Foamy Fuel

[NewbeeMC9]

I was reading Iron Oxide's(Rusty's?) thread about his great deal on fuel and taken time to get it.  Ours hit $1.94 around the corner here but most places have real foamy fuel.  So I take a little extra time to fill up waiting for the foam to subside and add a little more and wait.  I my main goal is for fuel mileage checking and maximizing range.  (and this goes for my cars and truck)

What do you all do to address the foam?

[OneLapper]

I wait until I can see clear fuel in the tank.  I have a diesel Jetta and it can take me 3 or 4 minutes to top it off!  That extra gallon gives me another 48 miles before the low fuel light comes on!

Mark

[cody]

I've noticed the foamy fuel too over the last year or so, possibly my memory is slipping along with other body parts lol, but I don't recall the fuel foaming up as badly as it does now, one guy says it may be the low sulfer, I don't know but it does seem to take us longer to fill because of it.

[Utahclaimjumper]

It may depend on where you fill, smaller stations seem to use smaller hoses and nozzles compared to the larger truck stops that depend on volume selling. It would seem that fuel forced thru a small nozzle under heavy pressure would foam more than the opposite..(my view)>>>Dan

[cody]

Could be the size hoses but I've fueled at the same spot up here for the last 6 years and find the problem seemed to crop up about a year ago

[Paso One]

My response is not totally on topic however I think it needs to be thown out in case some of you don't realize it.
The fill nozzle is accurate wide open and metering fuel.

Continuous opening and closing the nozzle ( to top up ) the accuracy goes for a hike.

A friend in the metering business pointed this out to me and even suggested testing it out with a known container volume.

It is more pronouced on Diesel because of the foaming.

Your paying for fuel your not getting.

So my suggestion is if topping up let the foam settle well before opening the nozzle again.

[luvrbus]

Winter blend will foam more than the summer fuel just slow the fill and the foaming is not as bad    good luck

[cody]

So what your saying is that unless the nozzle is wide open, your an't getting an accurate measure?

[cody]

There is no way I can fill with the nozzle wide open, my tank has a long fill tube with a couple of bends and if I try to open the nozzle very wide it'll back feed at me.

[Utahclaimjumper]

I would doubt Paso's statement, #1 todays fluid transducers are extremly accurate and so stated on todays pumps ( accuracy at any pressure or flow rate) #2 I would doubt that state weights and measures would go for inaccuracies that could alter state taxes.>>>Dan

[Paso One]

Well.......  when it is wide open and metering fuel it is closer to being accurate as close can be. (political answer)  

Ever read the small print on the fuel pump  Calibrated to XXX temperature  same thing if it is not that temperature IE extremes from that temperature = not accurate.

He says simply multiple opening and closing of the nozzle =  not accurate...

Continuous flow is the most accurate not necessarily wide open

[Paso One]

I would doubt Paso's statement, #1 todays fluid transducers are extremly accurate and so stated on todays pumps ( accuracy at any pressure or flow rate) #2 I would doubt that state weights and measures would go for inaccuracies that could alter state taxes.>>>Dan

No offense taken  however the weights and measure people know how to fill there little sampling container.

The state gets their taxes you just don't get what your paying for.

But of coarse the state would liklly call you up and say you may have over paid us because of improper use on your part.. 

[gus]

I don't buy the accuracy thing either, I think all the foaming takes place when the fuel hits the fuel in the tank.

The reason I say this is that when I drove an 18 wheeler the fuel tank opening was very big and right out in the open so I could see the fuel going into the tank and it seemed that way to me.

I don't notice any more or less foaming now as compared to ten years ago.

As already posted., even if it foams in the line the meter would obviously be calibrated to allow for that.

If fuel mileage is the problem it will be reasonably accurate if you always stop at the same time when you fill the tank. Stop when the nozzle first shuts off automatically and it will probably be as accurate as any other method.

[Busted Knuckle]

Gus I agree with you as a multi mile trucker over the years I remember the trucks sometimes foaming and sometimes not! In all honesty I have not noticed the foaming hardly at all in the last few years. (but then again I drive a SETRA! )

  BK 

[gus]

BK,

I had to google SETRA, I thought it was one of those European cab-over tractors!!