gas stations

[Chris]

Why is the gas cap actually on different sides of the car? To spread out the cars at gas stations? I drive two vans regularly, both French, but on the Citroën the gas cap is on the right side, on my Renault on the left side... I prefer the left side. You can still pump if the cap is on the other side, but this is hard with my car as I cannot get the hose all the way around the van with it's tall back.

[Truvelo]

It shouldn't really matter which side the cap is on as the pump should reach both sides of the car. Here in the UK they certainly do although some people still aren't aware of this so they wait in a line for the pump on their side when I just go to the empty pump and stretch the pipe

Here I find most caps are on the right hand side of the car so those with them on the left are at an advantage when it comes to finding a vacant pump.

[allniter89]

Why is the gas cap actually on different sides of the car? To spread out the cars at gas stations? I drive two vans regularly, both French, but on the Citroën the gas cap is on the right side, on my Renault on the left side... I prefer the left side. You can still pump if the cap is on the other side, but this is hard with my car as I cannot get the hose all the way around the van with it's tall back

That is actually a very interesting question and even tho the main jobs I had in 1970's were pumping gas at full serivce stations I never thought about why they dont standardize the gas cap to one side of the car, its probably just a car design thing.
I sometimes wonder how/if all the gas fumes I breathed in while working pumping gas are affecting my health  , when I worked in Delaware in the winter time I'd stoop down next to the car to get outa the winter wind, sometimes I wouldnt bother to ask the driver to turn off the car so I got gas and exhaust fumes....woo-hoo!!!
My health is reasonable good for a 56yo overweight, 30yr (ex)smoker, ex truck driver .

You're lucky you didn't "drive off", tearing off the hose and having gasoline showering down in the immediate area. (I still don't know how that guy did it.)
There is a station on US 17 between Charleston and Georgetown, SC where the pump did the same thing to me as I stood there and held it while pumping

When I worked as a pump monkey, oppps I mean pump jockey people were always cutting thru the far side of our lot to avoid a traffic light, one night a drunk came thru the main pump lanes at about 40mph and took out an entire pump, from the ground up, luckily it was way late at nite with no customers so I just went to the breaker panel and shut off all power, there wasnt much gas loss and no fire and I got to home early that night!

[agentsteel53]

yes, luckily a lot of newer cars have the arrow on the dash... just not all of them!

[Jim]

Just a few comments on this thread:

I generally don't mind if passing through NJ (or much less likely OR) to have to let someone pump my gas.  It seems like a waste of my time and a silly way to "create jobs" or whatever arguments they use.  If full service stations made economic sense, there would be a whole lot more of them in the other 48 states.

The first time I was in Orgeon about 10 years ago, I wasn't aware that they were the "New Jersey of the west" on this and I got out and started to pump my own gas.  The attendant was downright hostile when I told him I didn't mind doing it myself.  I told him I didn't know about the law but I was almost sure he was going to call the authorities because I touched the gas pump.

As for cash/credit pricing, I have always wondered how they got away with it given that most MC/Visa merchant agreements prohibit it.  Here in Amsterdam, NY, there is at least one station that offers a 5 cent/gal cash discount.  I rarely go there, though, since another station down the block always matches their price and has no cash discount/credit card surcharge.

On member/grocery discounts: a regional grocery store chain here (Price Chopper) recently started a gas discount program with their loyalty/discount cards.  Unlike other programs I've seen, it is not attached to store-based stations (like Stop N' Shop) but it is good at any Sunoco in the region.  You get 10 cents/gal for each $50 spent in the store.  Since I shop there anyway, I've been using it and have gotten as much as 30 cents off since the dicsounts accumulate.

On diesel availability: I've seen more and more stations around here offering it.  It's still probably well under half of stations, but I would no longer have a concern buying a car that burns diesel because of any fear over availability.

[Duke87]

Most cars around here have the cap on the driver's side. This has the interesting effect of often making one side of the pumps get more crowded than the other depending on where the more common entrance is. One station I frequent is on a one way street. There's only one entrance and one exit. The right side from the entrance is always full of people, sometimes someone's even waiting in line. The left side is usually empty, which is good for me because my cap is on the passenger side and I can always pull right up!

Which side it's on is probably little more than where the gas tank fits more conveniently in the car design. And it can vary even on the same type of car. My father's 1999, 2002, and 2005 Sentras all had a drivers side cap. His 2009 Sentra has it on the passenger side. Nissan switched it. Because.

[SP Cook]

IMHO,

Gas cap side: 

It seems to me that all of the car companies should just get together and pick a side and as models are redesigned, that would be the side. 

Old guy mode.  Back when I was a kid, it was not uncommon for "sporty cars" to place the filler behind the liscense plate, which the plate and its holder formed a little door.  A few years ago I was at a station and this 16 year old was in front of me looking very confused.  I showed him were the filler was on the 70s AMC Javelin he apparently had borrowed.  He was amazed. 

Current cars have a little arrow on the gage to show which side the cap is on.  Back before that was common, when you rented a car, the big companies had a card that slipped over the sunvisor that had info on stuff like this.

Pump accuracy:

In the US, some government agency inspects this, but really you are just taking their word for it.  Generally pumps have a sticker that covers the inspection.  The agency involved varries from state to state.  Labor department, Agriculture department, Consumer Protection agency, State Police.  In some states it is a county function.  Ohio is like that, with pumps inspected by the "County Auditor".   In my state its the Labor department, which also inspects store scales, elevators, amusement park rides and any other mechanical device that is regulated.

Only a very few states inspect the actual fuel for octane rating.  Its not uncommon to pay for premium and get regular.

Lead:

I have not seen leaded gasoline for a very long time.  I was a kid when unleaded came in.  Pumps were one no-lead and two lead.  This quickly switched to two no and one lead and by the time I was driving leaded gasoline was totally gone. 

[allniter89]

My father's 1999, 2002, and 2005 Sentras all had a drivers side cap. His 2009 Sentra has it on the passenger side. Nissan switched it.

Looks like your dad is happy with his Sentras  . I bought a hatchback new in 1982 and because of my party 24/7 lifestyle   it was totally trashed by 1989.   The newer Sentras are even more stylish and look to be build sturdier.
Does anyone know of any recent model cars where the gas cap is behind the rear license plate like the old Javelin, remember those? You pulled the top of the license plate down like an oven door?
What was the car model that had the gas cap behind one of the tail lights?
What other unusual gas cap locations do you know of?
Where is the cap on the new VW Bugs? Remember the old 60-70's bugs it was under the front bonnett.  

Gas cap side:
It seems to me that all of the car companies should just get together and pick a side and as models are redesigned, that would be the side.

I agree SP, lets work on that, shall we? 

[agentsteel53]

Its not uncommon to pay for premium and get regular.

A related thing to watch out for... perfectly legal, but nonetheless... in the midwest, gas pumps tend to sell 87, 89, and 91 octane.  If the 89 is less expensive than the 87, then it contains ethanol made from corn.  Also, it gives you shitty gas mileage!  I remember driving in Nebraska with a car that reliably got 34 mpg highway and filling up with that 89, and getting 27 on the next tank.  Would've been a lot better off with the 87.

I have not seen leaded gasoline for a very long time.

last time I saw it was an abandoned gas station in northeast Oklahoma.  83 Octane, Leaded!

[agentsteel53]

My father's 1999, 2002, and 2005 Sentras all had a drivers side cap. His 2009 Sentra has it on the passenger side. Nissan switched it.

Looks like your dad is happy with his Sentras

one Sentra every 3-4 years?  My dad is happy with his Honda Accords; he has bought an '86, a '92, a '99 and an '06!

the '86 was actually totalled in an accident; he swears to this day it was the best car he has ever driven.  And from what I know, I can't disagree.  51 miles per gallon highway with the manual transmission!

[SP Cook]

Unusual cap locations.

Pre 70s Chevy trucks had the gas cap at about door handle level just behind the driver's door.  Dangerous as heck.

A common option on 80s trucks was dual gas tanks (why a person would want to carry around 50 plus gallons of fuel is beyond me, unless one lived in the rural part of Manitoba or Wyoming or whatever. ) On Fords, there were two gas caps on the driver's side, one in front of and one behind the rear tire.  On Chevys, there was a gas cap on both sides.

The original Diesel Rabbit had a dealer installed second tank as well, which took the place of the spare tire and the storage space behind the rear seat.   It was more gimmick than practical deal, but you could drive almost across the country without stopping.   You filled the extra tank by lifting what would have been the rear hatch.

[mightyace]

Unusual cap locations.

My parents 1972 Chevelle Malibu had the license plate gas cap.

I know there may have been some other cars like the first one I owned, a 1977? Dodge Monaco, that I rode in and/or drove that had it but I can't remember for sure or know if I am right or wrong about the Monaco.

[allniter89]

Unusual cap locations.

The old VW Beetles had the fuel cap under the front hood in the storage area.
Some pickups had a fuel cap on the rear fender over the rear tire.
IIRC some Corvettes had the fuel cap facing up (skyward) outside directly behind the passenger compartment.
It seems there was a car that had the fuel cap behind a tail light, you pulled on the tail light and it swung open like a door. Anyone remember that?

[mightyace]

Unusual cap locations.

The old VW Beetles had the fuel cap under the front hood in the storage area.

Was this on all old VW Beetles.  My dad had a '65 and then a '68 Beetle and I don't recall having to open the hood to fill up the gas tank especially the '68 one as I drove that one and I'm sure I had to put gas in it some times.  Or, is my memory failing on this one?

[PAHighways]

Was this on all old VW Beetles.  My dad had a '65 and then a '68 Beetle and I don't recall having to open the hood to fill up the gas tank especially the '68 one as I drove that one and I'm sure I had to put gas in it some times.  Or, is my memory failing on this one?

My mom had a 70 Beetle which had a fuel door on the front panel.

[deathtopumpkins]

About the gas tank side:

If one side of the pumps is busier, so what if your gas tank is on that side of your car? Drive around the pumps! 

[agentsteel53]

I once drove a '58 Schploinker Garbanzo XH with the fuel door located halfway to Binghamton. 

[Michael]

Some comments:

• I try to read the large, obvious number on or above the pump, but I sometimes forget.  Most times I can just point out my car.
• My mom's Oldsmobile Delta 88 had the gas cap behind the license plate, which made it easier to park on either side of a pump.
• DTP: You'd be amazed how many people don't pull around the pumps!
• I've never seen an arrow pointing toward the side with the gas cap

That's all for now.

[Duke87]

one Sentra every 3-4 years?

Yeah. My parents lease all their cars.

If one side of the pumps is busier, so what if your gas tank is on that side of your car? Drive around the pumps!

Not a practical option at the station I'm talking about. Here's a little diagram:


The right side of the pumps, naturally, fills up with everyone and their driver's side caps. But getting around to the left side means doing one of three things:
1) going around everybody on the right, making an even sharper swerve into the station off of Summer Street than normal, and squeezing past and around them in really tight geometry.
2) going along the left and making a broken U-turn in a tight space which everyone else wants to go throught to leave the station
3) going past Forest Lawn Avenue and making a sharp 180° turn in the exit (towards the top of the diagram).

All three are tricky/sneaky maneuvers. One is actually illegal.

If this was in New York (or Boston), you'd see people pulling one of those three moves all the time when the right side filled up. But it's in Stamford, and people usually drive somewhat more civilly around here. So it doesn't happen.

[Truvelo]

In the UK most of the cars over here also tend to have caps on the driver's side so the one side of the pumps in Duke87's example will have a line of cars waiting whilst the other is hardly used. As I said earlier, I will either perform a turn and park facing the opposite direction with the driver's side near the pump or in stations where I know the pipe is long enough I will park with the pump on the passenger side and just stretch the pipe across.

There is a small town in the south of England with just a single gas station which has a one way system and when I parked facing the opposite way the clerk wouldn't authorize the pump so instead of waiting in a long line I carried on to the next town with just a few miles showing on the dashboard before I was empty. I'm sure the monopoly the garage has in this town means they can get away with making customers wait.

One simple way around this problem would be for cars to have a single fuel tank but with caps on both sides. I can't see this being a problem for auto makers and it would reduce the queuing you see at the pumps on the driver's side.

[Michael]

Duke:  Couldn't you make a right turn onto Forest Lawn Ave, pull past the entrance, and back into the station?

[Duke87]

Duke:  Couldn't you make a right turn onto Forest Lawn Ave, pull past the entrance, and back into the station?

The line of waiting cars which backs up onto the street there fairly frequently. So at those times, no, you'd have to put your car in ghost mode and drive through people to do that.

And when it isn't backed up.... I haven't shown this on the diagram, but Summer Street has a pretty sharp curve right before there (from the bottom left of the diagram). People come whipping around it pretty fast, and continue to whip right into the gas station if they're going there (Summer Street is three lanes and a direct route straight into the heart of downtown. It can get very pedal to the metal, especially during the morning rush hour). So while you could attempt it, it's dangerous because if someone else is coming looking to get into the station, you're going to be backing right through the spot they're going to want to whip through. And they won't be expecting you to be doing that, so they won't be looking out for it. In other words, you'd be asking for a nasty accident.

Pulling into the Summer Street entrance and turning all the way back towards Forest Lawn before backing up would have the same problem, albeit to a lesser degree.

[Chris]

Luxembourg is a tiny country located in northwest Europe. It's primarily known for cheap gasoline, generally € 0.40 per liter cheaper (that translates to a $ 2.20 per gallon difference with neighboring countries). Since there are no border controls, it's quite easy to fill up in Luxembourg.

It may result in busy gas stations though:


Or how about this:
Martelange is a town located on the border of Belgium and Luxembourg. The road is the border, so the gas stations fall under the Luxembourg tax laws. This tiny town has the main street (N4) lined up with gas stations.

[roadfro]

Or how about this:
Martelange is a town located on the border of Belgium and Luxembourg. The road is the border, so the gas stations fall under the Luxembourg tax laws. This tiny town has the main street (N4) lined up with gas stations.

I've never seen so many gas stations in a row before.  It looked like there were two separate Shell stations...that's kinda ridiculous, given the abundance of stations in that short stretch.



That brings up a thought:

I remember growing up in Las Vegas, the corner of Rainbow Blvd (SR 595) & Westcliff Dr had two Arco stations: one on the southwest corner (without convenience store) and another on the southeast corner (with an AM-PM store).  I always thought that was rather odd. I realize now it was probably the result of a buyout of some sort, and was a smart move. Given that Rainbow's interchange with US 95 (the "Rainbow Curve") is on the north side of this intersection and NDOT owns the north corners right of way, the ARCO stations had a monopoly on gas at this intersection.  Interestingly, with some Vegas area ARCO buyouts that happened in the late 90s/early 2000s, both of these ARCO stations are now Chevron stations.

So, have you ever seen two identical gas stations adjacent to one another? Is it a common occurrence anywhere?

[wandering drive]

I think it's pretty common, but then again, I live near a pair of PDQ gas stations on opposite sides of Fish Hatchery Rd.  My guess is that one is for northbound traffic and the other is for southbound.  Talk about convenience!