Filling your car with gas while it's still running - Pet peeve

The BBQ Pit
1

I know it’s cold, but please turn off your car when you fill up. If you are worried that your car won’t start again, then get that fixed. You are only out of the car for 5 minutes, the heater will blow again, I promise.

I know it’s a gazillion to one shot of anything bad happening, but by not turning your car off and obeying the posted rules you are looking like an entitled asshole. You are flaunting the fact that the rules apparently don’t apply to you.

I generally mention something to the perp when I leave, but I’m sure they aren’t going to change their ways. I wish the gas station would cut off fuel to these special snowflakes.

2

Here’s a GQ thread about it from 8 years ago.

3

I did this once by accident. Not entirely sure how. I went fishing for my keys after pumping and realized they were still in the ignition. :smack:
Then I looked around sheepishly for anyone scowling at me. No fire, fortunately.

I can’t say I pay much attention to others while pumping. Is this a common practice?

I could see doing it if you’d just jump started and were almost empty.

4

All the pumps here have clear signs prohibiting this practice. I’d do so anyway, just to save gas.

5

Law or not, good idea or not, I know for an absolute fact that if I ever did this, I’d lock myself out of my car with the engine running.

I hate when I do that.

6

Similar to what Acsenray said in the other thread, I’ve been driving almost 30 years and I don’t remember ever seeing someone filling their tank with the engine running. It’s possible it happened and I didn’t notice, but it seems like something I’d take note of.

I always thought it was unsafe to do so, and frankly the testimonials saying “I always do it and I’ve never blown up once!” don’t go very far in convincing me otherwise, as “people who’ve never blown themselves up while pumping gas” is something of a self-selecting group in these discussions.

7

When I worked at a gas station I used to just turn the pump off whenever I noticed anyone doing this. It’s pretty easy to tell during winter. I did the same thing whenever someobody walked away from their car while it was filling.

8

I leave the car running when I have a rental car of some sort, and I have to fill it exactly 11/16 full to avoid being charged for not returning it with enough gas. Otherwise, I turn off the car.

9

Well sure, who cares about blowing up a rental car… especially if you paid for the damage waiver.

10

Usually just leaving the key in the accessory position without the engine running will keep the gas reading current and visible to you.

11

And then there’s the people who smoke cigarettes when they are filling their car up.

12

Almost no one turns there engine off while refueling here in NJ (we’re one of two states have bans on self-service gas stations). I can recall only one time where an attendant asked me to shut my engine off and I’ve been driving for 28 years and most of those years were in NJ.

13

While not against the law here, idling your car while you’re doing stuff is strongly frowned on. I see it in parking lots all the time, though - people leave their car running the whole time they’re in the store or restaurant. I hate that shit, too - turn your frakking car off and sack up. Yeah, it’ll be a little cooler when you come back out. You’re Canadian; it’s cold half of the year; deal with it.

Me too.

14

I hate to break it to you, but the fuel gauges are buffered on all modern cars, so if you do leave it running it can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes before the correct actual reading is displayed. This is done to prevent wild swings of the gauge with a partial tank. Back in the day I had an Austin Healey that you could use the gas gauge as a G-meter. Start with a half tank, go around a corner. If you got it to read over 3/4 or under 1/4 you were hauling ass around that corner.
Better to leave the key off, fill to what you think it right, then turn on the key, the correct reading will be displayed.

15

I once left my car running while I was refueling. And I was killed.

16

This has given me a terrible case of the giggles–and I like it!! :slight_smile:

17

I noticed this in stark detail after moving to NJ, land of Full Service. Since I sit in the car the whole time anyway, I listen to the radio, and don’t turn the key to the OFF position, merely turn it to ACC. After the fillup, the gauge is still where is started, which I found rather confusing. I have to turn the key OFF before starting the car to have the gauge read correctly, and I’m damn well not leaving until that gauge says the tank is full.

Frankly, I find it amazing that anyone doesn’t turn off their car while refueling. It’s like this extraordinary sloth has overcome them, and they can’t summon up the effort to turn a key that is in arm’s reach.

18

I’ve been driving in NJ for almost 25 years, and this hasn’t been my experience. It’s rare enough for me to see someone not shutting off the engine that I take note of it when I see it, and often it’s out of state plates that I see doing it. I always shut mine off, and I’ve never been in a car with someone refueling who didn’t do the same.

19

Other than when I was killed, has there ever been a case of anything happening to a car or gas station because a car was on while refueling?

20

Loach, my understanding is that the key danger during refueling is static. A person who gets out of the car, starts pumping, gets in the car, then gets out again to stop pumping introduces a static electricity danger.

I’ve never heard of anything actually happening from keeping the car running. However, in Full Serve NJ, where you are from, it seems to me spectacularly inconsiderate to keep your car running while a pump jockey fills up your car for you.

Hey buddy, I know you’re on your feet all day during this bitter cold snap, why not suck up some exhaust while trying to keep your fingers from freezing off. If I turned my car off, I might get a wee bit chilly, and we can’t have that, right?