As we all know the price of gasoline keeps rising and at this writing (March 2008), we are told that here in America, it will reach at least $4.00 per gallon by this summer.  Regardless of the price, this information is a very good idea. It was passed on by an employee of Kinder Morgan Pipeline in San Jose, CA.  They deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period through the pipeline.  One day it is diesel and the next day it is jet fuel and gasoline, including regular and premium grades.  They have 34 storage tanks with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons. The tips below will help you get the most value for your money.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold.  All service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground.  The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline.  As gasoline gets warmer it expands.  If you buy in the afternoon or in the evening, your gallon is not exactly a gallon.  In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.  A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business, but the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode.  If you look you will see that the trigger has three stages:  low, middle, and high.  In slow mode you are pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created during the pumping.  All hoses at the pump have a vapor return.  If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor.  Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY.  The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space.  Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.  Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof.  This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation.  Unlike service stations, every gasolinetruck that is loaded is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

If there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up.  More than likely as the gasoline is being delivered, it is being stirred up in the tanks and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.  This can cause your vehicle to not run properly or worse, not at all.

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