Question for those who are not driving new vehicles

[Tom 72]

Here is the question: Next time driving please look at your fuel guage. There is probably a gas pump icon near it. Is your fuel filler in the same side as the hose on the gas pump icon?

On newer vehicles there is an arrow indicating which side.

I understand the gas pump icon doesn't work 100% of the time. I wonder if it works most or nearly all of the time. Thank you.

[Tom 72]

My car has no arrow, but the filler is on same side as pump hose (right).

[Tom 72]

Heck, if I don't mention it, someone in this group will. They will say if your filler is on the left, wouldn't you want the hose on the right side of the pump?

The answer is, Yes, but we don't pull up to gas pumps facing them, and that wasn't the question.

I will guess that a majority of your pump icons will show the hose on the right.

[Raspy]

As far as I know, the arrow is to tell you which side the gas cap is on. For the vehicle in your example, the filler would be on the left side of the car as you view it from the drivers seat looking forward.

[Borrego Dave]

Well Tom, my two newer vehicles I know have the arrows so I checked the 1989 F150, no arrow and the pump hose symbol is on the right side but the truck fills on the left. I've had a slew of Fords and I really can't remember one that fueled on the right side.

[Steve L.]

I have the Ford Flex. The gas gauge has the arrow, pointing to the right (passenger) side of the SUV and that is where the gas filler door is.

[TomK]

Tom, as far as I know, the depiction of the pump in your example is just a universal symbol for a gas pump. It shows you which gauge measures your fuel quantity. The arrow is a separate icon, and shows the driver which side of the vehicle the filler cap is located. Ignore the hose on the pump symbol. If your vehicle has no arrow, the pump symbol just tells you which gauge shows fuel quantity.

Our Subaru Forester had the filler neck on the passenger side, and the arrow pointed that way. Our 2016 F-150 looks just like your example, and the filler neck is on the driver's side.

I can't remember the first time I noticed the arrow, but it was quite a few years ago. It is really handy for folks who drive many types of vehicles, ie. rentals or fleet drivers, etc. Does anyone know when the arrow started appearing on vehicles? (I don't)

Tom

[k0wtz]

American cars are on the drivers side European cars can be tricky my 1998 volks beetle is on the other side weird I keep forgetting!

when I bought the 2015 edge I didn't know how to open the door to the gas filler. had to go in and ask simpe simple!

bob

[BatDude]

Hmmm Steve,
With our newish Felx I had never noticed an arrow. Need to look.
Still not used to the seat moving forward and back when I get in/out or having the doors auto lock at 13 MPH.

How many reacall that the VW Beatles had the filler in front "Under the hood"?

Bat Dude

[k0wtz]

1998 beetle tdi


bob

[LyleB]

Doesn't the gas pump symbol just light up when you are getting low on fuel? The arrow is what indicates which side the fill is.

[mosquito13]

Originally Posted by Tom 72

Here is the question: Next time driving please look at your fuel guage. There is probably a gas pump icon near it. Is your fuel filler in the same side as the hose on the gas pump icon?

On newer vehicles there is an arrow indicating which side.

I understand the gas pump icon doesn't work 100% of the time. I wonder if it works most or nearly all of the time. Thank you.

Do you forget what side your tank fill is on the vehicle you drive? My 97 Ford E250 doesn't have a indicator that I know of , but have never needed to look for one.

[k0wtz]

none of my vehicles have this light either


bob

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Well Tom, my two newer vehicles I know have the arrows so I checked the 1989 F150, no arrow and the pump hose symbol is on the right side but the truck fills on the left. I've had a slew of Fords and I really can't remember one that fueled on the right side.

Several of my Fords have had the filler on the wrong side, Fairmont Tempo, several Mustangs and now my Transit Connect to name a few.
When you have several cars it can be a bit of an issue so the arrow can help.
The filler should be on the left if you are to keep right and drive on the right side of the road.
However, one big advantage of having the filler on the right side of the car is that you open the driver's door away from the pump, this makes access and egress easier and prevents the inevitable door dents from the pump curbs and protectors.

[brendadave]

2008 Ford Escape has the arrow point left, which is where the Filler door is, so Ford has been doing it least that long.

[Jack L]

After I retired, I worked part time for a car rental company at Portland International Airport. Most days, I would move 30 to 50 cars a day. Many times I would fuel the cars. The arrow always pointed to the side of the car that the gas fil was on. I'm not sure when this feature first appeared, but the arrow correctly identified the side of the vehicle the fuel was on 100% correctly.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by mosquito13

Do you forget what side your tank fill is on the vehicle you drive?...

Not on my own cars. When my memory gets that bad, it may be time to reassess whether I should be driving at all!

But with a rental, I might well forget to look before I get in. I have had to pull around a couple of times when fueling a rental with the fill on the right.

Not a big deal in the the larger scheme of life. The arrow is a helpful little detail which I had not noticed.

[Tom 72]

The arrow is of course reliable. Recently I was riding with a friend in her somewhat classic BMW, when I offered to pump her gas. She informed me that I could reliably tell where the filler was by the position of the hose on the icon. I thought that it would be handy to know when pulling up to pumps in strange cars. Her story is starting to look like folklore.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by floyd

Several of my Fords have had the filler on the wrong side, Fairmont Tempo, several Mustangs and now my Transit Connect to name a few.

When I was writing my response I almost added to the end of it, "Floyd ?" cuz I knew you'd have some examples .

[k0wtz]

I have 5 vehicles the 98 volkswagaon beetle drives me crazy because I seem to always forget it is on the other I am 76 you know. my cars are so old when I rented a car in Europe I couldn't figure out the new style way to fill your car up. I felt sort of dumb I had to go ask another guy who was filling his car up.

in Europe all cars fill up on the other side one thing really threw me once in a awhile I would see a full sized pickup it looked like a tank going down the highway.

bob