Diesel spills?

[warewolf]

Pretty sure the Poms fought a big battle over this recently. Try researching how they went about it and how they got on. MAG? (motorcycle action group) and also ACEM, the new body representing the motorcycle industry in Europe. They cover lots of safety issues.

check all the filler caps...see how they are fitted,evidence of leakage etc?

For a WoF the filler cap is checked for security and all push in temporary type caps are banned - this has been in for some time,and I expect is the same for CoF.

I rented a small truck in recent years. The filler cap wasn't even close to sealing, was never designed as such. Looked like a chimney vent designed to stop rain entering. The previous renter had filled the tank up to the brim of the filler neck above the tank. Raw diesel was slopping everywhere. Even when I had finished with it - only drove it 35km or something - it was still slopping diesel out the filler neck when I pulled into the rental place.

I pointed this out to the rental chap, that as it was still over-full and was a hazard so I hadn't topped up the tank at all. He thought I was trying to get out of filling the tank. So he unscrewed the cap and to check the level plunged his hand into the filler... and got diesel all up his arm and over his shirt... to my immense satisfaction.

So from that experience - huge sample of one, I know - I conclude that diesel tanks aren't even designed to avoid slop at a very basic level.

[CookMySock]

are you all just guessing and pointing the finger.

Really trying to avoid the blame game. Maybe we can discover what the real problem is and come to a amicable solution. In the end, if we have to hang someone then so be it, but we are nowhere near that.

Could someone walk around a truck park,container terminal or such like and check all the filler caps...see how they are fitted,evidence of leakage etc? For a WoF the filler cap is checked for security and all push in temporary type caps are banned - this has been in for some time,and I expect is the same for CoF.

All this is being examined as we speak. What we don't want to happen, is some vigilante work in parallel and make US look like, um, vigilantes. One step at a time.

I blame Pajeros.

Pajeros do this? Can you offer more insight here? Cheers.

Pretty sure the Poms fought a big battle over this recently. Try researching how they went about it and how they got on. MAG? (motorcycle action group) and also ACEM, the new body representing the motorcycle industry in Europe. They cover lots of safety issues.

Thanks for that. Can I have a volunteer to distill this please? edit: http://www.acem.eu/cartoon/ Doesn't look like much in this, unless anyone else has more.

I rented a small truck in recent years. The filler cap wasn't even close to sealing [....] Raw diesel was slopping everywhere. Even when I had finished with it - only drove it 35km or something - it was still slopping diesel out the filler neck when I pulled into the rental place.

Brave of you to admit that on a biker site. All in the name of research though!


cheers,
Steve

[cooneyr]

Another thought. See if you can get along side anyone who was involved in the industry driven voluntarily adopted (initially though became mandatory after an period of time) effluent tanks on trucks. Others have been through the process of identifying, investigating and addressing an issue in the road transport industry and this may prove to be of some help.

I was involved for a short period of time back in 2002 in the Transit managed project to install and manage effluent dump stations around the upper part of the south island.

Cheers R

[CookMySock]

See if you can get along side anyone who was involved in the industry driven voluntarily adopted effluent tanks on trucks.

Yeah thats what I am hoping to pick up next week.

I'll have this meeting and see what I get offered. I'm expecting good things.

Steve

[Motu]

I rented a small truck in recent years. The filler cap wasn't even close to sealing, was never designed as such. Looked like a chimney vent designed to stop rain entering. The previous renter had filled the tank up to the brim of the filler neck above the tank. Raw diesel was slopping everywhere. Even when I had finished with it - only drove it 35km or something - it was still slopping diesel out the filler neck when I pulled into the rental place.

So from that experience - huge sample of one, I know - I conclude that diesel tanks aren't even designed to avoid slop at a very basic level.

People often perceive the CoF test as being much stricter than the mere WoF test,but this is not really the case,they are looking at different things on different vehicles.From my experience with trucks,the filler caps were either bigger versions of a car cap,or something more elaborate....which you would think must be more secure.I suspect most filler problems come from after market bodies (buses,freezer bodies etc) where the filler neck has to be modified.

[kiwi cowboy]

good luck with it

[maybe]

One of the reasons for the leaks is poor servicing, some of the leaks are from the seals around the fuel filters as if left to long can break down, have also seen a filter with a crack in it leaking fuel this was due to a lack of servicing.

[FJRider]

Photos of it happening... or it didnt happen. At best... an individual vehicle/companys may get prosecuted. Law changes may take a while... Look at the battle re. WRB's...

[CookMySock]

Photos of it happening... or it didnt happen. At best... an individual vehicle/companys may get prosecuted. Law changes may take a while... Look at the battle re. WRB's...

If I start talking like that to industry organisations, they will pull their head inside their shell and go silent on me. Softly softly first.

Steve

[BMWST?]

I was nearly taken out once by a Runciman Motors bus on the Rimutakas which seemed to be going very fast in the opposite direction.I later fell on some deisel spilt by that bus.Several other riders fell that day,and there were reports of several people seeing deisel spewing from the filler on LH corners.But no one actually saw someone fall on the deisel that was definetly from that bus....hence no one could actually pursue that avenue.

[Tank]

Ok it seems to me that most diesel spills are from trucks with a faulty rubber seal under their fuel cap - a simple thing. Not that I have really have any idea - just surmising.

I'm going to start the ball rolling some industry organisations and see what they have to say. I'm not going to get shitty with them - I'm just going to ask.

The causes of diesel spills have been mentioned previously (search is your friend) - and faulty seals wasnt seen as the primary cause.

You may want to bone up on the causes etc before putting it to people to fix - you may fix a non existent problem.

Further - to be successful - the changes need to be mandatory not optional - so trying to get the g'ment on your side would be a smarter way to approach the issue IMHO.

[Tank]

Softly softly first.

Steve

And then go all International on their asses !!!!!

[CookMySock]

The causes of diesel spills have been mentioned previously (search is your friend) - and faulty seals wasnt seen as the primary cause.

Yes I already have that information. What I am trying to do is get information from industry groups, as to what they percieve the problem to be.

Further - to be successful - the changes need to be mandatory not optional - so trying to get the g'ment on your side would be a smarter way to approach the issue IMHO.

Thanks for that. I'mm not going to put a rope around anyones neck. Like I said, they will volunteer nothing after I attempt that. All I need is someone pull a stunt like that, and that will close all my doors.

I'm hoping for them to offer up what the problems are, and see if I can just ask them what timetable they have for addressing those issues - maybe the problem will go away by itself soon.

We might also get an article in an industry-leading periodical. This on its own will do a lot for us. Is there someone capable of putting together such an article? (Hi Jan!)

A lot can be achieved without pointing a gun at someones head, and a lot of damage can be done by doing so.

Steve

[Tank]

Thanks for that. I'mm not going to put a rope around anyones neck. Like I said, they will volunteer nothing after I attempt that. All I need is someone pull a stunt like that, and that will close all my doors.

I'm hoping for them to offer up what the problems are, and see if I can just ask them what timetable they have for addressing those issues - maybe the problem will go away by itself soon.

Money is too tight for most of the trucking forms as it is - unless there is a directive they wont do anything - there is nothing in it for them other than the cost of testing, compliance, retesting etc.

I applaud the idea - but I think you are aiming in the wrong areas.

[martybabe]

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/se...iesel%20spills


Have a dig around in here DB, it's been a huge issue in the UK for many years and the cause of many single vehicle accidents and deaths.

Good luck with it.