# Interesting knowledge tidbit(s) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 10, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456 "2008-06-10T16:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/1 "2008-06-10T16:03:49Z")
Beside your car’s gas gauge is a stylized icon representing a gas pump. That’s something you’ve probably seen a thousand times. But beside the icon, on either side, is an arrow indicating which side of the car your gas cap is on. That was something I never knew before. Feel free to comment about this, or offer your own tidbit, or forget about it, or whatever. My MPSIMS threads usually sink to nothingness fairly quickly anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/2 "2008-06-10T16:11:52Z")
1. The numbers on my speedometer actually correspond to the speed I’m going when the red needle points at them. 2. Using my rear-view mirrors, I can actually see behind me! 3. The latch with the picture of the car with the hood open releases the hood. 4. If I turn the steering wheel to the right… the car goes right! Just a couple more things to blow your mind this afternoon, **Libby**! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/3 "2008-06-10T21:36:06Z")
Wow. Tough crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/4 "2008-06-10T21:38:25Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Beside your car’s gas gauge is a stylized icon representing a gas pump. That’s something you’ve probably seen a thousand times. But beside the icon, on either side, is an arrow indicating which side of the car your gas cap is on. That was something I never knew before. [/QUOTE] Here’s an interesting tidbit of knowledge… not every car has this “feature.” Sorry **Lib**. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/5 "2008-06-10T23:58:41Z")
[QUOTE=ChiefScott] 4. If I turn the steering wheel to the right… the car goes right! [/QUOTE] Not if you hold the wheel at the bottom. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/6 "2008-06-11T00:10:58Z")
My car’s dashboard doesn’t display the usual “speed” and “RPMs” or how much “gas is in the tank”. My car’s dashboard display information of a much more sinister nature. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/7 "2008-06-11T04:51:43Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Beside your car’s gas gauge is a stylized icon representing a gas pump. That’s something you’ve probably seen a thousand times. But beside the icon, on either side, is an arrow indicating which side of the car your gas cap is on. That was something I never knew before. [/QUOTE] Not on my car, or my wife’s car, or my brother’s car, or my parent’s car… must be an American thing, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/8 "2008-06-11T07:00:15Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] Not if you hold the wheel at the bottom. 😛 [/QUOTE] Not if you’re seated upside down. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Rosewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mr.Rosewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Rosewater)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/9 "2008-06-11T07:27:27Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Not if you’re seated upside down. [/QUOTE] How the hell are you going to see where you’re going sitting like that. Also, how are you going to reach the pedals. Clearly you have not thought this through. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/10 "2008-06-11T07:33:06Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Not if you’re seated upside down. [/QUOTE] Or right-side up in an upside down car. ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/11 "2008-06-11T07:49:29Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] Not on my car, or my wife’s car, or my brother’s car, or my parent’s car… must be an American thing, I guess. [/QUOTE] This is pretty common. How old are the cars of your family? ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/12 "2008-06-11T07:49:31Z")
The digital spedometer on an 85’ Buick Skylark only goes up to 85 mph. Any faster and the spedometer simply blinks. “Actually officer I \*don’t \* have any idea how fast I was going. It could have been 86, it could have been 143, I cannot even guess.” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/13 "2008-06-11T07:49:58Z")
I have side view mirrors above my bed…I won’t go into the reason. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/14 "2008-06-11T08:50:08Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Beside your car’s gas gauge is a stylized icon representing a gas pump. That’s something you’ve probably seen a thousand times. But beside the icon, on either side, is an arrow indicating which side of the car your gas cap is on. That was something I never knew before. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Do you have a cite for this? The reason I ask is that I told my dad this and (shock! horror!) he doesn’t believe me! My 2002 Ford Focus has the arrow indicator. He’s going to check his car when he gets back to New Zealand but that’s not for a few months yet. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/15 "2008-06-11T09:33:51Z")
There’s no arrow on mine (Skoda, built c2006), but the fuel gauge is a little vertical bar within the LCD readout that provides other information such as total and trip mileage, temperature, MPG, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/16 "2008-06-11T10:48:56Z")
[QUOTE=sandra\_nz] Do you have a cite for this? [/QUOTE] I found it in the owners manual for a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. That car does have it, as does our 2003 Saturn Ion. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/17 "2008-06-11T11:16:43Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Beside your car’s gas gauge is a stylized icon representing a gas pump. That’s something you’ve probably seen a thousand times. But beside the icon, on either side, is an arrow indicating which side of the car your gas cap is on. That was something I never knew before. [/QUOTE] There was a thread about this very recently. But I am unable to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/18 "2008-06-11T11:36:08Z")
I’ll admit this is the first time I’ve heard about this. I’ll be checking my car when I go to work today. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/19 "2008-06-11T11:37:19Z")
It was this very factoid that caused me loads of problems in a gas station in France a few weeks ago. It does not apply to Citroëns. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-knowledge-tidbit-s/452456/20 "2008-06-11T11:37:57Z")
[QUOTE=TastesLikeBurning] This is pretty common. How old are the cars of your family? [/QUOTE] They’re all early-mid 2000s, with the exception of my car which is early '90s.