S'pore driver goes to JB to fight inflation with car jack to pump more M'sian petrol

Guess who's back?

Belmont Lay | April 01, 2022, 04:58 PM

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A man driving a Singapore-registered car was seen in Johor Bahru filling up his car at a petrol kiosk in a more-than-typical Singaporean fashion.

The car, a Toyota Corolla Altis, was seen raised by a car jack and tilted to its side as petrol was pumped into the vehicle.

The photo's caption read: "Welcome back to Malaysia to pump petrol."

The unusual set-up likely stems from the belief that more petrol can be forced into the tank, despite being fixed size, as any remaining gaps can be utilised to the fullest before shutting the lid.

The driver could have also wanted to take full advantage of every square centimetre of space in the fuel tank as Singapore cars still have to adhere to the three-quarter tank rule.

Any limited space left ought to be fully maximised to make the trip up north and back home worthwhile.

Price of petrol in Malaysia

The price of petrol in Malaysia can be about 45 per cent cheaper compared to Singapore.

The price of 1 litre of the cheapest and most common 95-octane petrol in Singapore is about S$3.05 as of April 1, 2022, before subtracting fuel discounts that are usually tied to the use of certain credit cards.

After discounts, it can cost about S$2.29 for 1 litre of regular grade petrol in Singapore.

In Malaysia, the most common 95-octane petrol is RM2.05, or about S$0.66, which is typically reserved for Malaysians as the price is subsidised by the state.

For 97-octane petrol, 1 litre costs RM3.91 or S$1.26.

A full 40-litre tank of petrol in Singapore costs about S$92 now, while in Malaysia, it will cost about S$50 for the highest grade.

Dangers of topping up tank till full

This phenomenon of Singapore drivers topping up their fuel tanks till more than full while in Johor has been witnessed over many years.

They persist even though the practice of jacking up the car and rocking it back and forth to absorb more fuel have been debunked by mechanics.

The idea that air can escape from the petrol tank by jerking the car will only result in just a little bit more petrol to flow in, but the amount is negligible.

And if the car is filled to the brim, with the lid closed back, and the jack lowered, it might cause the tank to be too full with the risk of petrol overflowing.

Other motoring advice online cited the dangers of overfilling as it can damage the car's petrol level sensor if the car is pumped full for too long and cause the sensitivity of the internal gauge to fail over time.

Reactions

Reactions to the photo were of cheers and disbelief, as well as some who called out such kiasu behaviour.

A common reaction is to welcome Singaporeans back to Malaysia and propping up the economy there, as well as embracing this sight again after more than two years of lull in cross-border travels.

Top photo via Aurizn

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