automotive secret

[jstew715]

Seems to me that alot of you guys with behind the license plate fillers aren't/weren't familiar with the the "ol' wedge the plate open with the fuel cap in order to not have to battle with it(the license plate) during fueling" trick

 

[Njord Noatun]

I doesn't really matter if the rule does not apply to every single car in the world, as long as it works on mine (Jeep and Saab) - I will check in the morning! I have found that most US cars are driver's side, Japanese use both, and Europeans mostly passenger side. There seem to be many exceptions, though.

It takes me a long time to memorize beyond doubt what side the cap is on: In order to remember it, I have made up some lame mental home-made rule-of-thumb: US car (right-hand drive) - driver's side, European car (left-hand drive - at least for some!) - passenger side.

Thankfully, many filler hoses are long enough to reach around the car even if you are parked on the "wrong" side of the pump - I try to make a mental not of which stations offer such long hoses because of the convenience of being able to enter on either side.

 

[BruceRPA]

Honda Ridgeline - Pump handle is on the right, filler is on the left/drivers side.

 

[sleddogman]

Compared to the filler pipes behind the license plates, how about those old Caddies where you had to press the little round reflector on the taillight to get it to unlatch and swing up so you could get at the gas cap.

It didn't take me long to figure out what the little arrow on the gas gauge was for after renting enough cars while on business trips...

 

[ernieb1536]

On the fuel gauge of my ten year old Taurus it says "FUEL DOOR>", pointing to the right side of the car. But later on, I'll look at the gauge on that car, as well as the Crown Vic. That one has the fuel filler on the left.

You're right, though. Why DON'T they tell us this stuff?

Tom

I liked the older gm cars that had it under the license plate ! And if the pump spit gas out it didn’t run down the side of your car !

 

[meggy]

I thought it was an American v Foreign car thing.

 

[ernieb1536]

I did the head out the window thing just the other day when driving my brother's car. Never noticed the dash icon.

There was at least one late 1950s vintage car that the gas filler was behind one of the tail lights. The tail light assembly was hinged and swung out of the way. Damned if I can remember the model though. Pretty sure it was a GM model. There must have been some very frustrated people looking for that filler.

- Pete

1957 Chevy !

 

[ernieb1536]

yeah gm's behind the plate filler was a feature called "central fueling"...part of the idea being that it didn't matter what side of the pump you were on..it was central...on the other hand it was a huge liability in a rear end collision.rumour is that GM calculated the cost of the predicted lawsuits from injured and burned customers...and decided it was cheaper to leave it be and just pay the lawsuits rather than redesign all thier models that had it

My Monte Carlo got re ended twice and didn’t blow up ! The last car a honda was totaled ! Only broke a trim piece on the bumper and pushed in the bumper shock , hooked a chain to a pole pulled forward bumper went back to its normal position screwed the trim piece back on cleaned his paint of the chrome with some gasoline good as new ! It was a 1975 and the bumpers were like a battering ram !