Gabriel Arvelo, vice president, Fuller Installations of North Haven adjusts pump at Forbes Premium Fuel in New Haven September 18, 2012. / Vern Williams photo

By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

Investigations Editor

Gabriel Arvelo, vice president, Fuller Installations of North Haven adjusts pump at Forbes Premium Fuel in New Haven September 18,2012. vmWilliams

A check of gasoline inspection stickers in Connecticut, which show the last time pumps were checked for accuracy, revealed numerous cases of missing and illegible stickers, even stickers showing a last inspection dating back to 2006.
Pumps are supposed to be checked for accuracy within two years, according to state law, to ensure that when a consumer pays for a gallon of gasoline, they get a gallon.
In recent weeks, Journal Register Co. staff drove to 83 Connecticut gas stations to check the inspection stickers.
Inspectors are supposed to affix a sticker with the month and year of the last inspection to each pump. Of the stickers we checked, 25 stations had stickers on some pumps showing inspections done more than two years ago. We found 12 stations which had pumps with missing stickers or stickers that weren’t legible.

Read more here.

One pump at Forbes Premium Fuel on Forbes Avenue in New Haven was dispensing minus five cubic inches in a five gallon draw, an inspection showed. To be exact, the fuel level in the calibrated cylinder pictured above should be at the zero mark. This pump, which performed the worst at Forbes, was still within an acceptable range, as up to minus 6 cubic inches is allowed.  Regardless, the business called in Fuller Installations of North Haven to fix the pump. / Photo by Michelle Tuccitto Sullo    

On Sept. 19, red tags were on several pumps at the Hamden Hess, 1126 Dixwell Ave., in Hamden. The pumps were tagged, or pulled off-sale so customers couldn't use them, after an inspection by the Department of Consumer Protection showed they weren't dispensing enough fuel.