Checked against the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (Ver. 1, effective 24.10.2024) on 15 October 2026. Published by MDG Services on 18 October 2026.
What the dealer does every day
"The 5-litre test" is our name for two MDG duties: the 5-litre measure MDG 1.4.2(b) and the daily nozzle check MDG 1.4.2(d).
- Keep the measure: W&M-verified, for pump testing only MDG 1.4.2(b).
- Test every nozzle before the day's sales MDG 1.4.2(d).
- Record the testing litres in the stock register MDG 1.4.2(d).
- Report a variation at once to W&M and the oil company MDG 1.4.2(d).
- Keep the unit off until it is re-stamped and the delivery is corrected MDG 1.4.2(d).
The dealer or the oil company's maintenance representative should arrange recalibration at once, with the W&M Inspector's help MDG 4.3(a). MDG gives no test method. General practice, not an MDG rule: note the nozzle number and the result beside the testing litres.
If an inspector finds a nozzle off
With the W&M seals intact, there are two outcomes:
| What the inspector finds | Sales | What follows |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the range MDG prints (±10 ml to ±25 ml per 5 litres) | Go on | Recorded. Recalibrate and re-stamp within 15 days of the observation, or sales from the unit or nozzle stop MDG 5.1.2(a) |
| Short beyond the Legal Metrology limit | Stop at once through that unit or nozzle | Recalibrate and re-stamp before sales restart MDG 5.1.2(a) |
MDG prints only the range. For the limit itself, read the current Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and Rules, or ask W&M.
For example, nozzle 2 is found 15 ml short on 10 November. Taking the range as written, that is inside the limit: it must be recalibrated and re-stamped by 25 November, or sales from it stop on 26 November.
Note: MDG 1.4.2(d) keeps a unit off after a variation in the morning test, while the 15 days in MDG 5.1.2(a) cover an inspector's finding. MDG does not say how the two fit. Ask your oil company.
What a finding costs
With the seals intact, short delivery is a minor irregularity MDG 8.4(iii)(h): a warning-cum-guidance letter at the first instance, Rs 10,000 per irregularity at the second, Rs 25,000 from the third on MDG 8.4. MDG does not say whether a nozzle found inside the permissible range counts as an irregularity.
See how repeat offences are counted. With the seals not intact, see W&M and totalizer seals. A customer who wants a check: see zero before delivery.
The older MDG 2012 (Ver. 7, replaced on 24.10.2024) made this major: Rs 25,000 per nozzle found short beyond the limit at the first instance MDG 2012 8.3(x). See MDG 2012 against MDG 2024.
Watch the one-minute explainer
Questions dealers ask
01What is the 5 litre test at a petrol pump?
Our name for two duties together: a W&M-verified 5-litre measure kept for pump testing MDG 1.4.2(b) and a daily check of every nozzle MDG 1.4.2(d).
02Petrol pump testing kaise kare? What must a dealer do every morning?
Before the first sale, test every nozzle and write the testing quantity in the stock register MDG 1.4.2(d). MDG gives no method, so ask your oil company.
03Can petrol pump sales continue if a nozzle is only slightly off?
If an inspector finds it inside ±10 ml to ±25 ml per 5 litres, sales go on but it must be recalibrated and re-stamped within 15 days MDG 5.1.2(a). A variation in your own morning test means keeping the unit off MDG 1.4.2(d).
04What is the penalty for short delivery at a petrol pump with seals intact?
It is minor MDG 8.4(iii)(h): a warning-cum-guidance letter first, Rs 10,000 per irregularity the second time and Rs 25,000 from the third time on, as minimum amounts MDG 8.4 MDG 8.5.1, once established MDG 8.5.2.
Read the official text: Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (PDF on Bharat Petroleum's website) (also published on iocl.com).
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