WWTBAM Bored

It's been a long time since I posted what would amount to good ol' drivel on the Bored, but it happened again and it bugs me...

The opening for the gas tank on my Sonic is on the passenger side of the car. This was also true of the LBN... so for 25 years, all I've known is pulling up to the gas pump with the pump on the right. Occasionally, I take note of everyone else at the station who's getting gas, and I'd say nearly 90% of the time every other vehicle there has the gas tank on the driver's side. I always look like that one idiot who doesn't know the neighborhood and parks on the wrong side of the street with my car facing the wrong direction. Is my passenger side tank that much of a unicorn now, or do I only seem to notice it when I'm the lone exception....

lb13

It's mostly about engineering and being on the opposite side of the muffler...but there are plenty of exceptions.

The general rule of thumb seems to be small cars have it on the right, while large ones have it on the left. Most likely from when the tanks originally moved from the rear of the car to the side, and once there were exhaust designs, it became a copy/paste of car design because many models need to use whatever is in the parts bin of the manufacturer.

I asked ChatGPT:

There’s no universal rule dictating whether a car’s fuel door must be on the left or right. What does matter is practicality—engineers situate it based on packaging, safety, and convenience. While most vehicles in the U.S. (about 78%) follow the driver-side placement, a sizable minority—around 22%—are on the passenger side. This diversity reflects engineering constraints, safety considerations, and platform continuity across markets, rather than regulation.

My wife’s 2018 Explorer has the gas cap on the passenger side. It’s very annoying.

Vandal wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 13, 2025 2:46 pm

I asked ChatGPT:

There’s no universal rule dictating whether a car’s fuel door must be on the left or right. What does matter is practicality—engineers situate it based on packaging, safety, and convenience. While most vehicles in the U.S. (about 78%) follow the driver-side placement, a sizable minority—around 22%—are on the passenger side. This diversity reflects engineering constraints, safety considerations, and platform continuity across markets, rather than regulation.

I'll have to start keeping track, including when I stop for a soda in the mornings when I'm not getting gas, because 22% seems awfully generous...

BackInTex wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 13, 2025 5:18 pm

My wife’s 2018 Explorer has the gas cap on the passenger side. It’s very annoying.

I'm sure most of my rentals back when I used to take trips had driver side caps, because I remember pulling up on the wrong side of the pump on occasion. I'd be just as annoyed in the opposite situation...

lb13

triviawayne wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 13, 2025 1:05 pm

Most likely from when the tanks originally moved from the rear of the car to the side...

I'm just old enough to remember this. The first car I remember us having in the early 80's (wish I knew the model, I just remember it was red) had the gas tank behind a hinged license plate in the back. The only thing that would make it even more nostalgic is if there was still leaded gas, analog pumps, and those little hoses that dinged when you drove over them...

lb13

littlebeast13 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 13, 2025 6:32 pm

I'm sure most of my rentals back when I used to take trips had driver side caps, because I remember pulling up on the wrong side of the pump on occasion. I'd be just as annoyed in the opposite situation...

in my wife’s car I will pull up to a pump with it on the driver’s side and realize “crap, wrong side” then swing around to another pump and still be on the wrong side.

Then my wife says “Hand me the keys”

Regardless, always make sure you put the hose back.

Does your gas gauge have that little arrow next to the gas pump icon to show you which side it is on?

elwoodblues wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 13, 2025 8:29 pm

Does your gas gauge have that little arrow next to the gas pump icon to show you which side it is on?

I believe all cars do now. I rent cars about twice a month and always use that to know which side has the gas cap when pulling up to fill up before returning them.

Only one person at the station when I got my soda this morning (it was 5 AM), but another driver side cap...

lb13

Vandal wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 13, 2025 2:46 pm

I asked ChatGPT:

There’s no universal rule dictating whether a car’s fuel door must be on the left or right. What does matter is practicality—engineers situate it based on packaging, safety, and convenience. While most vehicles in the U.S. (about 78%) follow the driver-side placement, a sizable minority—around 22%—are on the passenger side. This diversity reflects engineering constraints, safety considerations, and platform continuity across markets, rather than regulation.

uh...yeah...what I said

IASO* i remember this
https://www.theautopian.com/todays-tail ... aillights/
*I Am So Old

littlebeast13 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 14, 2025 4:38 am

Only one person at the station when I got my soda this morning (it was 5 AM), but another driver side cap...

lb13

My family has 4 cars — 2 Fords, a Subaru, and a Nissan. All 4 are gas on the passenger side. Every previous car was drivers side.

Appa23 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 8:55 pm

littlebeast13 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 14, 2025 4:38 am

Only one person at the station when I got my soda this morning (it was 5 AM), but another driver side cap...

lb13

My family has 4 cars — 2 Fords, a Subaru, and a Nissan. All 4 are gas on the passenger side. Every previous car was drivers side.

I always buy Fords; they've always had the filler on the driver's side. What models are yours?

My Hondas, then Integras have all been driver's side caps. They are *not* large cars.

ghostjmf wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 18, 2025 9:49 am

My Hondas, then Integras have all been driver's side caps. They are *not* large cars.

which models?