Gas Door

[willfxp]

I have always liked my GM cars with the gas tank door on the left/driver side. Seems easier for me to get out and pump, without having to walk around my car. But I noticed the new Saturn Ion having the door on the right... Just curious as to why consumers or designers want it on the right...

[PaulieK]

I have always liked my GM cars with the gas tank door on the left/driver side. Seems easier for me to get out and pump, without having to walk around my car. But I noticed the new Saturn Ion having the door on the right... Just curious as to why consumers or designers want it on the right...

 

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Maybe since the passanger is just sitting there picking his nose he might as well get out and pump the freeking gas?

[Draenor]

I have always liked my GM cars with the gas tank door on the left/driver side. Seems easier for me to get out and pump, without having to walk around my car. But I noticed the new Saturn Ion having the door on the right... Just curious as to why consumers or designers want it on the right...

 

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Maybe since the passanger is just sitting there picking his nose he might as well get out and pump the freeking gas?

 

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(if I were to buy a saturn)Just because my wife is picking her nose, doesnt mean she would get out and pump the gas.

[Shaners]

Maybe it's to keep the driver from smashing his door into the pumps when he/she gets out?

[Draenor]

If you do notice,(or from what i noticed) the gas door is always opposite the muffler. I guess a fire hazzard thing?

[willfxp]

If you do notice,(or from what i noticed) the gas door is always opposite the muffler. I guess a fire hazzard thing?

 

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That makes sense! Tank is on left side, exhaust system on right. So why not have exhaust pipe always on right side then so you can keep the fuel door easy?

 

I should post, anyone who votes right should explain why! heh

[larry arizona]

If you do notice,(or from what i noticed) the gas door is always opposite the muffler. I guess a fire hazzard thing?

 

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That makes sense! Tank is on left side, exhaust system on right. So why not have exhaust pipe always on right side then so you can keep the fuel door easy?

 

I should post, anyone who votes right should explain why! heh

 

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Makes sense until you consider dual exhaust vehicles. Tailpipe does not get hot enough to cause a fire hazard. Plus the vehicle is supposed to be off when fueling. But good try. Generally speaking gas tank location is the main reason in determining which side the dill cap is on. So undercar part location can change from vehicle to vehicle and that has more to do with fill location versus convienence.

 

Recall in the 70's when the gas tanks were allowed to be at the rear of vehicle (later determined high risk for fire and puncture in rear end crashes) the gas cap was located behind the license plate. You never had to remember what side of the pump to approach.

 

If it is too hard to walk to the passenger side to fill your tank how lazy a society we have become. (half kidding)

[Draenor]

Now thats a question I would ask to those idiot engineers.

[SoCalChris]

If you live in a nice, warm area, either side is fine.

 

But imagine stopping to get gas, when it's 20 below zero, snowing, and wind blowing 20-30mph. I want that gas cap as close to my door as possible, so I can jump out, put the pump in, and jump back in the truck while it's filling.

[Black02Silverado]

If you live in a nice, warm area, either side is fine.

 

But imagine stopping to get gas, when it's 20 below zero, snowing, and wind blowing 20-30mph. I want that gas cap as close to my door as possible, so I can jump out, put the pump in, and jump back in the truck while it's filling.

 

 

 

 

 

What the heck are you doing out in that kind of weather in the first place?????????

 

Just be carefull of the static build up as well, getting in and out of the vehicle.

 

As for tank location, the jetta's tank is in front of my spare tire and the fill could be put on either side by the way it looks and VW decided to put it on the passenger side.

[larry arizona]

If you live in a nice, warm area, either side is fine.

 

But imagine stopping to get gas, when it's 20 below zero, snowing, and wind blowing 20-30mph. I want that gas cap as close to my door as possible, so I can jump out, put the pump in, and jump back in the truck while it's filling.

 

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It is illegal to sit in your car to refuel (I know everyone does with there vehicle running in the winter, I am also guilty).

 

I also see idiots talking on the cell phones when that is also illegal and a fire hazard for everyone's safety at the pumps.

 

There is a relationship with the fuel tank and exhaust routing. They are genearlly opposite due to room under the vehicle. Wherever the gas tank is, there is not room to route the exhaust sytem.

 

So naturally one would think that you could choose the left or right side for the tank because the room under the vehicle should be the same from side to side.

 

NOT TRUE. In working with routing park brake cables under vehicles I can tell you there is a lot going on under the car for routing and mounting of this that and the other thing. Fuel system design is to put the biggest possible fuel cell possible so if there is a chance to get 0.5 gallons bigger tank on the passenger side versus the Driver side they will opt for the passenger side which means fuel door on the left and exhaust on the right.

 

Most engineers are not idiots they are often not left with much room to work with so compromises must be made to get as much content to fit in the same sized vehicles. It makes engineering very hard.

 

Try walking in an autmotive engineers shoes for a week and your opinions will change. I speak from experience of being and engineer the past 12 years in the motor city.

[larry arizona]

If you live in a nice, warm area, either side is fine.

 

But imagine stopping to get gas, when it's 20 below zero, snowing, and wind blowing 20-30mph. I want that gas cap as close to my door as possible, so I can jump out, put the pump in, and jump back in the truck while it's filling.

 

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It is illegal to sit in your car to refuel (I know everyone does with there vehicle running in the winter, I am also guilty).

 

I also see idiots talking on the cell phones when that is also illegal and a fire hazard for everyone's safety at the pumps.

 

There is a relationship with the fuel tank and exhaust routing. They are genearlly opposite due to room under the vehicle. Wherever the gas tank is, there is not room to route the exhaust sytem.

 

So naturally one would think that you could choose the left or right side for the tank because the room under the vehicle should be the same from side to side.

 

NOT TRUE. In working with routing park brake cables under vehicles I can tell you there is a lot going on under the car for routing and mounting of this that and the other thing. Fuel system design is to put the biggest possible fuel cell possible so if there is a chance to get 0.5 gallons bigger tank on the passenger side versus the Driver side they will opt for the passenger side which means fuel door on the left and exhaust on the right.

 

Most engineers are not idiots they are often not left with much room to work with so compromises must be made to get as much content to fit in the same sized vehicles. It makes engineering very hard.

 

Try walking in an autmotive engineers shoes for a week and your opinions will change. I speak from experience of being and engineer the past 12 years in the motor city.

 

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That should have said fuel door on the right and exhaust on the left. Whoops.

[willfxp]

Makes sense until you consider dual exhaust vehicles.  Tailpipe does not get hot enough to cause a fire hazard.

 

I wasn't referring to the safety hazard. I was referring to the actual exhaust system (pipes, muffler, cat(s), etc.) not fitting on the same side as the fuel tank.

 

Most engineers are not idiots they are often not left with much room to work with so compromises must be made to get as much content to fit in the same sized vehicles. It makes engineering very hard.

 

Try walking in an autmotive engineers shoes for a week and your opinions will change. I speak from experience of being and engineer the past 12 years in the motor city.

 

I don't usually blame engineers. I blame management. This is the type of problems companies have. Functionality over convenience. But look at other companies that can do both! I was looking at many cars on the road and most of them are on the left. These little details are what contributes to someone buying a car or not. Design engineers much have a "higher" priority.

[SilveradoLAX7]

I prefer the fuel door on the driver side for the simple reason it is quicker and easier to pump gas. I would assume that the majority of time there is only one person in the truck, thus place it as close as possible to that person.

 

The only time I can think of that having the door on the passenger side makes any sense, is in states where you cannot pump your own gas, i.e. New Jersey, Oregon.

[itasca]

The reasons that people have given so far, don't matter much to me. Overall, the majority of vehicles have the door on the driver's side.

 

For me, its aggravating to pull into a busy gas station and have one or two poor saps with passenger side fill doors jockeying in and out and going against the main flow of traffic around the pumps.