WHO KNEW THIS???

-Chris-

I just got this in an email, I haven't had the chance to check it out, but it sounds fairly plausible...

Did you know about this, is it true?

An email AudiChris's Mate Sent Him wrote:

WHO KNEW THIS???

I have been driving for over 20 years... I would think I should have noticed the little secret on my dashboard that was staring me in the face the whole time...I didn't...and I bet you didn't either...

Have you ever rented or borrowed a car and when arriving at the petrol station wondered...mmm, which side is the petrol filler cap?

My normal solution was to stick my head out the window, strain my neck and look, try to see in the side mirrors or even get out of the car!!!!

Well ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to share with you my little secret so you will no longer look like Ace Ventura on your way to the petrol station or put your neck at risk of discomfort or injury.

If you look at your petrol gauge, you will see a small icon of a petrol pump?

The handle of the petrol pump will extend out on either the left or right side of the petrol pump?

If your filler cap is on the left, the handle will be on the left? If your filler cap is on the right, the handle will be on the right (see photo). It is that simple!


I don't know how you feel right now but when I found out this morning I felt cheated!

WHY don't the dealers share such important information with car buyers?

I don't understand why this isn't in the Highway Code or even the car manufacturers manual??

I don't get why any mechanic I have ever been too or know has even thought of mentioning this to me??

The only possible explanation can be that all these people probably don't even know!

Go out and share the world's best kept auto secret with your friends as this is information is way too important to be kept secret.

mcauley

If that is true Chris you have saved me a lot of neck strain in the future. . .

I most certainly did not know this! Tempted to run out to the cars to check this theory. . .

hawker

Heard that last year sometime ok. And any car I've ever checked in, it has been true.

Although a mate of mine claim his car says differently. I've yet to check it out.

-Chris-

I just checked a couple of cars (all VAG, so a bit of a skewed sample), so far it's true - including the LHD Golf we have!!

Alanstrainor

Loved the ace ventura comparisson. Classic!

Alun

It's true on my car (Focus C-Max) but then the cynic in me says that purely on chance I have a 50% chance of it being right, so it proves nothing

carlson

its not true.........sorry!

CrowdedHouse

WRONG - Nearest vehicle to where I'm sitting is a FIAT Doblo van and it doesn't work for that.
My last car an 06 Golf GTI had a lttle arrowhead on the gauge pointing in the direction of the filler cap.

Danbo!

just checked-
VW Golf - Correct
Peugeot 307 - Correct
Sante Fe - Wrong - but then again thats still got right hand side indicators and left hand side wipers... Crazy Koreans

Bandara

Its 100% true 50% of the time.

-Chris-

carlson wrote: »

its not true.........sorry!

What car did you check it on? Maybe there's a pattern...

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

WRONG - Nearest vehicle to where I'm sitting is a FIAT Doblo van and it doesn't work for that.
My last car an 06 Golf GTI had a lttle arrowhead on the gauge pointing in the direction of the filler cap.

Dammit!

noblestee wrote: »

just checked-
VW Golf - Correct
Peugeot 307 - Correct
Sante Fe - Wrong - but then again thats still got right hand side indicators and left hand side wipers... Crazy Koreans

That's a pity, Italian and Koreans wrong so far...

Hammertime wrote: »

Its 100% true 50% of the time.

R.O.R

AudiChris wrote: »

What car did you check it on? Maybe there's a pattern...



Dammit!



That's a pity, Italian and Koreans wrong so far...

No icon on my Honda to show what side - but it is on most of the cars I drive, but most of them are VAG so........

flanzer

I knew that alright. I've had a Polo, Golf III, Carisma, Golf IV, Golf V and Passat and it was true in all cases. I found out the little trick when I had the Carisma. I checked a 96 Polo and and 97 Golf in a supermarket car park one afternoon to check the findings

-Chris-

Most of the sample seems to be VAG based still.... anyone else?

Dades

I heard this last year. Top tip!

True for my missis' Nissan - and for my 36 yr old Merc...

Alanstrainor

Hammertime wrote: »

Its 100% true 50% of the time.

Hahaha

Pete67

Not sure about the handle, but any Ford I've driven in recent years has a small arrow under the fuel gauge needle pointing to the side the fuel filler is on. I've often wondered why other manufacturers didn't do the same.

EKRIUQ

Not true on a Alfa Romeo 159:(

Alun

Pete67 wrote: »

Not sure about the handle, but any Ford I've driven in recent years has a small arrow under the fuel gauge needle pointing to the side the fuel filler is on. I've often wondered why other manufacturers didn't do the same.

My 2004 Focus C-Max doesn't have that.

ShayK1

it was on a car show not too long ago. Not sure if it was Top Gear but if not, it was something similiar.

L1011

Believe its "wrong" on all RHD Fiat's.

Anyway, what station doesn't have pipes long enough to reach the other side of the car anyway?

-Chris-

Yeah, so far Fiat & Alfa both wrong - crazy Italians!

I'm just curious as to the consensus - I'd love to point it out to customers and be able to say 90% of the time it works! If it's just random, then there's no point.

As for the length of the hose - very true, but I'm more interested in this for the "check this out, it's pretty cool!" element, rather than the purely practical application of the information.

osnoyl

my mondeo has the arrow and is correct

Alun

MYOB wrote: »

Anyway, what station doesn't have pipes long enough to reach the other side of the car anyway?

Quite a few have pipes only barely long enough depending on the width / height of the vehicle in question, and where you are able to park relative to the pump itself. In fact, in general, I think I've noticed that over the years they've gradually got shorter, or maybe I'm imagining things.

R.O.R

The 2006 520d Touring I was just in didn't have it.

-Chris-

Didn't have the petrol pump icon?

R.O.R

AudiChris wrote: »

Didn't have the petrol pump icon?

I don't think so - it just had "Diesel" written across the top of the guage. Guage was at the bottom part of either the Speedo or Rev Counter.

Ok - I wasn't paying that much attention to the car, just whether there was little arrow to tell me the fuel filler cap was on the drivers side

tossy

Urban motoring myth i'm afraid.

CrowdedHouse

R.O.R wrote: »

Ok - I wasn't paying that much attention to the car, just whether there was little arrow to tell me the fuel filler cap was on the drivers side

I think he meant the nozzle and hose of the pump icon on the gauge

It BeeMee

Checked my own car (Skoda Superb) and both the dash display and the release button show the correct side.

MYOB wrote: »

Anyway, what station doesn't have pipes long enough to reach the other side of the car anyway?

Quite a few, I find. If you park on the wrong side, you're left trying to hold the hose up off the boot lid as it's too short to sit on the ground.

L1011

Alun wrote: »

Quite a few have pipes only barely long enough depending on the width / height of the vehicle in question, and where you are able to park relative to the pump itself. In fact, in general, I think I've noticed that over the years they've gradually got shorter, or maybe I'm imagining things.

My car is fairly tall, but very narrow... might be why I've never had a problem.

Tesco's ones are tight enough though.