I've been borrowing my dad's volvo diesel for a few weeks now, out of the 10 times I've filled up the handle of the pump has been soaked in diesel 90% of the time. I don't just mean a little bit, I mean soaked and dripping, all over my hands and stinking for ages. These are all at different petrol stations. This rarely happens with petrol (in my experience of 6 years driving it's happened 3 or 4 times)

What's going on? Cursed diesel drivers!

Technique maybe? as I filled up with 56 ltrs this morning and didn't spill a drop! Audi A4 by the way.

I think you must be unucky!

I swapped from a petrol to a diesel tin top this year, and not noticed a single "dirty" handle!

Steve

Deisel pumps are often covered in diesel. Its from people that overfil and dont let the excess drain off before they tip the nozzle up to put it back on the hook.

Wear gloves or keep some wet wipes in the car mate.

Petrol evaporates so it doesnt happen.

I always use the disposable gloves supplied at the pump.

Or is that a bit girly for you?

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Originally posted by bimbleuk
Technique maybe?

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I used to install & repair fuel dispensers and the main reason is because diesel doesn't evaporate.
When a car overfills and the nozzle doesn't automatically cut off, fuel splashes around the nozzle. What then makes it worse is that most nozzles are stored back into the pump in an upright position and the excess diesel soaks straight down onto the handle you hold.
People that try and fill diesel vehicles up to the brim also make the problem worse. By doing so, the outside of the nozzle tip ends up being surrounded in fuel and once again, when the nozzle is stowed back into the dispenser, it seeps down to the handle.

Petrol does evaporate quickly after any overfills or spills, so no big problem.

Most oil companies have (or used to have) plastic gloves available for use next to the dispenser, but then 'burglar element' started to nick them for their night time breaking and entering activities, so a lot of the oil companies stopped making them available.

With the price of the stuff, I would think people would be a bit more careful.

I spend 5 or 10 seconds tapping the last few drops out of the pump nozzle.

You paid for it, why not put it in the tank?

Petrol evaporates, diesel doesn't

It's really bad for your skin too.....

I'm not sure however manly you are you want dermatitis and skin cancer!

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Originally posted by James
It's really bad for your skin too.....

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I always had to wear the gloves or wash my hands straight away because diesel fumes really irritates my eyes / contact lenses, petrol doesnt affect them nearly as much though for some reason, even though its more "fumey".

I think its all the Soccer moms with the SUV's

They don't know you have to shake it before you put it away.

Yep, its all down to the fact that diesel doesnt evaporate very fast at all. Petrol does.

Therefore you get a it on the handle of a diesel pump and it stays there for ages. Get any on a petrol pump and its evaporated by the time the next person comes to use it.

Just use the disposable gloves next to the pump.