Where adulteration is happening in cheese, happening in milk, happening in ghee, in such a situation, do you think the petrol pump where you get your petrol filled is not adulterating it? We're so busy checking food labels and worrying about what we eat that we've completely ignored what we're putting in our vehicles. And that ignorance is costing us thousands of rupees every month.

The Scam You Don't Know About

Many of these petrol pumps have been cheating you for years. And here we are not talking about the scam where the boy filling the petrol doesn't fill the amount you paid for. That's the obvious scam everyone knows about, the meter manipulation, the button trick, the incomplete filling. That's small-time cheating. The real scam is far bigger and more systematic.

This scam is being done by the owners of the petrol pumps. Meaning whoever is getting petrol or diesel filled from their petrol pump, they are cheating everyone. It's not one dishonest employee. It's the entire operation, from the top down, designed to maximize profit by selling you adulterated fuel while charging you for pure fuel. Every customer, every day, every transaction.

What They're Mixing In Your Fuel

See, these petrol pump owners mix a very large amount of either palm oil or ethanol into the petrol because it is cheaper. Palm oil costs a fraction of what petrol costs. Ethanol, even beyond the permitted blending limits, is much cheaper. So they're essentially diluting expensive fuel with cheap substitutes and pocketing the difference. The more they dilute, the more they profit.

And this is not just causing you monetary loss; the vehicle's fuel efficiency decreases, and the engine also gets damaged quickly. When you fill adulterated petrol, your car starts giving less mileage. That 15 kilometers per liter drops to 12, then to 10. You think maybe your driving has changed or the car is aging. You don't suspect the fuel because we trust that petrol pumps are regulated and monitored.

But the real damage is internal. Adulterated fuel creates deposits in your engine, clogs fuel injectors, damages the combustion chamber, and reduces engine life. That knocking sound, that rough idle, that reduced pickup, it's often because of adulterated fuel. You end up spending thousands on engine repairs without realizing the root cause was the fuel you were buying.

How to Protect Yourself

So in such a situation, how will you find out which petrol pump is cheating and which petrol pump is giving good petrol? The answer is simpler than you think, but hardly anyone knows about it. Every petrol pump dispenser has a density meter that shows the specific gravity of the fuel. This is your protection, but only if you know how to use it.

Now, to understand which petrol pump is giving the right petrol, whenever you check the zero before filling petrol, at that same point in time, look at the density of the petrol or diesel. Pure petrol has a density between 0.720 to 0.775 grams per milliliter at 15 degrees Celsius. Pure diesel has a density between 0.820 to 0.845 grams per milliliter. These numbers are your benchmark.

And if it is within this limit, only then fill oil in the car from there, otherwise go to the next pump. If the density is too low, it means they've mixed lighter adulterants. If it's too high, they've added heavier substances. Either way, you're not getting pure fuel. Don't argue, don't complain, just leave and find another pump. Your vehicle's health is worth the extra drive.

Why This Keeps Happening

The petroleum industry in India is supposed to be heavily regulated. Oil marketing companies conduct surprise checks, quality inspections, and have strict guidelines. Yet adulteration continues because the profit margins are enormous and the chances of getting caught are relatively low. A petrol pump owner who adulterates fuel can make lakhs extra every month with minimal risk.

The enforcement is weak, the penalties are insufficient, and the testing isn't frequent enough. Most customers have no idea how to check fuel quality, so they keep buying adulterated fuel without knowing. Even when they suspect something is wrong because of poor mileage or engine problems, they blame the vehicle manufacturer or the mechanic, not the petrol pump.

What Else You Should Know

Beyond checking density, there are other signs of a trustworthy petrol pump. Pumps that are always busy usually have better fuel because high turnover means less chance of contamination and more scrutiny. Pumps affiliated with major oil companies and located on highways tend to be more reliable because they face more inspections.

Pay attention to your vehicle's performance. If you consistently get poor mileage from one particular pump but better mileage from another, that's a clear indicator. Track your fuel efficiency for a month from different pumps and you'll quickly identify which ones are selling adulterated fuel.