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Gas cap location
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Jan 4, 2018 17:05:56   #
Dannj
 
This is what being "stormed-in" can do: I was following another thread regarding gas pumping regulations and got to thinking that when I started driving I'm pretty sure most if not all gas caps were behind the rear license plate. At some point most were moved to the left rear quarter panel and now a good number are on the right (this may be the opposite in the U.K.). Anyone have an explanation for this?

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Jan 4, 2018 17:12:22   #
foodie65
 
Dannj wrote:
This is what being "stormed-in" can do: I was following another thread regarding gas pumping regulations and got to thinking that when I started driving I'm pretty sure most if not all gas caps were behind the rear license plate. At some point most were moved to the left rear quarter panel and now a good number are on the right (this may be the opposite in the U.K.). Anyone have an explanation for this?



Something else to blame on Obama!!!

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Jan 4, 2018 17:14:08   #
bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY
 
Dannj wrote:
This is what being "stormed-in" can do: I was following another thread regarding gas pumping regulations and got to thinking that when I started driving I'm pretty sure most if not all gas caps were behind the rear license plate. At some point most were moved to the left rear quarter panel and now a good number are on the right (this may be the opposite in the U.K.). Anyone have an explanation for this?


fillers behind the lisc plate got damaged in low speed crashes, at least that's the reason I was told

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Jan 4, 2018 17:22:33   #
GeneV Loc: Lampasas, Texas
 
The central rear location and the tail light location were outlawed (Safety). By whom I don't know, so we won't explore that, just accept. The gobboly-gook explanations per left vs right are just that. My own preference is on the left side for convenience and for parking at the pump. For safety when pouring fuel by the side of a road. The last time I poured fuel by the side of the road was when I was 19 and bought gas by the dollar. By the way, when was the last time you saw a pickup with the filler not on the driver's side? I suppose pickups don't run out of fuel when out on the road.

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Jan 4, 2018 17:32:56   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 
https://jalopnik.com/why-some-cars-have-gas-tank-fillers-on-the-left-or-the-1792790492
--Bob
Dannj wrote:
This is what being "stormed-in" can do: I was following another thread regarding gas pumping regulations and got to thinking that when I started driving I'm pretty sure most if not all gas caps were behind the rear license plate. At some point most were moved to the left rear quarter panel and now a good number are on the right (this may be the opposite in the U.K.). Anyone have an explanation for this?

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Jan 4, 2018 17:37:06   #
Dave327 Loc: Duluth, GA. USA
 
Driver’s side or passenger side it’s the manufactures choice now. Driver’s side is more convenient. It was not only the license plate. Back in the day when styling was all important they were trying to hide the filler. Some had the filler under the rear tail light. You pushed a small red reflector that released the tail light which hinged upward to reveal the filler. Back then most gas tanks were in the rear under the trunk, a terrible location in hard rear end crash. In the “fin” era some cars had the damn tank in the driver’s side fin. A side impact in rear was a fire bomb. In Pinto’s and early Mustangs the gas tank was part of the truck floor which was deadly in a bad rear impact. Now most gas tanks are located above the rear axle which is a whole safer with the rear area a impact / crumble zone.

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Jan 4, 2018 17:51:49   #
Leo Perez
 
The reason behind these problem was the the gas pumps started using hoses in front instead from the side pumps, so now they can reach either side of the car.

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Jan 4, 2018 18:05:20   #
dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma
 
Current regulations demand the filler be at the widest part of a car, inboard of any crumple zones, and safe from dripping onto any hot exhaust bits or electrical wiring. This generally means the filler needs to be on one or the other sides of the car, and relatively near the passenger compartment

Rear end crashes propmted it be moved from the rear.

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Jan 5, 2018 05:37:27   #
Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis
 
Dannj wrote:
This is what being "stormed-in" can do: I was following another thread regarding gas pumping regulations and got to thinking that when I started driving I'm pretty sure most if not all gas caps were behind the rear license plate. At some point most were moved to the left rear quarter panel and now a good number are on the right (this may be the opposite in the U.K.). Anyone have an explanation for this?

The short version!!!
Well before you started driving gas fillers were placed exposed on the side of the vehicle,left or right. Behind the lic. plate started in the late 1950s, some were behind the Taillight Caddy for one and I think the 1956 Chev. It really comes down to the placement of the fuel tank!!! and the interior design of the vehicle.
The model "A" fords had the gas tank in the cowl cap in front of the windshield, 37 Chev, 1 ton trucks under the passenger seat, then for years almost all pickups had the tank in the cab behind the seat.
My 1969 CJ5 was under the drivers seat.

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Jan 5, 2018 05:44:58   #
Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis
 
dirtpusher wrote:
Current regulations demand the filler be at the widest part of a car, inboard of any crumple zones, and safe from dripping onto any hot exhaust bits or electrical wiring. This generally means the filler needs to be on one or the other sides of the car, and relatively near the passenger compartment

Rear end crashes propmted it be moved from the rear.


And it all comes down to how hard the vehicle is hit as to whether the tank will rupture.
in the Pintos, Mustangs, and a few others the top of the fuel tank was the floor of the trunk, talk about a disaster waiting to happen, the way it was mounted it could not move when bumped and split at the seams. I saw this in one more than one minor accident!!!!!
And side crashes on pickup had the tank moved inside the frame rails, after shield attempts failed.

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Jan 5, 2018 07:51:56   #
Dannj
 
Manglesphoto wrote:
The short version!!!
Well before you started driving gas fillers were placed exposed on the side of the vehicle,left or right. Behind the lic. plate started in the late 1950s, some were behind the Taillight Caddy for one and I think the 1956 Chev. It really comes down to the placement of the fuel tank!!! and the interior design of the vehicle.
The model "A" fords had the gas tank in the cowl cap in front of the windshield, 37 Chev, 1 ton trucks under the passenger seat, then for years almost all pickups had the tank in the cab behind the seat.
My 1969 CJ5 was under the drivers seat.
The short version!!! br Well before you started dr... (show quote)

Thanks for the input!
Amazing that the designers of those earlier vehicles didn't give much thought...or didn't care...about driver/passenger safety! Or maybe nothing went fast enough for it to be an issue😊

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Jan 5, 2018 08:03:45   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
Dannj wrote:
This is what being "stormed-in" can do: I was following another thread regarding gas pumping regulations and got to thinking that when I started driving I'm pretty sure most if not all gas caps were behind the rear license plate. At some point most were moved to the left rear quarter panel and now a good number are on the right (this may be the opposite in the U.K.). Anyone have an explanation for this?


Generally speaking the filler cap is on the rear side of the car opposite the tailpipe. If you're driving behind a car with the tailpipe on the left, the gas filler will be on the right. Of course, with dual exhausts, they have to be a little more clever in their design.

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Jan 5, 2018 08:04:54   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
Manglesphoto wrote:
My 1969 CJ5 was under the drivers seat.


I had one of them, and it was reassuring that I would know right away if the tank started leaking.

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Jan 5, 2018 08:31:34   #
OlinBost Loc: Marietta, Ga.
 
I have a 94 Nissan pickup and the filler is on the right side.

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Jan 5, 2018 08:54:52   #
jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana
 
foodie65 wrote:
Something else to blame on Obama!!!



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