Interesting fuel loss question
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 21
Interesting fuel loss question
The story:
A few days ago my wife stopped to fill up on fuel so the truck would be ready for the weekend. It was on a Wednesday night. After she gets home I proceed to change the oil ( I like to do them hot ). I get done around 10pm and then go to bed. My wife starts the truck up 8am Sunday morning ( 4 days later ) and there is 1/4 tank of fuel in the tank??? It was about 20 gal. of fuel that vanished. I documented the miles after the oil change so I know the truck did not have the fuel driven out.
There was no diesel smell, or signs of fuel on the floor or the side of the truck.
The truck sits inside a garage that is unlocked and doors open( don't ask). I live out in the country so there is not a lot of people or cars around, only a few houses.
Anyone else had fuel stolen from there truck? How easy is it to get it out of the tank? Anyone have any ideas on what could have happen?
My wife did take the truck on Sunday and put about 50 miles on it towing horses. The truck ran great.
I put a locking fuel cap on now so we don't have this problem again.
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A few days ago my wife stopped to fill up on fuel so the truck would be ready for the weekend. It was on a Wednesday night. After she gets home I proceed to change the oil ( I like to do them hot ). I get done around 10pm and then go to bed. My wife starts the truck up 8am Sunday morning ( 4 days later ) and there is 1/4 tank of fuel in the tank??? It was about 20 gal. of fuel that vanished. I documented the miles after the oil change so I know the truck did not have the fuel driven out.
There was no diesel smell, or signs of fuel on the floor or the side of the truck.
The truck sits inside a garage that is unlocked and doors open( don't ask). I live out in the country so there is not a lot of people or cars around, only a few houses.
Anyone else had fuel stolen from there truck? How easy is it to get it out of the tank? Anyone have any ideas on what could have happen?
My wife did take the truck on Sunday and put about 50 miles on it towing horses. The truck ran great.
I put a locking fuel cap on now so we don't have this problem again.
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Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 21
Well, from what my wife said......She had 1/2 tank on Wed so decided to fill for the weekend. She pumped until the pump stopped. Then on Sunday she needed to put 20 gal. in it. It was down to 1/4 tank and 104 miles to empty.
We have not had a problem with the sender or gauge at all.
I am thinking about changing the fuel filters just in case.
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We have not had a problem with the sender or gauge at all.
I am thinking about changing the fuel filters just in case.
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Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 21
Have you had similar problems? Nothing else was disturbed. Nothing stolen or moved. I have tools and other stuff out there and nothing else was touched.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 8,241
Likes: 155
From: L.A. (Lower Alabama)
A couple of months ago I heard some noise in the garage. I live in town and the garage door was up. I stepped outside just in time to see a blue "fast n furious" import car with a wing on the back (?) pulling out of my driveway with a couple of "dudes" in it that looked like they were 15 or so. Looked around a bit and didn't see anything missing until I went to mow the yard the next day. They got a 5gal and a 2.5gal gas can both almost full. I still leave my garage door open but my gas cans have a cable and lock on them now, on a shelf with a picture of me flipping them off hanging above them.
Speaking of fuel cans, has anyone bought a new style gas can lately? Clearly designed by someone who has never poured gas from a can in their life!
(Just kidding about the picture, I actuially wired the cable to a 110v outlet)
(Just kidding about the electric cable also, I did lock my cans up though. I shouldn't be posting while I'm waiting for my meds to kick in. Lol)
Btw it is possible the fuel level sensor just happened to mess up now.
Speaking of fuel cans, has anyone bought a new style gas can lately? Clearly designed by someone who has never poured gas from a can in their life!
(Just kidding about the picture, I actuially wired the cable to a 110v outlet)
(Just kidding about the electric cable also, I did lock my cans up though. I shouldn't be posting while I'm waiting for my meds to kick in. Lol)
Btw it is possible the fuel level sensor just happened to mess up now.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 15,368
Likes: 121
From: Stuttgart, Ar
I had my lawnmower gas can stolen out of my garage last summer between 3 and 5 a.m. when I was sitting on the other side of the door. Bastages walked past $1000 in tools to get to mine (and 3 of my neighbors) gas cans that morning and had to walk 15 feet inside the garage. My neighbor doctored a 5 gallon can with enough gas to stink like gas and some other goodies and it was stolen about 6 weeks later. The next day his mailbox was destroyed by a baseball bat. Neighbor "kids" on 4-wheelers.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,951
Likes: 512
From: Foothills, CA
How about a little more info on the place your wife initially got fuel? You know if you let it just click off and stop, it's from the foam and I've squeezed another 5 gallons in (my tank isn't harpooned). Ok so theoretically if the truck was on a side to side slope and the filler is on the down hill side and worse the truck is also pointed down hill, I could see where you'd leave a lot of empty space in the tank. Our local station in town is just like this, depending on what side you pull in on makes a big difference in how much you can get in the tank...
Ok and also imo it's easier to siphon from a diesel because the filler neck is so large and no flapper like gassers.
Lots of diesel equipment out in the country usually, and you just wouldn't expect it (plus the weight of carrying the containers) -- hey maybe they used a Prius, they're pretty quiet!
And Rusty: you need to be writing comedy man...
Ok and also imo it's easier to siphon from a diesel because the filler neck is so large and no flapper like gassers.
Lots of diesel equipment out in the country usually, and you just wouldn't expect it (plus the weight of carrying the containers) -- hey maybe they used a Prius, they're pretty quiet!
And Rusty: you need to be writing comedy man...
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The sending unit on my truck has a mind of its own... Sometimes I'll be driving along and boom get a warning sound and the dash reads Low Fuel the needle drops to below E. this is funny when I know I just filled it, But not so funny when I start it up in the morning or after a 12hr shift and it reads the same. That was the first time it happened to me, right on a start up after a long overnight shift. Thought someone stole all my fuel as I knew it was full when I parked it. So after calling the police (they are the only ones allowed to review footage from the cameras) I had to have my wife come pick me up, drive to pick up my pops truck with auxiliary fuel tank w/pump, drive back to work to fill it up, only to see it click off after like a minute of fueling!? Wow needless to say i was pissed and looked like a crazy person saying "somebody stole my fuel". But the cop was cool he he said no one was near it all night. Anyway its on my list to replace it and drop the tank to flush it out, make sure there is no debris in there.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 21
How about a little more info on the place your wife initially got fuel? You know if you let it just click off and stop, it's from the foam and I've squeezed another 5 gallons in (my tank isn't harpooned). Ok so theoretically if the truck was on a side to side slope and the filler is on the down hill side and worse the truck is also pointed down hill, I could see where you'd leave a lot of empty space in the tank. Our local station in town is just like this, depending on what side you pull in on makes a big difference in how much you can get in the tank...
Ok and also imo it's easier to siphon from a diesel because the filler neck is so large and no flapper like gassers.
Lots of diesel equipment out in the country usually, and you just wouldn't expect it (plus the weight of carrying the containers) -- hey maybe they used a Prius, they're pretty quiet!
And Rusty: you need to be writing comedy man...
Ok and also imo it's easier to siphon from a diesel because the filler neck is so large and no flapper like gassers.
Lots of diesel equipment out in the country usually, and you just wouldn't expect it (plus the weight of carrying the containers) -- hey maybe they used a Prius, they're pretty quiet!
And Rusty: you need to be writing comedy man...
Good point about the diesel being easier to siphon from because of the larger filler neck and no flapper.
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Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 21
I just wanted to thank everyone for there input. Thanks Rusty for a good laugh, I needed it.
I really don't think the sensor is acting up but I will be keeping an eye on it.
I also wanted to take the time to thank all that post on FTE forums. There is some great info here, and great ideas, thanks
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I really don't think the sensor is acting up but I will be keeping an eye on it.
I also wanted to take the time to thank all that post on FTE forums. There is some great info here, and great ideas, thanks
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Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,830
Likes: 96
From: Manteca,Ca
This is why the big dog sleeps outside , I'm out of regulation and still have the old style spout, Thats the only thing under lock and shot gun,every time I use my father in laws cans 
your right who and what were they thinking.
your right who and what were they thinking.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,138
Likes: 7
From: South Weber, Utah
When I asked my local dealer if they had OEM locking gas caps for our trucks he told me they did not and he went on to say that he wouldn't put a locking gas cap on as the fuel thief's are known to drill a hole in the bottom of the tank to get the fuel out if there is a locking cap, he says replacing the tank of fuel is much cheaper than replacing the tank. I never thought of it that way, the reason I wanted a locking cap is to prevent someone ( like an ex-wife ) from putting something in the fuel tank.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,739
Likes: 0
From: Virginia beach, VA
Exactly the reason I got one (although I don't have an ex-wife). The one I got online feels like you got break it right off if you turned it hard enough, but I just figure if someone sees any kind of trouble getting the cap off they will walk away (hopefully).