Awkward Petrol Flaps
Discussion
The local S'burys are used to me now. 
Hippea said:
What cars have you experienced with the most awkward fuel fillers?
Back in the day it seems like little thought was given to the ergonomics of fuel flap location, the Mini Metro stands out, you basically need to sit on the floor to fill up
I don't remember having difficulties with a Metro but Ii was younger then!Back in the day it seems like little thought was given to the ergonomics of fuel flap location, the Mini Metro stands out, you basically need to sit on the floor to fill up
mac96 said:
Hippea said:
I don't remember having difficulties with a Metro but Ii was younger then!My first car was an XR2. Similar locatio. Dont recall it being an issue. And unleaded was 89p a litre! 
(not my car though the same spec, pic from internets)
I had a BMW some years later and whilst the flap was in a good position, the breather system was very badly designed, so to fill it, you had to hold the nozzle at an angle and fill the last 10L very slowly!
(not my car though the same spec, pic from internets)
I had a BMW some years later and whilst the flap was in a good position, the breather system was very badly designed, so to fill it, you had to hold the nozzle at an angle and fill the last 10L very slowly!
Hippea said:
I did have a petrol station shut off its pumps a few years ago whilst filling up a 1954 VW Beetle, the young attendant thought I was pouring petrol all over my engine..
I worked in a garage where a woman came in in a Beetle, opened the engine cover and insisted the young lad attendant put fuel into the engine oil filler. He knew it was wrong, but still did it! Put two gallons in and then the woman tried to start the car! Amazingly nothing bad happened - car just didn't turnover.
Hippea said:
What cars have you experienced with the most awkward fuel fillers?
Back in the day it seems like little thought was given to the ergonomics of fuel flap location, the Mini Metro stands out, you basically need to sit on the floor to fill up
The fuel used to piss out of them during hard cornering all over the rear tyre causing you to spin out, raised up on later models. Back in the day it seems like little thought was given to the ergonomics of fuel flap location, the Mini Metro stands out, you basically need to sit on the floor to fill up
Edited by finlo on Saturday 7th February 22:34
Back in the day I had a Fiat X1/9, where the filler was pretty much in the engine bay, facing upwards and right by the vented engine cover. Not inconvenient as such, but did cause me to panic once when a fair bit of petrol overspray made its way into the, by then pretty hot, engine bay via the vents!
finlo said:
The fuel used to piss out of them during hard cornering all over the rear tyre causing you to spin out, raised up on later models. 
A workmate of mine had 3 recalls for his Metro. He solved the problem by selling it!Edited by finlo on Saturday 7th February 22:34
Looking back Mum's Fiat 600 with the tank in the front boot wasn't exactly a good idea, but possibly slightly safer than a mate's Series 1 LR that had the tank under the driver's seat.
Edited by Mr Tidy on Sunday 8th February 00:29
mac96 said:
Hippea said:
I don't remember having difficulties with a Metro but Ii was younger then!
The second one did stop me from ‘servicing’ my cars though.
Drained the sump, then screwing the bolt in…& it kept going round: the thread was stripped
Had to get it towed to a garage….they pointed out they would try to put a bigger bolt in (helicoil), but if it failed it would be engine+gearbox time ‘cos they were inextricably linked.
No real idea how accurate that was, & their plan worked, but it taught young MikeIOW to focus on earning enough to pay others to service my cars
ajprice said:
Waits for TVR owners with the petrol filler in the boot...
That one just needs a bit of care to avoid spillage, but more annoying is the one on an Aston Vantage. They re electronically released but sometimes get slightly out of alignment making it a two person job to open (one to press the button, one to help the cover up with a credit card). That s beaten though by one of my old Land Rovers where the fillers (plural) are under the front seats. You take the seat squabs out to get to the caps. Filling it completely is a PITA as you need to get the nozzle into both sides of the vehicle. I suspect most owners only use one of the tanks.
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