Fueling on the "wrong side"
Discussion
Two classics spring to mind
1, Young Girl in Range Rover on her was to Glastonbury with her friends pulls up to left hand side pump realizes the filler is on the right so walks to the pump opposite and proceeds to try and drag it across the forecourt to her car!!
2, Me filling up with hose across car and wallet on roof OAP comes out of petrol station after paying and gives me an earful about leaving my wallet on the roof of the car while filling up, when i looked at him with a blank face he stormed off to his car and proceeded to rant t his wife presumably about my wallet not being safe!!
1, Young Girl in Range Rover on her was to Glastonbury with her friends pulls up to left hand side pump realizes the filler is on the right so walks to the pump opposite and proceeds to try and drag it across the forecourt to her car!!
2, Me filling up with hose across car and wallet on roof OAP comes out of petrol station after paying and gives me an earful about leaving my wallet on the roof of the car while filling up, when i looked at him with a blank face he stormed off to his car and proceeded to rant t his wife presumably about my wallet not being safe!!
I'm happy to fill up my car from the wrong side, as it's a saloon I can rest the hose nicely on the boot as I fill.
Obviously I take care not to drag it back and forth and pick it straight up to wind the hose back in.
Mind you, I also took the car through car washes from new and have never washed it myself.
Blasphemy in the eyes of some I'm sure.
I also only run it on V-Power and change the oil once in between the dealer services
Obviously I take care not to drag it back and forth and pick it straight up to wind the hose back in.
Mind you, I also took the car through car washes from new and have never washed it myself.
Blasphemy in the eyes of some I'm sure.
I also only run it on V-Power and change the oil once in between the dealer services
Johnnytheboy said:
RobM77 said:
The more interesting question is what's the ratio of cars that fill on the LHS to RHS? Is this deliberately maintained to even out queues at petrol stations? 
I've often wondered this as it's not even like manufacturers are consistent 'lefties' or 'righties'.The majority of cars seem to have their filler on the drivers side which to me suggests that on the continent they see it as preferential to have the filler on their near side (or do they change the filler over when they change the steering wheel?). But it does seem more logical to have the filler on the same side as the driver.
Johnnytheboy said:
RobM77 said:
The more interesting question is what's the ratio of cars that fill on the LHS to RHS? Is this deliberately maintained to even out queues at petrol stations?
I've often wondered this as it's not even like manufacturers are consistent 'lefties' or 'righties'.Please note - this is not a hard and fast rule at all and I can disprove it within my own fleet!
Mercedes - offside (fits the rule)
Suzuki - nearside (fits the rule)
Old Alfa - nearside (doesn't fit the rule, even though the boot release is on the left as they couldn't be arsed changing it for RHD!).
DonkeyApple said:
The interesting fact that I learned via PH a while back and it seems to be true (from the tiny sample of cars that I have checked) is that the nozzle on the dashboard fuel light indicates which side the filler is on.
The majority of cars seem to have their filler on the drivers side which to me suggests that on the continent they see it as preferential to have the filler on their near side (or do they change the filler over when they change the steering wheel?). But it does seem more logical to have the filler on the same side as the driver.
Mine has an LCD representation of a fuel pump and an arrow pointing to the side on the filler.The majority of cars seem to have their filler on the drivers side which to me suggests that on the continent they see it as preferential to have the filler on their near side (or do they change the filler over when they change the steering wheel?). But it does seem more logical to have the filler on the same side as the driver.
My older cars have had a picture of a pump, on the side of the dash or fuel gauge opposite to the filler side so I don't think it's any indication unless there's an arrow.
jfire said:
DonkeyApple said:
The interesting fact that I learned via PH a while back and it seems to be true (from the tiny sample of cars that I have checked) is that the nozzle on the dashboard fuel light indicates which side the filler is on.
The majority of cars seem to have their filler on the drivers side which to me suggests that on the continent they see it as preferential to have the filler on their near side (or do they change the filler over when they change the steering wheel?). But it does seem more logical to have the filler on the same side as the driver.
Mine has an LCD representation of a fuel pump and an arrow pointing to the side on the filler.The majority of cars seem to have their filler on the drivers side which to me suggests that on the continent they see it as preferential to have the filler on their near side (or do they change the filler over when they change the steering wheel?). But it does seem more logical to have the filler on the same side as the driver.
My older cars have had a picture of a pump, on the side of the dash or fuel gauge opposite to the filler side so I don't think it's any indication unless there's an arrow.
Filler pipe decision will be determined at manufacturing level by Package Engineering, which will co-ordinate The various engineering areas, Body (including crash), fuel, suspension, and engine (exhaust routing). It may have a little to do with the drive-hand of the car, or rule-of-the-road position, in that the fuel filler pipe routing’s biggest conflict will be exhaust routing, and there may be a preference for that to be road-side, rather than pavement side. In that case, right-hand rule-of-the-road (predominantly LH drive cars) may take preference. Remember, Japan drive on the left (sensible people, who were also uninterested in Napoleon’s edicts).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-_and_right-ha...
Interestingly, when I worked in Volvo, there was a painting of people pushing a car in the snow. I asked about this and winter conditions and driving. They believe it depicted the changeover from Left to Right Hand rule-of-the-road, when traffic had to stop for a period of time, and be pushed from the left to the right side of the road. However this article seems to imply it was a driven changeover.
http://realscandinavia.com/this-day-in-history-swe...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-_and_right-ha...
Interestingly, when I worked in Volvo, there was a painting of people pushing a car in the snow. I asked about this and winter conditions and driving. They believe it depicted the changeover from Left to Right Hand rule-of-the-road, when traffic had to stop for a period of time, and be pushed from the left to the right side of the road. However this article seems to imply it was a driven changeover.
http://realscandinavia.com/this-day-in-history-swe...
Edited by Pica-Pica on Thursday 11th October 12:24
Just to add, many countries/regions where self service is not important the hoses can be very long to allow the driver to park anywhere (within reason-sometimes about 10 meters) and still be served. In Europe its regulated to avoid trip hazard, driving over, leaks etc. Oh and its a waste of time lifting the hose to drain it. 
Source: ex marketing manager for a pump company
Source: ex marketing manager for a pump company
Not that I know of. There is a theoretical risk of a dropped phone battery sparking and igniting heavier than air fuel vapour. The energy density in the battery is high enough and oil companies are risk averse. What is a much greater danger is static electricity ignition of fuel vapour whilst fuelling and there are lots of videos of this on youtube. It happens quite a lot world wide including from time to time in the UK.
DonkeyApple said:
Mr2Mike said:
Primarily a problem for people with only one arm.
Mind you, I recently had to fill up a diesel car and had never really appreciated that those pipes do all seem to be covered in diesel. I wouldn’t rush to hold one of those again. Mr2Mike said:
DonkeyApple said:
Mr2Mike said:
Primarily a problem for people with only one arm.
Mind you, I recently had to fill up a diesel car and had never really appreciated that those pipes do all seem to be covered in diesel. I wouldn’t rush to hold one of those again. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff