Which side is the fuel tank filler on?
in [UK Drivers]
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From: Ian Dalziel on 25 May 2010 02:54 On Mon, 24 May 2010 20:42:35 +0000 (UTC), Phil Bradby <nospam(a)nospam.com> wrote: >bod wrote: >> Or twats that park about 5ft out from the pump. > >I believe most experts recommend parking up at least 3 feet from the pump >to avoid the possibility of a spark from static electricity on the car >coming into contact with the fuel and causing an explosion. How do you keep the fuel three feet away from the car, then? -- Ian D
From: Ret. on 25 May 2010 03:16 Rob wrote: > Ret. wrote: >>> Rob wrote: >>>> Adrian wrote: >>>>>> "Rob" <rsvptorob-newsREMOVE(a)yahoo.co.uk> gurgled happily, >>>>>> sounding much like they were saying: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Rubbish. If someone on here says the hose they use is long >>>>>>> enough, then they're all long enough. If their forecourt has a >>>>>>> retractable hose which they can easily pull out to suit, then >>>>>>> they're all retractable and all just as easy, so there is no >>>>>>> problem, it's all in the mind. >>>>>> >>>>>> Who's basing their opinion on a single pump - or even a single >>>>>> filling station - or even a single brand of filling station? Not >>>>>> me, f'r a start. >>>> >>>> It wasn't directed at you - more to people like Kev who make >>>> generalisations based only on THEIR experience - if they don't have >>>> any problems then neither should anyone else. >>> >>> Unless you are driving a Hummer, or your filler cap is in the middle >>> of the car instead of near the rear, you will *not* have a problem. > > Mmm.. > >>> Stop your car close to the pump, with the extreme rear of the car >>> level with the pump, and then the hose *will* reach across the back >>> of your car to the filler cap. > > The hose *might* reach... > The hose will reach sometimes... > > How you can say it *will* reach without knowing the width of the car, > or how close you can get to the pump, or the length of the hose is > anyone's guess. Clearly I cannot account for the length of every fuel hose in the country. All I can say is that I fill up on the 'wrong side' quite regularly, and at different fuel stations, and I have *never* been unable to do so. The widest car I have personally used this technique on is a Vx Omega. There cannot be many 'ordinary' cars (ie apart from Hummers etc) that are very much wider than an Omega. > >>> I have *never* been unable to fill >>> any of my cars like this, despite doing it very frequently - and at >>> many different filling stations. > > Well good for you. Indeed - which tends to support my contention. > > I never bother waiting for the 'right' side, I just use whichever > pump is available - but at my local when I do use the 'wrong' side I > park as close as possible to the pump, the hose is in a dead straight > line across the boot lid to the filler cap and it still only just > reaches. More often than not with the nozzle upside down. > >>> Probably the widest car I have ever owned was a Vx Omega - and I >>> never had a problem with this technique with that car either. > > Clearly then you always found the hose to be long enough. Obviously... -- Kev
From: Scott M on 25 May 2010 06:46 Ret. wrote: > Unless you are driving a Hummer, or your filler cap is in the middle of > the car instead of near the rear, you will *not* have a problem. <sigh> I have a BM 3 Series Estate which is not a particularly big car. If I go to ASDA's self service and park on the 'wrong' side, I have both a very small space to get at the card/PIN box as I'm close to the island (it's against the rear quarter) and the hose only just reaches - the nozzle has to go in more-or-less upside down. It's not one of the retractable sorts, just the low-hanging ones that fold out from inside the unit. I'm 36, perfectly fit and agile and have good spacial awareness but every time I'm on the wrong side I'm very aware that it'd only take a matter of inches out in parking to be unable to fill the thing as these hoses are /only just/ long enough. So I can see exactly why people wouldn't want to do it - get it wrong and you're faffing about trying to reposition your car and, for those who can't get within 6' of the island anyway, they'd probably end up having to leave embarrased and go to a different petrol station. Your assertion that anyone can fill any car is so full of holes that it could be Gruyere. -- Scott Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?
From: Ret. on 25 May 2010 07:55 Scott M wrote: > Ret. wrote: > >> Unless you are driving a Hummer, or your filler cap is in the middle >> of the car instead of near the rear, you will *not* have a problem. > > <sigh> I have a BM 3 Series Estate which is not a particularly big > car. If I go to ASDA's self service and park on the 'wrong' side, I > have both a very small space to get at the card/PIN box as I'm close > to the island (it's against the rear quarter) and the hose only just > reaches - the nozzle has to go in more-or-less upside down. It's not > one of the retractable sorts, just the low-hanging ones that fold out > from inside the unit. > > I'm 36, perfectly fit and agile and have good spacial awareness but > every time I'm on the wrong side I'm very aware that it'd only take a > matter of inches out in parking to be unable to fill the thing as > these hoses are /only just/ long enough. > > So I can see exactly why people wouldn't want to do it - get it wrong > and you're faffing about trying to reposition your car and, for those > who can't get within 6' of the island anyway, they'd probably end up > having to leave embarrased and go to a different petrol station. > > Your assertion that anyone can fill any car is so full of holes that > it could be Gruyere. Your argument is undermined by the number of posters on this thread who do, like me, regularly fill up on the 'wrong side' without problem. If you cannot squeeze between your car and the pump then you are not far enough forward. The rear of your car should be level with the 'end' of the pump. No problem at all then - either using your card in the machine, or getting the hose to reach. You just stand at the back of your car and in front of the pump. I cannot see how you can 'get it wrong' anyway. How difficult is it to know when the back of your car is level with the 'end' of the pump? If you cannot do that - how on earth do you ever park your car in a tight space? - or do you never try that in case you 'get it wrong'? -- Kev
From: Albert T Cone on 25 May 2010 10:58
On 23/05/2010 13:23, Silk wrote: > On 23/05/2010 09:56, GT wrote: > >> The hose length is controlled by law - it cannot touch the ground when >> the >> nozzel is 'parked'. > > I think you may have made that up. I've seen plenty that drag on the > ground. That's why they have rubber rings around the hose that settle at > the point where the hose scrapes on the floor, to stop it chaffing. Those aren't rubber rings - they are ferrous rings and are there to prevent arcing when you touch the filler nozzle to the car body. |