Western-Star

Wheels: An e-mail from Ron says, "A friend just sent me four GAS FACTS — are they true or false? My friend would rather think a GAS FACT e-mail is true. What do you say?"

No. 1: You should fill up your gas tank in the early a.m. or late in the p.m. when it is cool. It allows a fuller gas tank.

No. 2: You should never put gas in your vehicle when a gas tanker is unloading fuel into the station's underground tanks. Gas going into the tanks kicks up dirt and other stuff that gets into the pumps and thus into your vehicle's gas tank.

No. 3: Always use the middle click on the pump to allow the right or full amount of gas into the tank when filling the vehicle. If you use the third click, you don't get a full tank of gas and if you use the first click, the tanks can stir up crap in the tank, which would clog the vehicle's fuel filters.

No. 4: If you have a truck, remove the tailgate and you will get much better miles per gallon.

Halderman: No. 1: The tank is in the ground where the temperature is almost constant so it doesn't make a significant difference.

No. 2: The EPA has had filters installed on the newer underground tanks. All stations should have the filters by now. The underground tanks have a pipe-hose where the tanker gas is flowing in the tank along the lines of a water hose soaker. It doesn't just hit the bottom of the underground tank kicking up residue, but flows through various holes as it fills the tank.

No. 3: This is a new one on me. It doesn't make any difference because today's vehicles use a one-inch fill tube that limits the rate of fill and provides a liquid dam to prevent vapors from escaping while filling the tank. The pickup inlet strainer/filter can trap any particles larger than 70 microns to 100 microns. The fuel filter will then trap any particles larger than about 25 microns. The final filter is at the inlet to the fuel injector, which traps any particles larger than 10 microns.

No. 4: When designing trucks, the engineers use the airflow to see the drag over and under the truck and it is best to have the tailgate up.

Wheels: An e-mail from Vittal asks, "Why use timing belts which need to be replaced, albeit infrequently, instead of timing chains, which seem to last for the life of a car?"

Halderman: The main reason is noise. A timing belt is lot quieter than a timing chain. Also, a belt costs less than a chain. Honda has moved from a belt to a chain and most others are also, due to this concern about belt life and what can happen if it fails.

James D. Halderman is an ASE-certified master technician, a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the author of 12 textbooks. Submit your automotive care questions to Halderman via e-mail at jhalderman2@juno.com, or write him in care of: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton OH 45409.