Who determines which side of the car the gas caps go on? Some automakers have different models with gas caps on opposite sides. Why is this? Wouldn’t it be better if all cars had gas caps on the same side? Which would be better, driver’s side or passenger side or rear?
If all gas caps were on the same side, jally would be forced to start a thread about why can’t she get her gas cap on the other side, and tcburnett would make up some crazy shit about left handed gas molecules. Believe me, this would not make the world a better place.
It is better when the gas cap is on the passenger’s side. That way you don’t run into the gas pump when you exit the driver’s side.
On the other hand, if it’s on the left, it’s easier to maneuver your car in position, because you aren’t as likely to scrape the posts around the gas pumps.
By the way, I rent cars fairly often, and most late-model cars have an arrow on the instrument panel, usually near the words “Unleaded Fuel Only”, that points to the side with the gas cap.
Also, if you have a switch to open the gas cap from the driver’s seat, they put the gas cap on the driver’s side so the cable can be shorter.
Unless you drive a Dodge Daytona in which case the cap is on the passenger side. Remote release works fine, longer cable notwithstanding.
gEEk
Not on my 1995 Ford Contour.
Yeah, well I have an 96 Chevy Impala and the gas cap is behind the rear license plate directly in the rear. I never realized how convenient this was until I came across a number of independent gas stations that seem to have hoses with very little stretch such that if you accidentally pulled up on the wrong side, you’d have to turnn your car around and re-approach it to fill up. You never have that problem in my car. Of course, any rear end collision would probably smash the inlet out of shape not allowing me to fill up my car again until it got fixed, so I guess I can understand why everyone doesn’t design their cars this way.
I think the main concern is the fire hazard, not the inlet bending out of shape…
With the current design of gas stations, it’s better if there is a mix of sides. Otherwise, everybody wants to pull up to the same side of the pump, and you have more turning around in gas station lots than you do now. Which is more convenient is a matter of debate or personal taste, and we seem to be well on our way to having the debate.
A '96 Impala has it under the plate? Haven’t seen that in years. I’m encouraged. Most manufacturers stopped doing that years ago because of the fire hazard in rear-end collisions. I would love to see them migrate to some location in the center of the car, if it can be done safely.
Don’t you hate it when you rent a car that has it on the other side from your own car, and you find yourself automatically pulling the rental up to the wrong side of the pump?
I’m personally in favor of gas cap on the right for the reason galen stated. My BMW was that way but the Dodge truck Ihave now has the cap on the left. The stupised thing I ever saw was that Chevy used to put a filler on both sides of trucks with dual tanks. You had to drag the freaking hose around to fill both tanks.
Well I am not that concerned, but it seems to me that in America the left side would be the appropriate side (if there is one) since it maintains the “stay to the right” rule.