OT- Something I Learned While Watching A Barrett-Jackson Auction

melvin289 · August 21, 2011 12:53PM

I am 62 years old and never knew this. How many people, and be honest, knew there was an arrow on the gas gage in your car pointing to the side of the car on which your gas tank filler is located? Mike Joy was talking about this and said car companies had been doing this since like 1955. I looked when I got in my car and sure enough there was an arrow pointing to the drivers side of the car. My other car has the gas filler on the right side of the car. I just never knew this and had never noticed the arrow.

Ron

elmeister · August 21, 2011 1:04PM

I noticed a year or two ago... told my mom (who's in her late 50s) and it was news to her...

maybe they said something in drivers-ed class but i was probably sleeping....

AMRC · August 21, 2011 1:05PM

Not all have this. But it is kind of cool when you forget what car you are driving.

MidLifeCrisis · August 21, 2011 1:07PM

I never knew that. I'm on an out of town business trip and driving around in a rental. I'll have to check it out.

adamlaneus · August 21, 2011 1:10PM

My vehicle type (Toyota Tacoma 2000) does not have arrows. Neither does it have rays.

This means that my "non-arrows and rays" car has more silver in it than yours does.

mingot · August 21, 2011 1:11PM

I didn't buy it. Just ran down to my car and sure enough, it's there.

Pretty cool!

STONE · August 21, 2011 1:37PM

I'll be honest, I've known this since I was legally able to drive 7 years ago!
I'm surprised a lot of you never knew this!

Mission16 · August 21, 2011 1:55PM

2001 Hyundai Tiburon doesn't seem to have arrow. I'll check the 97 Ford Ranger tomorrow.

Hotfootspin · August 21, 2011 2:23PM

My 2000 Tundra and my wife's 2002 Honda do not have an arrow. But they have a
little picture "icon" of a gas pump with a hose sticking out. If you drive up so the
hose on the pump looks like the hose on the picture, you'll be on the right side.

I never knew this nor heard of it before.

Mark

Wingsrule · August 22, 2011 2:11AM

I would believe '05 for the little directional arrow. Never really paid attention to the hose location as one poster pointed out.

derryb · August 22, 2011 2:17AM

I knew it, but only because I've been driving german cars for many years.

fiveNdime · August 22, 2011 2:18AM

learn something new everyday, thats the rule

its was a good idea whoever thought of it.

very handy when you drive multiple cars and the hose doesn't reach to the other side.

no arrow, but there is pump icon is on the side of the gauge corresponding to the side the filler is on.

my Datsuns don't have any...

AUPT · August 22, 2011 2:47AM

Why is it the car makers can't standardize the placement of the gas cap -- driver's side or passenger's side -- in the first place? Do any current-manufacture autos still have the cap in back, under the flipdown license plate?

lava · August 22, 2011 2:55AM

I did not know that. Cool.

mrearlygold · August 22, 2011 3:04AM

Just looked at the Jeep and sure enough it's got it

AUandAG · August 22, 2011 3:08AM

I'm older than you and never knew that! Not very observant, 'eh?

Just checked my 2010 Subaru and sure enough it's got an arrow.

bob

blue594 · August 22, 2011 3:20AM

<< Why is it the car makers can't standardize the placement of the gas cap -- driver's side or passenger's side -- in the first place? Do any current-manufacture autos still have the cap in back, under the flipdown license plate? >>

Yes, I always knew about the arrow or some other designator on the dash.
The reason that the filler is on different sides is to make better usage of gas pumps at all stations. Picture a gas station with the entrance is on the left when you look at it from the front. Picture the set of pumps out front. If all the fillers were on the drivers side the lane closer to the road would back up with everyone trying to fill on that side. With the fillers on different sides, there is a better chance that both lanes would get used. Yes, at more modern stations you can go to either side: but older, or smaller, or one way stations it really isn't practical. The rear filler behind the plate also accomplished this. There hasn't been a rear filler in many years, 30 years maybe?

John

dragon · August 22, 2011 3:28AM

My 1973 Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance don't have no silly arrow, all I know is I put in $75.00 regular, drive a few miles, and do it again.

blu62vette · August 22, 2011 3:49AM

I am checking the cars later for this....

zap1111 · August 22, 2011 4:10AM

It's very similar to the triangular shaped push-ins on the ends of the aluminum foil boxes that will hold the roll in the box and keep it from falling out. I've heard they've been there for a long time - I just found out about them last year.
zap

19Lyds · August 22, 2011 5:09AM

I've seen this before but must have quickly forgotten it as I could not recall seeing it on my Lancer or any of the cars I've owned in recent years.

I went out and checked and sure enough, there's an arrow but its not really an arrow. More of a triangle on the left side of the gas pump symbol.

CoinCrazyPA · August 22, 2011 5:10AM

I first noticed when we purchased a 2000 Dodge Dakota. Like the other poster was saying it is helpful in a multi car family with a few kids.

19Lyds · August 22, 2011 5:13AM

My wife's 1980 Datsun 280ZX odes not have any kind of indicator that I can see.

"My 2000 Tundra and my wife's 2002 Honda do not have an arrow. But they have a
little picture "icon" of a gas pump with a hose sticking out. If you drive up so the
hose on the pump looks like the hose on the picture, you'll be on the right side."

My wife's car does have this but unless someone told you specifically "why" the pump was pictured this way, the average Joe would simply never figure it out.

Call me Joe!

barbershopper · August 22, 2011 5:19AM

This is a new one on me!
I've read many car owner manuals and never seen it mentioned.
I must've just missed it I guess.

JT

pennyannie · August 22, 2011 9:09AM

I noticed the arrow 3 years ago when i changed out the background color on my Ford Powerstroke, i was curious why it was there. So being bored i just went and looked at the rest of the fleet

1. 2006 Powerstroke <
2. 2006 Mone Carlo - no arrow
3. 1998 2500 chevy- no arrow
4. 1987 Buick Grand Natinal- no arrow but tank is behind the liscene plate
5. 1980 Corvette- no arrow but tank is in the middle on top
6. 1991 Lincoln Limo- No arrow but they did place a note in the woodgrain dash lower that said "Fuel filler on drivers side" A simple arrow would have been just fine.
7. GMC topkick dump truck- no arrow
8. Kawasaki Teryx- no arrow

Must be more of a Ford deal as Chevy drivers are more adept as to what side to add fuel.

On a side note for years my wife drove a late model Corvette with what i considered a huge digital fuel guage in the middle of the dash. More than once she ran it out.

onejinx · August 22, 2011 9:15AM

I've known this for well over 20 years. but i have worked on alot of cars.

roadrunner · August 22, 2011 9:37AM

I sure didn't know this when driving my late 1960's roadrunners and GTX's. The gas filler on those is located right behind the license plate.

roadrunner

Constantine · August 22, 2011 9:52AM

I "discovered" this 5 years ago BUT after driving my car for 5 years and rolling down the window to stick my neck out to see what side the tank was on when pulling up to a gas station!!!

Shamika · August 22, 2011 12:31PM

I just learned about this last year. And as a frequent business traveler who rents cars, this would have been useful info over the past 10 years.

leothelyon · August 22, 2011 1:37PM

Hey, that's nothing! The other day, I just figured out that I can put peanut butter on banana bread!
Who would of figured that one out?

Leo

atarian · August 22, 2011 1:39PM

My 1984 Monte Carlo SS doesnt have an arrow pointing to either side.

renman95 · August 22, 2011 2:19PM

I've known since 2002.

Did you know that the continent that your vehiicle was assembled determines where the battery is located?

melvin289 · August 22, 2011 2:39PM

<< I've known since 2002.

Did you know that the continent that your vehiicle was assembled determines where the battery is located? >>

I've got to ask - Why?

Ron

braddick · August 22, 2011 3:11PM

Our cars show the little gas pump icon on the dash and the side the handle is on is the side the tank cap is located.

mrpotatoheadd · August 22, 2011 3:14PM

<< 

<< I've known since 2002.

Did you know that the continent that your vehiicle was assembled determines where the battery is located? >>

I've got to ask - Why?

Ron >>

If the vehicle is assembled in North America, that's where the battery is located, too. Wouldn't work any other way.

melvin289 · August 22, 2011 4:25PM

I saw where someone had posted that the hose on the gas pump was on the side the gas filler was on. Both the gas pump designating the gas gage and the little pump that lights up when I am low on gas have the hose on the opposite side from where my filler is located. This is on a Jeep Cherokee. I haven't looked at my Mercury Cougar to see if it has the arrow or triangle on the gas gage. I hadn't driven it in a few months and the battery has run down in it. I jumped it off the other morning and drove it about 10 miles but it would not start later that day. Guess I need a new battery.

If anyone cares the Jeep is a '98 and the Cougar is a '97.

Ron

fiveNdime · August 23, 2011 3:23AM

<< that's nothing! The other day, I just figured out that I can put peanut butter on banana bread! >>

if you take a couple of chocolate squares, soften them by the toaster, you can place them between the bread and peanut butter

OT- Something I Learned While Watching A Barrett-Jackson Auction

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