Gas missing from tank after inspection

This morning after work I filled my tank. This was just prior to me taking it in for my annual inspection. When I filled the tank, I topped it off, and the gas gauge was literally above the full line. So I took my car into the shop right after this and left it there, then I came home to sleep. I didn't pick the car up until later on in the day, after waking up later in the afternoon. When I was driving home, I noticed that a considerable amount of gas was missing from my tank according to my gas gauge, which I found to be strange, considering I had only driven it a few miles after filling my tank, just before dropping it off at the garage. The gauge was between the full mark and the first notch below the full mark. So it wasn't a lot of gas, but it was a lot considering that I hadn't driven the vehicle other than from the gas station to the place where I got it inspected.

So all I can assume at this point is that someone was driving my car around for their own leisure, or someone at the garage siphoned gas from my tank. Or, for whatever reason, they let my car run for a prolonged period of time during the inspection. I am not going to worry about it, but I find this to be rather odd, and it's making me reconsider taking it to this place again to get my car serviced.

Unfortunately, I didn't look at my trip odometer before dropping the car off, so I cannot say with certainty that it was being driven around, but so far that is really the only logical explanation.

Any ideas from you guys?

 

That's fucked. Track them down with google-fu and hunt them with a meat cleaver. Then siphon the gas out of their car, using their intestines. And replace it with sugar water.

I would then proceed to defecate readily on the hood and mount the inspectors head using the sticky lumpyness of the stool to create a hood ornament for his car.

 

It's really the only logical option at this point.

 

inspection requires road testing


also if you have emissions inspections there is does require full warm up and extended idling

 

Thanks. For a rare change, I was actually hoping you would respond to this thread.

But how much road testing and extended idling is actually required?

 

well that depends where the guy prefers lunch

or if he used your car for a quickie on second coffee break

 

Was it safety inspection or emissions?

That's actually probably a few gallons on most tanks, but unless you took it to billy bob's garage nobody there is going to siphon your gas. More likely some crackhead did it in the parking lot.

But as a general rule, don't ever fill your tank up to full and take it to the shop. That's just obnoxious. And also don't bring it in with running issues and an empty tank, that's even worse.

 

Go add gas and see how much was taken. You should know a ballpark of what it gets and if it takes X, You know they took you're car to lunch today.

But filling on flat ground, Moving it and possibly parking and picking it up on an incline would do this. Mine does it all the time from the gas station to my parents 3.4miles away. I 98% of the time sit and fill it till it bubbles or spills a little out so I get a full tank. When I don't, I still have a full tank, But drops faster.

Just go and add some and go from there is all I can say. Use the same pump and station if you can so all miles and gallons can be accounted for.

 

why assume they didn't have to run the engine, consuming some of your gas, to complete whatever it is you brought it in for the to do. and maybe they felt like they had to drive it around the block to make sure that had everything right, and if so, why not drive it to lunch? just consider the price of the gas part of the price of whatever it was they were supposed to do. not that they don't overcharge for everything involving a car, just like banks overcharge for anything involving money. more's the pity, but we do not live in an age of self discipline and honesty.

 

That's why I always write down the odometer reading when I drop it off and pick it up.

Last time I dropped my truck off at a shop, they had it for a week. I figured that's normal, gotta order parts, right? So I went to Salt Lake City with a friend, drove around some, and what do you know...there's my truck...at a K-mart. Come on girls, something you may not understand is how a man can tell a truck is his without looking at the VIN or license plates. But I did a double check and...the plates were mine as well. 120 miles from the garage I dropped it off at. I picked it up the next day, and the head mechanic was swearing "it's not done, we havn't even touched it yet!", so I told him that's just fine, I have nothing to pay you for. Back then we had 35mm cameras, not digital, so I had no proof. If I did, there would have been hell to pay.

 

here they put your car on the rollers and run it for 10 minutes minimum and they rev the fuck out of it too....gotta simulate highway speeds

and its totally acceptable for them to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and go to pick up parts at the same time that they are test driving the car.....

also...the first bit and the last bit of your gas guage move the fastest compared to the middle bit

 

Sorry, the taste was irresistible.

 

wait, why is it obnoxious to fill up your tank before taking it to the mechanic?

 

I wonder that too.

 

Because a fuel tank is essentially a big bomb.

And what happens if the fuel pump takes a shit while it's in the care of the mechanic? He has to pump out all that gas to drop the tank and change the pump. Sounds unlikely, but it's happened to me a bunch of times.

Also, to run the evap monitor test (for emissions control) the fuel has to be between 15-85% full. So depending on area, if that monitor hasn't run since the last time the computer was cleared, the tech has to force the monitor to run via scan tool. And you can't do that if the fuel level is outside of the specified range.

 

So what are we talking here, an 1/8 of a 60L tank?

Roughly 8 litres, about $12, around 100Kms or fuel, or 90 mins rev'd for servicing and a little joy ride. You are being a bit of a tight arse dont you think?



You owe me about $12 for reading this thread

 

was your check engine light on? i know in order for cars like that to pass inspection, they have to get the light to shut off and then drive the car for like 50 miles to make sure it doesn't come back on.

usually this is communicated to you and often they ask you to be the one to do the driving.

i would at least ask them if they had to drive it for some reason.

 

I have a mechanic who is gold. He always checks my car over no matter what I take it in for. He does not do repairs unless they are needed. I know this because there have been times he could have and instead told me that probably within a specified length of time I might have to repair something. If I stop in for something minor he just does it and does not charge for it. An example, my air was not blowing really cold and he said probably it just needed topping and to go buy the can and come back. He did recharge it and would not take anything for doing it.

I had an intermittent problem with an idiot light coming off and on. The ABS. I knew that indicated the right front bearing where the sensor is as I had it changed before. He would not change it until he drove it and the light came on. He kept the car for 2 days and when it finally came on he was able to pinpoint it was that. I had no issue with him having to use the car to ensure it was that rather than spend $400 and not solve it.

You have to trust the mechanic if you do not then you should change shops.

When you find a good mechanic, hold onto them.

 

my check engine light come one if you dont tighten the gas caps. idiot light....

 

Well, my check engine light was on before I took it in to the garage. I disconnected the battery before going, to reset the light, since I knew it wouldn't pass inspection with it on, and I don't really have the money to spend on some stupid and unnecessary censor. Well, the codes came up when they hooked it up the computer, and I ended up having to pay $300 for a new oxygen censor anyway. So yeah, as others have pointed out, it was probably the emissions testing and/or road testing that used up the missing gas. It wasn't a lot of gas, but enough to have me feeling a bit suspicious. Anyway, I am not worried about it. I am more concerned about the money I have been having to put into my car lately, on top of all my other expenses. I need to start playing the lottery.