![]() ![]() ![]() As seen in the graphic example displayed below, sometimes the arrow and fuel handle are on opposite sides of the icon it's the former, not the latter, that signifies where the gas cap is: The fuel icons in modern cars do inform drivers which side to refuel on, but it's not the placement or shape of the fuel icon that carries that information: Nearly all newer models of automobiles include a small arrow or triangle next to the fuel icon that indicates which side of the vehicle bears the fuel door. (Yes, we know that some vehicles have their fuel doors in the back, but there are so few of them that for the purpose of this discussion we might as well ignore that possibility.) Although "The World's Best Kept Auto Secret" will prove true for some vehicles, it won't for others, it's akin to the many folkloric "tests" for determining an unborn child's sex, it has only two outcomes (the icon's nozzle-and-hose side and the side the vehicle's fuel door is on match or they don't), so this "secret" will work sometimes but not always. The nozzle-and-hose side of the fuel level (or "low fuel") indicator, which is usually presented as an icon depicting a gas pump, doesn't consistently correspond with the side of the car where the fuel door is to be found, nor does its placement on the instrument array (left side versus right side) tell whether you should bring the passenger's or driver's side up next to the pumps at your local gas station. Sadly, "The World's Best Kept Auto Secret" (as the e-mail was often titled) was a bit of misinformation or a misunderstanding: while the indicator it described was real, the "The World's Best Kept Auto Secret" message misidentified its nature. Why don't the dealers share such important information with car buyers? I have on purpose asked many car salesmen since I found this out and 'THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS - NOT ONE DID'.Īs anyone who has driven a rental car well knows, it is indeed useful to have some sort of indicator on the instrument panel that reveals which side to refuel on. If your tank is on the right, the handle will be on the right (see attached images). If your tank is on the left, the handle will be on the left. The handle of the gas pump will extend out on either the left or right side of the pump. If you look at your gas gauge, you will see a small icon of a gas pump. If you don't do this in your own car you definitely have done it in a borrowed or rental car. My solution was to uncomfortably stick my head out the window, strain my neck and look. Quick question, what side of your car is your gas tank? You probably can't remember right away especially if you drive more than one car or if you do a rental while on vacation. I didn't and I bet you probably haven't either. One would think I would have noticed the little secret on my dash that was staring me right in the face the whole time. Way back in the olden days of 2007, readers were asking us about this much-circulated bit of helpful advice concerning automobile fuel level displays: The placement of the pump handle on a dashboard gas pump icon indicates which side a vehicle's fuel door is on. ![]()
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