Car Conspiracy?

Originally posted by mastermind77
I get the same thing, and no its not a conspiracy..unless it is.? My car has 350,000 miles and run mostly ok, 1 bad sensor which cause a bad fuel mixture. it waistes fuel..sesor is 120$


1. Ive heard some companies dilute gas silently to stretch it out..of course lies..but maybe its evaporation or a bad fuel line, find a mechanic.

While this won't explain the extra mileage (my theory is that you'll find a neighbor kid probably learned how to hot wire your vehicle. There are places on the net where you can learn to manually start cars without keys by make and model).

But this previous poster could be on to something about the gas. There are numerous fuel retailers around the country that have been hammered about adjusting the internal temp controls on gas pumps to allow the supply tanks to get hotter than allowed. By doing so, the gas expands and when you think you've filled the tank, as the temp outside cools, you'll find that you actually have less gas than believed. It's an illegal practice.

I'd maybe try a new gas station to see if it keeps up.

somthings im wondering: is ur display digital, do u live in a hilly area, is ur garage/driveway level, other things to consider: an elictical issue or fualty relay could send incorrect information to ur fuel gauge hope this helps somwhat

chalk your tires in your garage so that if they arent EXACTLY perfect, then someone is messing with your car.

Simple answer to this is.....

Stay up one night and watch,if you cant then set a camcorder up.

do you think its possible your wife is cheating on you? :-X

I was going to mention the temperature of the gas ... always fill up when it is colder to get more gas! Didn't realize some companies were heating their tanks!

Find some way for you to verify vehicle placement exactly ... not only that ... but things inside the car as well. The more you make traceable, the more you can notice the possible offender may not. They may have a key or get into your house ... are your keys accessable for a joyride theif? I assume you have a CD player ... if it is possible ... get used to how it works and where it picks back up on the same song if you shut the car off and turn it back on. It would be terribly hard for someone to find the exact spot necessary for you not to notice. Tape player may work even better.

Take make something like a paper box or something that is crushable, but would be hidden behind the pedals ... so as soon as someone would use the pedal, it would be damaged with creases that could not be taken out.

Get a 'club', though I don't care for them, it would have a chance of working in your situation.

A lot of gear shifters (auto) have a key lock ... a potential their may not think about it, since most people don't.

If this person isn't inspecting the tires beforehand ... placing something like an empty soda can or water bottle where it can be rolled over or disturbed.

If you really want to do something that would be a small burden to a thief ... get some flour and cover the door handles and outside contact points ... so no matter what door they would try to go in, they would leave a mark.

get a seat cover ... and place something that would absorb an imprint or leave a permanent mark on it under the cover ...

I know some of those are out there a bit, but some of them can definitely work. It does leave a bad taste in your mouth to think of someone else driving your new car ... the oil companies getting one on us ... any of it.

Hope you get it worked out ... I can't wait to hear the truth of the matter.

If it is a hoax, kudos, but not nice for those with no sense of humor

What if car companies put computers in the car that can be electronically hacked to give the impression that your car has more miles and less gas than you think?

What I don't understand is, if people are going to steal your car..why not actually steal it? Why bring it back? The only ones I could imagine bringing it back are kids, but you said you don't have any.

The siphoning of the gas is possible as well. Along with everything else everybody mentioned.

Could the fuel gauge be faulty? That happened to someone who I know... they ran out of fuel when there car sopposidly had full fuel. Perhaps that's it?

Also, once my dad filled his petrol tank further than they say it can hold. Can petrol stations be altering the meter to 1litre is actually 950mls to get more money?

I hate to appear cynical here - and I'm all for helping out other members - but if my car suddenly starting showing extra mileage out of nowhere and the gas was severely depleted .............................................. isn't the obvious solution to stay up some night and see if someone is using it?

I just think this is a joke thread, surely common sense would tell him to keep an eye on the car if it appears someone else is using it!!

Gaz

[edit on 31-7-2007 by elgaz]

FreeThinkerIdealist has some good ideas, like maybe put some flour under the door handles so you will find fingerprints if anyone has used your car. Or putting a small paper box under the foot pedals to see if it is crushed in the morning.

The best idea would be to set up a camera or just stay up and wait to see if anything happens. Does this happen every night?

As i said,stay up and watch problem solved.Keep a bat handy and teach someone a lesson.Screw all this other james bond stuff.Do what is simple and will provide 100% who it is.

Not sure, what kind of car is it? When i got my Bentley last year I had a similar problem and the dealership fixed it.

Originally posted by blowfishdl
do you think its possible your wife is cheating on you? :-X

I hate to admit it, but this has crossed my mind as well. If she has her own car though, why would she raise suspicions by taking her husband's?

That being said, it certainly would be a great tool for his wife to blame it on ghosts or a conspiracy, especially since her husband is apt to believe in that. I mean, I can totally see this discussion taking place:

HUSBAND: Honey, my car is nearly half empty and I filled it last night.

WIFE: (blushing) Oh my!

HUSBAND: And there's an extra 100 miles on the odometer, what in tarnation?!

WIFE: (fidgeting with her skirt nervously) That's indeed strange, dear.

HUSBAND: Well now, you wouldn't have happened to go out last night without me knowing it, would you?

WIFE: Me? You must be joshing.

HUSBAND: Well, why is my tank half empty then?

WIFE: Must be the Illuminati, dear.

HUSBAND (gasping). OOOOOH. Of course!



[edit on 8/1/2007 by behindthescenes]

I do need to admit that the more I reread this thread the more I'm suspecting this is an attempt by the OP for some attention.

Here's a contradiction:

Someone asked if his wife could be taking the car. The OP responded that it was impossible, that he's a "light sleeper" and would notice her leaving in the middle of the night.

But someone is apparently driving his car for about a hundred miles per night? If he's such a light sleeper, wouldn't you think he'd hear someone starting his car in the garage or the driveway?

Either that, or he's in serious denial and is actually a much deeper sleeper than he believes. Also, I haven't noticed a response from him in some time. I think we're being duped.

Perhaps there is a problem with the gas guages and/or the electonics of the car....or perhaps it has something to do with barometric pressure...

have you checked out any of these?

Car companies wouldn't do this! It would make them sell 0 cars b/c they would be found out in a second. If you have kids, its them. If your wife is cheating on you, it could be her. Syphoning gas is more common than you think! Extra miles on your car? Someones taking the keys from your home. Thats why i suggest someone closer than you think!

We have a van at work that has a problem with its fuel gauge - it'll read plenty of fuel, but on parking up after a good run out, the fuel gauge reads, for example 1/2 full, but on returning to the van in the morning, the fuel gauge reads 1/4 tank. The garage put it down to a sticking sensor in the tank, but as of yet they haven't resolved it.

To stop the car going on unwanted journeys, just detach a terminal from the battery, that'll stop anyone wanting a midnight joyride!

Pretty sure this is a gag but i"ll bite. I would have suggested a fuel leak, but that wouldnt explain the extra mileage. I can suggest that if you have 22"s or 27" rims to put your stock equipment back on this would explain everything.

This thread reminds me of a story with quite the opposite outcome.

My dad worked for the FAA as an air traffic controller. Most of these guys are either ex-military, pilots, or techno-nerdy geeks. The facility where they worked was in a remote and secure location, ( not at airport ) and most of the controllers commuted at least 30 miles each way.

One of his co-workers bought a Morris Minor, a small English car. (BTW, this story is about 30 years old.) This guy was a real "pocket protector", "slide rule carrying" nerd and very boastful.

So this guy was so excited that he was going to get great gas mileage and decided to keep track of it. The first week he said he was averaging between 35-40 miles per gallon. The second week he proclaimed he was getting between 40-60 miles per gallon, and the third week, he proudly proclaimed that he was getting over 100 miles per gallon. In fact he had not filled up in over three weeks!

Well, as it turns out, my dad and his buddies were playing a trick on the guy. They would each take turns by bringing some gas in a metal can and topping off his tank. This went on for almost a month until one day, he was bragging about his mileage and they all busted up laughing.

I promise you the above story is true. I'm still wondering about the one which started this thread. Hope a little levity helped.

regards.....kk




[edit on 2-8-2007 by kinda kurious]

if this is not a joke, then you can also look at the mileage, the manufacturers mpg claims, how many gallons the tank holds and how low the tank is to figure out if they correlate to someone actually driving it.