Evidentially since around 2010 automobile's have had a small arrow next to the gas pump symbol on the gauge.
I just came across what what that is!




Indicates the side of the vehicle the gas cap is ON !!
(My wife always forgets) !

 

It took me awhile to learn that too.
Live and learn!

 

And how much good does it actually do? I've known about that indicator for years, yet I don't think I have ever thought to look at it whenever I've had doubts about what side the gas cap is on, whether it be in a car we own or a rental. It just doesn't come to mind. That was true even back when we had cars that had working fuel gauges (well, the fuel gauge in my wife's car still works, but I almost never fuel it).

Fortunately, for me at least, it's largely a nonissue. All of the gas stations I frequent (i.e., the ones that almost always have the lowest prices) have hoses that are long enough to reach either side of the vehicle. Thus I can choose which line to get in based on how quickly (I think) I can get to the pump instead of having to restrict myself to which ones are on the same side as my gas cap. Since most gas caps are on the driver's side (as are ours), I end up using pumps on the other side far more often than not.

I've sometimes wondered if the long hoses and the low prices correlate -- it's almost as if they foresaw business being heavy enough that people needed to be able to use any available pump.

 

It was there for years before a used car salesman clued me in about it. Once you learn which side it becomes an automatic habit and never look at it again...

 

How do you pump gas?

 

I must be old because I can't even imagine the need for a little arrow to tell someone where the gas cap is.

Maybe some little arrows to tell you where the brake and gas pedals are.

 

It doesn't really matter when around ~30% of the Cars have a loose nut behind the wheel.
.
.
.

 

In my day, the gas cap was under the license plate.

 

 

Or for the early VW Beetles, under the "hood".

 

In my day, the gas cap was under the license plate.

For several years in the '50's it was a game to see where the automaker when next hide the gas gap.
The Chevy one was the most ingenious, since even if you knew it was behind the taillight, you also had to know how to open the taillight to get at it.
Here's the image of it closed.

 

Or for the early VW Beetles, under the "hood".

Yes.
How comforting to know the gas tank was essentially in your lap.

 

Yes.
How comforting to know the gas tank was essentially in your lap.

Lots of pickups had seat tanks -- the tank was IN the cab directly behind the seat.

My old Bronco had two tanks, one in the rear and one directly under the driver's seat.

 

Well live and learn, never knew that. Remember the old days when a gas pump had enough hose it mattered not which side of the pumps you were on?

Lots of pickups had seat tanks -- the tank was IN the cab directly behind the seat.

My old Bronco had two tanks, one in the rear and one directly under the driver's seat.

Had plenty of trucks with tanks behind seats, including a few with dual tanks. How many remember the NBC Dateline where to make a point they rigged a truck. Here is the video. Then the truth came out. They rigged the truck and when original video was run slow motion it was apparent they set the squibs off prematurely. The furl tank was exploding split seconds before actual impact. There is a happy ending NBC Admits It Rigged Crash, Settles GM Suit. That's when I gave up on credibility in journalism.

Yeah, I had a 69 VW Bug. Ten US Gallon gas tank about 2 feet in front of my chest.

Ron

 

How comforting to know the gas tank was essentially in your lap.

Heh, the Piper J3 Cub airplane and the Model T Ford had one thing in common. Their fuel tank was mounted on the engine side of the firewall. Really in your lap!

 

My old Bronco had two tanks, one in the rear and one directly under the driver's seat.

Perhaps from the same group that did the Pinto gas-tank design.

 

A friend of the family bought a brand spankin new Bronco back in the 60s. First weekend he had it, they loaded up in it and headed for the mountains. Just outside of town it caught fire and burned to a crisp!

 

A friend of the family bought a brand spankin new Bronco back in the 60s. First weekend he had it, they loaded up in it and headed for the mountains. Just outside of town it caught fire and burned to a crisp!

Mine was a '75, so one of the last square backs. That thing was an absolute tank. It was great in snow (in 4WD -- absolutely worthless in 2WD) and would just about climb a tree. The body was so thick and sturdy that I couldn't even install a CB antenna that was designed to clip on the edge of a hood or trunk. So I bought one that was designed to clip onto the edge of a bumper, only to discover that the bumper was too thick. When I mentioned that to my dad (who owned it) he asked me why I didn't just buy one that mounted through the side panel. I told him that I didn't want to drill any holes in it, which is when he informed me that I could do whatever I wanted to with it since it was my truck. That was in '83. I finally parted with the thing in 2012.

Now my 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I bought in the 2008 time frame, that was a 4x4-wannabe. Worthless in snow and ice. It was, by far, the most comfortable car I've ever owned and I drove it all over the country. But one morning (at -23°F) on the way to the airport, the tranny caught fire and it became a Car-B-Q.

 

Perhaps from the same group that did the Pinto gas-tank design.

My friend had a Mk.2 LandRover. Two fuel tanks, one under each front seat.
He used to get some funny looks when filling it.

 

Mine was a '75, so one of the last square backs. That thing was an absolute tank.

I still have my 85 w/ 33/12.50s and a Warn 8274 winch. It has the EFI 302 and Borg Warner top loading T-18 manual "dump truck" transmission with unsynchronized granny 1st gear. Redid the limited slip 9" rear end with 41 spline heavy duty axles and Detroit Locker differential manual lockup after I wrung the lightweight axles. My uncle nicknamed it the goat as it could go anywhere and did. The only time I got it "stuck" was in a swamp at night and took a D8 bulldozer to drag it out.