Why is the fuel filler on the opposite side of the car?

M

mcbeee

Veteran
 Chestermere, Alberta
Ever wondered why lots of cars do this?

Our Chief Electrical Engineer for Shell Canada told us why.
Static Electricity.... :? Yep, if the filler is on the other side then it stops people from sliding into the drivers seat to get stuff or look at stuff while filling with fuel, the static from rubbing on the seat can be enough to ignite the possible vapour cloud.
 
mcbeee said:
Ever wondered why lots of cars do this?

Our Chief Electrical Engineer for Shell Canada told us why.
Static Electricity.... :? Yep, if the filler is on the other side then it stops people from sliding into the drivers seat to get stuff or look at stuff while filling with fuel, the static from rubbing on the seat can be enough to ignite the possible vapour cloud.
Click to expand...

Which is not good news for people in markets who the car wasn't designed for - e.g. BMW in England, NZ, Australia etc, and Japanese car owners in US, Canada etc.
BZZZZT.....
 
mcbeee said:
Ever wondered why lots of cars do this?

Our Chief Electrical Engineer for Shell Canada told us why.
Static Electricity.... :? Yep, if the filler is on the other side then it stops people from sliding into the drivers seat to get stuff or look at stuff while filling with fuel, the static from rubbing on the seat can be enough to ignite the possible vapour cloud.
Click to expand...

yea we all have the filler right next to the drivers seat over here :?
 
German engineering at its best, American cars put it on the left, then they started ripping the detent levers off the pump nozzles so you had to hold the handle , some stations are putting them back on ...
I have to remember when I drive the Toyota that its on the left ... aargh!
 
If you look at the petrol ⛽️ pump sign on dash there is a arrow pointing to which side filler is on :thumbsup:
 
I had assumed that the car manufacturers had some sort of agreement on this, so that an approximately equal number of cars could use each side of the pumps. My Discovery and Zed fill on the right, the Mini on the left.
 
I guess it's down to cost but wouldn't it be great if cars had fuel filler's on both sides..
 
Most places have uses last night enough to reach over most cars, so I just go to the first available pump I see.
 
mmm-five said:
Most places have uses last night enough to reach over most cars, so I just go to the first available pump I see.
Click to expand...

Done that before, ended up with a big black mark on my tailgate from the rubber hose being caked in filth.

Never again.

My main gripe with petrol stations are the idiots who fill up their car, then go in and do a weeks shopping without moving their car first :headbang:

I usually use the costco fuel station now for this exact reason. It's pay at pump only and has no shop to spend ages in.
 
ben g said:
mmm-five said:
Most places have uses last night enough to reach over most cars, so I just go to the first available pump I see.
Click to expand...

Done that before, ended up with a big black mark on my tailgate from the rubber hose being caked in filth.

Never again.

My main gripe with petrol stations are the idiots who fill up their car, then go in and do a weeks shopping without moving their car first :headbang:
.
Click to expand...

Yes i'd never stretch the pipe across my paintwork.
 
bz4kev said:
If you look at the petrol ⛽️ pump sign on dash there is a arrow pointing to which side filler is on :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Only on my Highlander, not in the 911 and the M roadster. but I know where it is on them, the next trick is remembering where the button is to open the filler flap. :oops: :oops:
 
My old Cortina MK2 had it on the back panel - it wasn't in the middle but you could easily fill it from either side. :)
 
Pretty sure that guy is trolling you or just plain made that up. It makes no logical sense and there are no records in the UK of a petrol station blowing up as a result of static electricity from a car or cascading explosion. I've just spent ages trawling though claims history for all the big players in the energy market. BP, Shell, Texaco and Esso. Even in Canada the fuel flaps are on either side.

Plus car seats are earthed and not many use nylons.
 
Load of balls imo.. The car designers put the filler on the drivers side for the market that they design the car in/for.

Yes, they could probably swap it for "export" markets, but if that cost £1 per car, it's something they wouldn't do.

As [ref]bz4kev[/ref] said, some cars, notably Ford and Vauxhall have an arrow on the fuel gauge pointing to the filler side, and I for one would never dream of dragging a filling hose across my car risking it damaging the paint, when a little thought as you arrive at the petrol station can avoid it.

Mike
 
Monkeydonkeyratmagic said:
Pretty sure that guy is trolling you or just plain made that up. It makes no logical sense and there are no records in the UK of a petrol station blowing up as a result of static electricity from a car or cascading explosion. I've just spent ages trawling though claims history for all the big players in the energy market. BP, Shell, Texaco and Esso. Even in Canada the fuel flaps are on either side.

Plus car seats are earthed and not many use nylons.
Click to expand...
Royal Dutch Shell is worldwide, and I was in Electrical with Shell Canada for 24 years. I've seen the videos. There's a really good one of a delivery driver using his phone as a light to look in the open hatch on top of the tanker. he lands about 15 feet from the truck on the ground and the fireball was impressive.
 
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