# Which side is your car's fuel door compared to the exhaust? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 26, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615 "2010-06-26T17:10:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/1 "2010-06-26T17:10:36Z")
Which side is your car’s (or truck or other 4-wheel vehicle) fuel door compared to the exhaust? The answer to last week’s puzzler on Car Talk claims that 99% of cars have the little door for fueling on the opposite side of the exhaust pipe(s). I’m now curious hence the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/2 "2010-06-26T17:13:28Z")
I don’t know off hand for mine, but you left out “I have dual exhaust” though I guess you could call that being on the same side. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/3 "2010-06-26T17:44:42Z")
Dual exhaust here. You also left out central exhaust (if there are any). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/4 "2010-06-26T18:02:26Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Dual exhaust here. > > You also left out central exhaust (if there are any). I know I’ve seen them on some Porsches. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/5 "2010-06-26T18:20:10Z")
OK, let us assume I’ve left out a _whole bunch_ of choices - and that I’m \*only \*interested in the choices presented in the car-talk puzzler. If we make \*that \*assumption, perhaps we can actually get some answers… Also, feel free to call the car-talk guys and give 'em hell. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/6 "2010-06-26T18:25:31Z")
Presumably, it would be to isolate a potential ignition source if fuel was spilled. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/7 "2010-06-26T18:33:07Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Presumably, it would be to isolate a potential ignition source if fuel was spilled. Also, way back when, when cars were more prone to back firing and they didn’t have vapor recovery on pumps it would be good to have them on opposite sides. ---
**Author:** ![ripopgome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@ripopgome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ripopgome)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/8 "2010-06-27T19:44:24Z")
When I heard the puzzler yesterday I thought as well, it must be the opposite side as the exhaust, but they also said the one brother was “99%” accurate. And it seems like more than 1% of cars/trucks would have dual or center exhausts. But then maybe there’s more Varons\* in my neighborhood than the two in the puzzler’s 😉 OK, probably not. At least not in my garage, sadly. - [http://www.supertightstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/veyron-low-rear1.jpg](http://www.supertightstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/veyron-low-rear1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/9 "2010-06-27T19:46:40Z")
Dual exhaust here too, but the fuel door is on the driver’s side. Sorry, for some reason I missed your post about ONLY wanting people who had one exhaust to answer. :o ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/10 "2010-06-27T20:06:12Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > OK, let us assume I’ve left out a _whole bunch_ of choices - and that I’m \*only \*interested in the choices presented in the car-talk puzzler. If we make \*that \*assumption, perhaps we can actually get some answers… Also, feel free to call the car-talk guys and give 'em hell. But what about electric cars? They don’t even have an exhaust! Both our current cars, and my old one also, had exhaust opposite the fuel door. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/11 "2010-06-27T20:15:30Z")
> [@MoodIndigo1](#): > > Dual exhaust here too, but the fuel door is on the driver’s side. > > Sorry, for some reason I missed your post about ONLY wanting people who had one exhaust to answer. :o No. _My_ apologies. Your opinion is certainly welcome! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/12 "2010-06-27T21:52:58Z")
I figured this had to do with Car Talk. Not counting dual exhausts, I’ve only seen on model that had them on the same side (and another had the exhaust in the middle). ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/13 "2010-06-27T23:30:41Z")
I have a question about the puzzler - they’ve used that one before! In fact, it was years ago, and it was the very first puzzler I had ever heard on Car Talk, but didn’t tune in the next week to hear the answer. I sussed out the answer after a few weeks of paying attention to cars’ exhaust pipes/gas tanks. Trivia questions are pretty infinite - why would they recycle one? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/14 "2010-06-27T23:38:03Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I have a question about the puzzler - they’ve used that one before! In fact, it was years ago, and it was the very first puzzler I had ever heard on Car Talk, but didn’t tune in the next week to hear the answer. I sussed out the answer after a few weeks of paying attention to cars’ exhaust pipes/gas tanks. > > Trivia questions are pretty infinite - why would they recycle one? I tuned in late. I only hear it if I’m in my car when NPR plays it. They said this was the answer to last week’s puzzler - but the show may have been a repeat. They some times do that in the summer. Maybe I just heard an old show. The set up was something about two guys having a straight on view of gas pumps such that they could only see the car from behind - never from the sides. They would have a bet about who had pulled in on the wrong side. One guy was right 99% of the time, the other 50%. Turns out the guy who was right 99% of the time noticed the answer that was given in my OP. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/15 "2010-06-28T11:53:09Z")
I have a Mini Cooper S. The exhaust is dual exhaust and it’s in the middle. My gas cap is on the left, as is my steering wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/16 "2010-06-28T13:26:38Z")
Our C5 Corvette has exhaust in the middle, and the gas cap on the Driver’s side…Our Subaru, on the other hand, is a ‘world car’ (Designed for multiple countries, some of the warning stickers are in four languages, and it’s got a funky setup on the brakes to relocate the brake booster to the left hand side.) It’s gas cap is on the passenger side, and the exhaust is on the driver’s. I wonder what the correlation to gas filler is to country of origin? If cars designed in Right Hand Drive countries tend to have the filler on the Driver’s side for that country? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/17 "2010-06-28T15:42:31Z")
Driving into work this morning, I was paying attention to fuel doors and exhaust pipes, and noticed one pickup truck with dual fuel doors. Both opposite the exhaust. ---
**Author:** ![born\_too\_late](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@born\_too\_late](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/born_too_late)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/18 "2010-06-28T20:57:56Z")
'08 Subaru Impreza wagon - both fuel door and exhaust pipe are on the passenger side. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/19 "2010-06-28T21:22:07Z")
Hmm, I know where the fuel door is but I’m going to have to go to the web to figure out which side the exhaust is on. I don’t feel like schlepping down to the garage and back. ETA: found it. Opposite side. ---
**Author:** ![born\_too\_late](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@born\_too\_late](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/born_too_late)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615/20 "2010-06-29T05:39:02Z")
> [@born\_too\_late](#): > > '08 Subaru Impreza wagon - both fuel door and exhaust pipe are on the passenger side. To clarify, it’s just the tail pipe that exits on the passenger side of the car. I guess technically, the majority of the exhaust system would appear to be slightly to the driver’s side of center. The muffler is elongated and lies parallel to the rear axle and the pipe that leads to it from the engine curves into kind of a u-bend just before it joins the muffler. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-side-is-your-cars-fuel-door-compared-to-the-exhaust/544615.md?page=2)