MD83 CREW FOUND ACFT ACQUIRED FROM ANOTHER ACR; HAD THE FLT MANUAL INCORRECT. THE MAINT CTLR WAS ALSO IN ERROR ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES IN THE ACFT.

Narrative

WHILE I WAS DOING THE PREFLT AND DEALING WITH AN UNCLAIMED; UNIDENTED BAG THAT WAS LEFT ON OUR ACFT; THE CAPT WAS COORDINATING WITH MAINT WITH AN AUX TANK FUELING PROB. THE FORWARD AUX TANK HAD DASHES ON OUR FUELING PANEL. PER OUR OPERATING MANUAL SECTION; THIS WOULD INDICATE A FAULT IN THE SYS. THE CAPT RELAYED TO ME THAT MAINT HAD INFORMED HIM THAT THERE IS NO FORWARD AUX TANK INSTALLED IN THIS ACFT AND THAT WE COULD FUEL MAINS; CTR AND AFT AUX UP WITH NO PROBS. WE ACCEPTED THEIR EXPERTISE. THE CAPT COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH ON OUR REVISED FUEL LOADING. AT THE END OF THE RWY; BEFORE TKOF; WE HAD OPS CALL LOADS WITH OUR EXACT TKOF FUEL LOADING AND WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A REVISED (NEW) LOAD CLOSEOUT WITH EXACT CTR OF GRAVITY AND TRIM SETTINGS. ONE HR INTO THE FLT; DISPATCH SENT US AN ACARS MESSAGE STATING THAT HE HAD TALKED TO MAINT AND THEY CONFIRMED AGAIN THAT THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL ACFT THAT ARE CONFIGURED THAT WAY? THE DISPATCHER WROTE THAT HE POINTED OUT TO THEM AND TO MGMNT THAT OUR MANUAL WAS WRONG AND MUST BE CORRECTED TO SHOW CORRECT FUEL CAPACITIES OF THE TANKS. THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBS HERE. WHY ARE THE FORWARD AUX TANK XFER CIRCUIT BREAKERS NOT PULLED AND COLLARED AND NOTED AS DEACTIVATED? WHY IS THERE NO MENTION OF THIS CONFIGN ANYWHERE IN OUR SYS INFO MANUALS? WHY ARE THE LIMITATIONS NOT UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS CONFIGN? MAX DIFFERENTIAL BTWN AUX TANKS IS 400 LBS. WITH NO FORWARD AUX TANK; THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NO SUCH THING AS A DIFFERENTIAL. THIS SHOULD BE NOTED IN LIMITATIONS. THERE ARE 2 POSSIBLE SCENARIOS HERE. FIRST IS THAT MAINT IS IN ERROR AND; SECOND; IF THEY ARE NOT; WHY ARE THE SYS NOT SECURED PROPERLY AND WHY IS THE SYS INFO NOT IN THE POH ALONG WITH ALL UPDATED LIMITATION INFO AND MALFUNCTION CHKLIST NOT IN OUR QRH AND OPERATING MANUAL?