# What side is your vehicle's gas cap on? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 8, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619 "2011-09-08T15:17:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/81 "2011-09-12T06:19:54Z")
transportation vehicle - left side (94 chevy p/u). classic undergoing restoration - rear (69 Buick Riviera). ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/82 "2011-09-12T09:57:58Z")
> [@gatorslap](#): > > Is running out of gas a common occurrence? I’ve always been advised to **never** let a car run out of gas, because it’s bad for the fuel injection (but old cars with carburetors, it’s not a big deal). > > Anyway, mine’s on the left. The gas station I go to has long hoses that can reach the opposite side of a vehicle, so it doesn’t matter which pump I pull up to. maybe true for older cars. Indeed, fuel flow does help cool the fuel pump and injectors, but by the time lack of flow would cause parts to heat up, the car is already stalled due to fuel starvation. and AFAIK all modern cars will not run the fuel pump if the engine is not running; the PCM will not turn the pump on if there’s no signal from the cam/crank sensors. that is, except for a couple of seconds when you turn the key on to try to pressurize the fuel system. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/83 "2011-09-12T10:06:41Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Passenger’s side, which I think is pretty standard for European cars. If you run out of gas, you are not standing in the middle of the road to pour more gas in the car. The car doesn’t just stop dead, from 120 to 0 in 0 seconds - my brother managed to run out of gas once and he had no problem coasting to the shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/84 "2011-09-12T13:12:53Z")
I voted left side even though mine’s on the right side-- I feel like this poll would’ve been more informative if you’d’ve classified the options as driver’s side vs passenger’s, as my wheel’s on the right. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/85 "2011-09-13T17:07:58Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > The car doesn’t just stop dead, from 120 to 0 in 0 seconds - my brother managed to run out of gas once and he had no problem coasting to the shoulder. Perhaps you weren’t aware (no snark intended), but as **Rick** is a car mechanic I’m pretty sure he knows this. He was referring to the fact that when you pull over, it is safer to work on the near side of the car than the off side, as the latter is closer to passing traffic - even if all you have to do is fill up with fuel, that can make all the difference if a driver in the nearside lane dozes off and drifts on to the shoulder. To answer another recent post, I believe I have read a post of **Rick** ’s (or possibly **Gary T** ’s) in the past that said that on modern cars, running out of fuel is not a major problem - some people worry about “gunk” in the bottom of the tank getting into the engine, but with modern fuel filters this is unlikely. It may be more of an issue with some diesel engines, I think. **aceplace57** , how do you get out of your car? Wouldn’t it have been even better is the cap was on the passenger’s side? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/86 "2011-09-13T22:11:09Z")
Am I the only person who grew up using neither left/right nor driver/passenger, but nearside and offside? I used “nearside” to an auto mechanic recently and got a blank look in response. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/87 "2011-09-14T00:09:00Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Am I the only person who grew up using neither left/right nor driver/passenger, but nearside and offside? I used “nearside” to an auto mechanic recently and got a blank look in response. Huh, never heard that one. I assume it means the same as driver/passenger? Does anyone you know say it? Where did you grow up, or I guess where did you start driving? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/88 "2011-09-14T00:15:01Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > Huh, never heard that one. I assume it means the same as driver/passenger? Does anyone you know say it? Where did you grow up, or I guess where did you start driving? I am from England. Nearside = side nearest the kerb and therefore = passenger side. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/89 "2011-09-14T00:33:06Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Since when was it illegal to buy a soda while your gas pumps? This morning was one of the few rare times I was driving a car (driver’s side, ftr) and when I went inside to buy a drink while it was pumping, the cashier asked who was watching my car. I said “nobody” and she said she had to turn off the pump and I was in violation of the law…and then when I returned to my car I had to stand there for a couple minutes while I waited for it to reactivate (and I couldn’t just leave because I needed the receipt for a business reimbursement and disabling the pump also disabled the interface). Here in MN near the pump they list the state statute that prohibits leaving your car unattended while fueling. ---
**Author:** ![Remember\_me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Remember\_me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Remember_me)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/90 "2011-09-14T07:41:32Z")
As a rule of thumb for the cars I have driven here in Europe (mostly German, French and Japanese cars) the side of the fuel cap depends on the country of origin of the car. Most Japanese cars have it on the left side, as Japan is a left-hand drive country, most German and French cars have it on the right side as we drive on the right side in continental Europe. I always explained that to me by the increased safety of filling up if you run out of gas. Of course there are exeptions to this. IIRC Subarus (from Japan) have there fuel caps mostly on the right side. Mercedes Sprinter vans have there fuel caps on the left side at the driver’s door making it possible to fill up without really leaving the drivers seat. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/91 "2011-09-14T08:33:44Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Perhaps you weren’t aware (no snark intended), but as **Rick** is a car mechanic I’m pretty sure he knows this. He was referring to the fact that when you pull over, it is safer to work on the near side of the car than the off side, as the latter is closer to passing traffic - even if all you have to do is fill up with fuel, that can make all the difference if a driver in the nearside lane dozes off and drifts on to the shoulder. I didn’t remember that, but maybe part of the reason I can’t see why that makes a big difference is that in Spain the refueling would involve (unless you were suicidal) a lot of safety measures and, if in a highway, a towing truck (whose bulk doubles up as a safety warning). Either it’s a very slow road or anybody who manages to run over you is on the shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/92 "2011-09-14T17:15:20Z")
Passenger’s side. Didn’t vote in the poll because I didn’t know if “right” side meant the right side as I’m facing the car, or as I’m sitting in the car. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619/93 "2011-09-14T17:36:44Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > Passenger’s side. > > Didn’t vote in the poll because I didn’t know if “right” side meant the right side as I’m facing the car, or as I’m sitting in the car. “passenger side” isn’t clear either. what if you live in Japan or a Commonwealth nation? 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-side-is-your-vehicles-gas-cap-on/595619.md?page=4)