fuel stolen

Scougar · 18 Oct 2011 at 17:16

Sorry to hear about this costing you bud :-(

There were some excavators at a local woods recently (might still be there), and they were carting round these mahoosive fuel tanks for refueling. Very thick metal, but I bet they were a magnet for fuel thieves :-(

Hotwired · 18 Oct 2011 at 17:33

Mm, reminds me, had an excavator on our land to rebuild a road up a hill and dig some drainage to reduce boggy areas, had a fuel tank about the size of a transit van plonked on the site for it.

It'd have to be a hardcore fuel thief to tackle one of those beasties.

Wonder if they bother armouring fuel tanks like that with hardened steel or just rely on the fact that the steel is much thicker anyway on a tank that size.

helpimcrap · 18 Oct 2011 at 21:09

imb4tman said:
Could try de badging the car. I know you could look up the car and once the fuel is out you can tell anyway, but it might put off an opertunistic theft if they're not sure what fuel it will be.

car kinda debadged. i belive zertec is a ford trim level rather than the type of engine now as zetec could be a diesel i think?

went to pick car up today - i have a knackered fuel pump too....

guy whose sorting is one of the good ones so i know he's telling the truth.

Skyboat · 18 Oct 2011 at 23:36

Locky said:
I hate gypos and they should all be set on fire and die as far as I'm concerned.

Preferably with using the fuel that they stole. Poetic justice

Scania · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:15

Hotwired said:
I'm intrigued.

How exactly do they do this?

Do they just approximate or know by memory the size and location of your tank and drill one hole for air and one to let out the fuel?

Most tanks are vented - there is your second hole.

Often (with HGV's especially) the little scrotes will merely pull out the fuel tank sender, giving them access to the fuel without having to drill.

I had this done to me a while back, they probably stole £20worth for their ***** van or whatever, the remaining 300ish litres went all over the layby I was parked in.

Participant · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:21

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Most tanks are vented - there is your second hole.

That's weird because whenever I take my fuel cap off, there's a whoosh of air escaping. Surely this means that the system is pressurised and therefore that the tank is not vented?

godinman · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:22

It was Will Gill!

Scania · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:25

Robbie G said:
That's weird because whenever I take my fuel cap off, there's a whoosh of air escaping. Surely this means that the system is pressurised and therefore that the tank is not vented?

I know Scania trucks have vented tanks, depends on the car I guess, my 528i does not "hiss" when I open the fuel cap, my GF's Mondeo does.

I dunno. its not beyond the realms of probability that I'm talking rubbish!

Firestar_3x · 19 Oct 2011 at 12:27

Robbie G said:
That's weird because whenever I take my fuel cap off, there's a whoosh of air escaping. Surely this means that the system is pressurised and therefore that the tank is not vented?

Depends how old the car is but the tank should be vented but not vented to atmosphere.

helpimcrap · 19 Oct 2011 at 20:12

Robbie G said:
That's weird because whenever I take my fuel cap off, there's a whoosh of air escaping. Surely this means that the system is pressurised and therefore that the tank is not vented?

exactly what i have thought. the system needs to be presurised as fuel isn't mavity fed like in old cars is it so it would need a bit of pressure to foce is through otherwise you'd never be ablt to run low on fuel without it suffering? :confused:

helpimcrap · 19 Oct 2011 at 20:16

BTW - was over £200 in end - replaced tank/fuel pump/fuel filter and did one of 2 other checks and stuff which took time but also included a hire car for the entire duration so i never lost wages. Mate of mine sorted everything so I'll be buying him a big botttle of wine when i pay him as he put it all on his tab and paid forall of it!

Still - runs better than it did before and it really annoys me but it wasn't worth claiming of the insrance as excess was £100 anyway....

chaparral · 20 Oct 2011 at 04:20

helpimcrap said:
exactly what i have thought. the system needs to be presurised as fuel isn't mavity fed like in old cars is it so it would need a bit of pressure to foce is through otherwise you'd never be ablt to run low on fuel without it suffering?

I guess you forgot that vehicles have fuel pumps

(some have the fuel pump inside the fuel tank)

Participant · 20 Oct 2011 at 11:54

chaparral...how did:

helpimcrap said:
the system needs to be presurised as fuel isn't mavity fed like in old car

lead you to deduce:

chaparral said:
I guess you forgot that vehicles have fuel pumps

?

Abraxaz1 · 20 Oct 2011 at 13:18

How about tacking a sheet of stainless steel underneath the car and sit back and watch the pixeys trying to drill the thing. Just make sure the fuel tank is empty

JonF · 20 Oct 2011 at 16:53

I park my car right up against a wall to make it more difficult.

godinman · 20 Oct 2011 at 17:54

JonF said:
I park my car right up against a wall to make it more difficult.

I theorise that it would be possible to access the tank from the other side of the vehicle. Possibly by positioning oneself underneath the vehicle.

Brookert · 20 Oct 2011 at 18:27

Telescopi said:
Build a concrete hump underneath where you park so they can't get at the tank so easily. Business Next door has one to stop people nicking the cats.

that...............................is very clever

helpimcrap · 20 Oct 2011 at 19:31

Abraxaz1 said:
How about tacking a sheet of stainless steel underneath the car and sit back and watch the pixeys trying to drill the thing. Just make sure the fuel tank is empty

considered a thin bit so when they are drilling so they can drill into the tank but when they spark the metal.... job done...

helpimcrap · 20 Oct 2011 at 19:33

Robbie G said:
chaparral...how did:

lead you to deduce:

?

sorry but that tickled me lol....

helpimcrap · 20 Oct 2011 at 19:35

Telescopi said:
Build a concrete hump underneath where you park so they can't get at the tank so easily. Business Next door has one to stop people nicking the cats.

very clever.