices must have gotten that bad that it's worth it for a garage to nick even though it's worth less than their hourly labour rate.

vikingaero

anewman wrote: »

Can only muse that fuel prices must have gotten that bad that it's worth it for a garage to nick even though it's worth less than their hourly labour rate.

It probably won't be the garage that stole the fuel, but most probably the junior mechanic on £5.93 per hour.

LandyAndy

Perhaps your friend should be glad the garage didn't just empty the old tank into whatever was handy and then dump it back into the new tank.

colino

I'm surprised the garage put anything more than enough to start the car in the new tank at all.

mcjordi

the garage will of had to drain as much fuel off as possible to remove the tank.. they weight a canny bit with a tank full of fuel..

bigjl

I would suspect that at 3/4 of a tank there was substantially more than 20 litres in a tank, though most garages will never put back in what they take out of a tank, this may be due to not getting it all out or not wanting to store a several gallons of a flammable liquid in the garage, they would have to drain before refilling the new tank, also the old tank may have been dented, making the guage read higher than on the newer undamaged tank.

Though more likely, as said above, the apprentice took some.

Strider590

Call me paranoid, but ive taken to using my mobile phone to photograph the dials before anyone else gets their hands on my car.

After the stories ive heard, I keep an eye on the Fuel level and mileage....

cardinalbiggles

Fiat wanted my car back for an "extended testdrive" which was 80 miles so I guess someone had it for a few days to run about in.

Got the car back and they had not replaced the fuel so I complained, they then brimmed the tank which was good of them but I should not have had to ask in the first place.

Hammyman

anewman wrote: »

Know of someone who recently took a car to a garage for MOT and it was found the tank was leaking. There was over 20 litres in (fuel gauge near 3/4 mark), yet on collecting the car the fuel gauge was sat near the bottom.

As a mechanic, there's no way in hell I'd put mucky sludge and rust contaminated fuel in a new tank. Being sensible about it, would you want a new tank to start off with the crud from the old tank in it?

Stigy

vikingaero wrote: »

It probably won't be the garage that stole the fuel, but most probably the junior mechanic on £5.93 per hour.

When I was an apprentice Mechanic I was on £55 a week to start with...That equated to about 90p an hour. It was 10-years ago mind you.

Gloomendoom

Stigy wrote: »

When I was an apprentice Mechanic I was on £55 a week to start with...That equated to about 90p an hour. It was 10-years ago mind you.

I can beat that... £32 a week including Saturday mornings.