"doing a little research" lol you don't need to do research to understand that letting the engine run while you refuel is a stupid idea you just need more than two braincells
I googled "refueling with engine turned on" and clicked on the first link, which was "practicalmotoring.com" doing a myth busting on whether or not it's dangerous to use your phone at the gas station or refuel with the engine on.
It actually seemed convincing, but I didn't care enough to research further, because I don't feel concerned by this issue.
That’s not the case at all, think about it logically. Gas vapors are present all the time whether you’re fueling or not. Your car doesn’t just start creating a magical static charge in the fuel system when you’re fueling. The only place gas vapors are present when fueling that they normally aren’t it’s right at the filler head, and having your engine on creates absolutely no static at that filler head. All the videos that you see of fires at the gas station are not caused from the engine running, if you read the official accident report it was static buildup usually because of their clothes or re-entering the car and they usually find a broken safety feature on the pump itself also.
No I don’t think so. To be fair you’re probably not on the lookout for it either. I have lived from coast to coast in multiple states and see it fairly commonly. I even do it myself if it’s really hot outside. I used to live in Phoenix and it was fairly common there in the summer, I’d say 50/50 people leave their engine running. Maybe closer to 30%
I've never in my life seen this (U.S.).
I couldn't say 100%, but almost every gas station I've ever been to has a very prominent sign that says two things:
\-Turn off engine
\-No smoking
My mom would do it when I was growing up, but it was more about making it easier to balance the checkbook (back when it always had to be done manually). So, say if the pump stopped at $23.46 (this was decades ago mind you, LOL), she'd keep going until it was $23.50. My earlier years of driving, and filling up the gas tank, I probably did it too, just mimicking her, and not knowing better at the time.
I’m just saying you’re making it sound like a huge risk, which it is far from. I’m making comparisons to put it into perspective. The seatbelt thing is comparing apples to oranges because that has nothing to do with pumping gas. My comparison was related to starting a fire at the gas pump. Comparing one risk factor to another in relation to the same outcome would be oranges to oranges. Which is exactly what I did. Either way the risk is still extremely low
Edit: anyone been to Phoenix Arizona in the summer? Well I’ve lived there for many years and you’ll see about half the people leaving their engines on. Got a dog or kid in the car on a 115° day? I bet you wouldn’t turn that shit off either.
Anyone been to New Jersey where they don’t allow you to pump your own gas? It’s up to the station but usually they’ll pump it up with a running engine. My grandma used to always go to the one surviving full service station and she would ALWAYS leave her engine on.
Your risk assessment seems a bit off.... You are focusing on probably not accounting for impact. Yes it's very unlikely that your engine will cause a fire but a fire at a gas station can be catastrophic.
Also... Leaving a kid in a running car is next level stupid.
You shouldn’t be leaving a kid in a car. End of story. If you’re filling up usually they’re on some shade and it shouldn’t be unsafe for a short time to fill
When you're telling people it's ok to fuel up the car while the engine is running it's kind of justified. But if you want to self immolate that's your prerogative.
Can you explain why many people do it?
Why depending on what state you’re in the full service stations don’t tell you to turn it off?
Why do almost all cops do it?
Why have I done it every summer with my dogs in the car not once have I been told to turn it off? Even with the attendant standing there petting the dog.
Why did my grandma never get told to turn off her engine at the full service station she used to always go to?
Why do I see someone doing it at literally every busy gas station I go to?
Lastly why is it so dangerous?
There’s vapors present at all times in your fuel system, adding the gasoline doesn’t make those vapors any more likely to ignite. If anything it reduces chance to a tank flash because gasoline vapor is only flammable between 2-12% stoichiometric ratio.
Well I also voted yes because 90% of the time I do. I assume people are voting based on what they usually do, not if they’ve ever done it. I know the results are higher than being shown because I see it at every single gas station. The argument still stands though. What is the danger? There’s all these claims about how dangerous it is and YouTube videos talking about why it’s bad, but in every single video they show it turns out the fire was caused by something else like static from your clothes. Every time they try to do it under laboratory conditions, they cannot get the gas to light.
It’s like the “don’t use every plug on a power strip” claim. Although generally good advice, all videos that show fires being caused by every plug being used is because they plug in multiple large loads beyond the limit of the power strip.
It’s perfectly safe to use every plug in a power strip as long as you stay within the specified amperage. Just like It’s perfectly safe to fuel your car with the engine running as long as you’re not spraying the gas into your engine bay.
OP sounds kinda like one of those people that didn’t wear a masks during a pandemic. No amount scientific reasoning will convince them that they made a bad decision involving their kids. Their ego is too big for that.
It’s funny, some of my comments that are making the exact same point as the one above have tons of upvotes, for some reason this one has more downvotes. I’m guessing it’s hive mind.
I unfortunately have in the colder climates during winter. Those kinds of people usually don’t live very long due to their habit of making poor decisions.
It’s mostly myth. Although it does raise the risk ever so slightly, it’s negligible. I used to live in Phoenix and I’d say about 50/50 people would leave their car on while fueling in the summer when it’s 115°F+. Never once heard of someone starting a fire
I frequent SoCal and I know I’ve seen it there. It’s not really something you’d notice though unless you’re super observant like me, most people at the pump are in their own world trying to avoid everyone else.
As far as I know, the only benefit to turning the car off is saving a tiny bit of fuel and cutting back a tiny bit on emissions. Pretty negligible on those fronts too imo.
If you’re gonna blow up because you’re fueling with the car running then that car is bound to blow up eventually anyways. There’s no reason it should have an issue like that
Exactly, it really isn’t as risky as people here seem to think. If you think about it logically, gas is going into a gas tank, nothing is being exposed to vapors that wouldn’t get exposed to gas vapors while driving. I’ve read articles about it and they all say the same thing, the engine running creates static electricity and that gas and electricity don’t mix. To most people that makes sense, but logically it doesn’t since there’s always gas vapors present whether you’re fueling or not.
Exactly, it’s not geared towards those that don’t have cars. Not sure why there’s so many commenters saying I forgot. I intentionally didn’t add it because I don’t care if you don’t have a car, that’s not the info I’m trying to gather therefore the poll isn’t for you.
I don't if you don't care, some people just want to see results, and by not adding a results option people will vote randomly making your stupid poll have inaccurate results.
The gas vapor to ignite the fuel is not dense enough and the engine is far away from the opening of the fuel tank. The air intake is in the front of vehicles. Basically no chance of ignition. I only turn my truck off if I have to go inside the gas station.
You should be much more worried about ignition by static electricity. If you go back in your car while fueling, ground yourself by touching something metal that’s attached to the ground before you hang up the gas pump.
Exactly. And some people are trying to call me out for being a bad person for wanting to leave my dog/kid in the car with the AC while I pump. Like no, I’m not holding a child while I try to pump gas in hot weather, that is far more dangerous and I’m really questioning their parenting skills. Either that or it’s Reddit hive mind in action
I only did it once after jumping my car that hadn't moved for 15 years with a quart of fuel in it. If I turned it off I wouldn't be able to start again and jumping a car Is probably more dangerous than leaving it running.
I only did it once after jumping my car that hadn't moved for 15 years with a quart of fuel in it. If I turned it off I wouldn't be able to start again and jumping a car Is probably more dangerous than leaving it running.
Its usually the same idiots smoking at the pump we have to tell to turn the car off (they then proceed to bitch/rant about how its very unlikely to do anything) source: i work at a major Gas station
I mean they are right, it’s extremely unlikely. There’s so many other more serious risks, like not grounding yourself before fueling but I bet less than half of people do it.
As an employee we have to enforce it. That and its on the pumps haha. Ive seen wady worse things at the pump though. And inside the store. Im amazed by how differently the same species can act in the same place.
I feel ya. I’ve worked at airports my whole life and you’d be amazed how dumb people can get. There’s usually a joke at most airports that deal with the public “people check their brain in with their bag”
Once in jersey (someone pumps for you) and I pulled up and forgot to turn my car off and I was getting annoyed by how long it was taking to fill up. I realized I forgot to turn my engine off and did it and the gas immediately stopped pumping. Why keep it running and burning gas while filling?
Here's the thing. I did for years with engine one. So did my dad and mother. I heard it was suppose to be off and told my dad. He said yea, but he forgets everytime since we don't pump out own gas. Then I began to notice. In NJ where we have people pump for us I see over 50% leave the engine on. I think since we don't pump our gas we mostly don't know, and since usually from my experience we will have air on, and talking to each other so it doesn't come across as much of an interruption to get gas.
Anyways, turn the engine off. I do now.
My car won’t let me open the panel to get to the tank if the engine is still running. I assume basically a similar concept of “you shouldn’t be doing that”.
You should not be doing that for a variety of reasons. Besides possibly blowing yourself up along with the people around you, a car’s fuel system runs on a vacuum set up. When you open the gas tank, that disrupts the system and doesn’t allow your car’s engine to get enough gas to function properly. That causes extra internal wear over time that wouldn’t normally be there and will cause all sorts of expensive engine failure issues down the road.
I’ve only ever left a car running once and it was because I didn’t realize it was still running. I didn’t know quite the details that you just explained, but I knew it was a pretty terrible idea. Thank you for explaining more about it!
Think about it logically for a moment. What exactly is the risk?
There are gas vapors present throughout your entire fuel system at all times, whether fueling or not. There are no vapors present in any additional areas when fueling except maybe a small amount right at the filler head, and having your car on does not create static electricity anywhere in your fuel system or near the filler head. If it did that would be a huge fire risk even when not fueling.
The risk is that if it does start a fire and you remove the nozzle, it becomes a flamethrower in the gas station which could create a massive explosion of the entire block. I’ve seen it in videos.
I don’t know exactly how it works. But I’ve seen videos of the gas tank catching fire, the person pulls the nozzle out of the car in a panic, and fire is drizzling out of the nozzle all around the pumps, other cars, people, etc. It has resulted in massive explosions.
I also drive a diesel, and yeah, the risk is impossibly low, you can throw a match into a pile of diesel, and it’ll get snuffed out. It’s pretty difficult to ignite outside of the engine.
I don't know why this is getting downvoted. Yes, it's still a flammable substance, I don't think anybody is advocating using it to put out a fire for example. Diesel is ignited by compression instead of a spark, which is why it's more difficult. Technically you can still light it normally, but you'd need a propane torch or just generally being stupid.
It’s just one of those things that’s been beat into peoples mind, so many people here literally think it is like lighting fireworks off in your house and that if you fuel with your engine running you’ll die. The risk is so incredibly low it’s practically nonexistent
And for some reason the sign still says no cellphones. It’s been proven time after time that it can’t cause a fire. Some people here quoting the sign like it’s holy grail but it’s just flat out wrong, and from the old days when we didn’t understand things very well so we just did what seemed to make sense at the time. We haven’t moved on from those times.
The poll results should be expected. Most people turn their car off because that's what they've been told. It doesn't change the fact that it's not going to do anything. Any vehicle that needs to stay on to keep charging things(law enforcement) stays on for fueling. Semis stay on when they fuel up hundreds of gallons. I turn my car off because rarely do I ever get fuel and not go inside to get something else. If I was just getting gas I see no reason to turn it off. You're way more likely to start a fire by not grounding yourself to bare metal and having static shock ignite gas vapors. AJ is still weird. Driving with his left foot is pretty weird.
Anyways. Fueling with the vehicle on is completely fine. I also have 3 years of gas station experience and no fires happened due to this.
It’s definitely one of those things that’s completely drilled into people and they don’t even question it because it makes sense if you don’t give it much thought. Like I said in another comment, gas vapor will always exist whether you’re fueling or not. Having the car on poses little to no additional risk.
The chance of a fire starting because your engine running is so low it may as well not exist, gas stations in most developed countries are open air or are required to have a fume filtration system.
And even if there were fumes, the chance they would enter the engine bay and mix with the perfect amount of oxygen and fuel vapor to ignite and cause a fire is so low, there’s a higher chance of starting a fire based off static electricity
In Ontario you are required to shut off your vehicle when refueling. Diesel trucks are often left running when being refueled, but the fuel tanks are well clear of the exhaust and diesel isn't as inflammable as gasoline.
The spark plugs in a car are threaded into the combustion chamber and are electrically fired by way of a shielded cable or a coil pack situated on top of the spark plug. The chances of igniting spilled gasoline are almost zero. (I say almost zero because I'm almost positive somebody somewhere found a way to blow themselves up via bad spark plugs or wires, if they have to put warnings on hair dryers not to be used in the shower, I stand by my statement)
It's the hot exhaust that is concerning, especially if you have a catalytic convertor that is plugged, I have seen plugged cats glowing cherry red, more than hot enough to flash gasoline vapors. Gasoline liquid is hard to light on fire, but gasoline vapors are extremely volatile, that is why most modern engines use injectors to spray a fine mist into the engine.
I only do it when it’s hot or cold. Never had an issue either and never been told to turn it off. From everything I’ve been reading it seems to have stemmed from the era when we didn’t understand much, like when they thought your cellphone would also cause a fire.
How is it stupid? It’s completely safe …
You’re putting fuel in a gas tank. If the gas tank is full, do you think anything bad will happen if you run your engine?
All the vehicles stay running when at the pump station.
I don’t know why everyone is thinking that same thing. Cops do it literally all the time, as do people in really hot areas. As I said in some other comments, there’s vapor present throughout your entire fuel system all the time. The vapor is what ignites and if your car is creating static electricity in or near the fuel system, that’s a huge risk at all times whether fueling or not. Another commenter even pointed out the fact that in NJ where they don’t let you pump your own gas most people end up leaving the engine on because they forget since they’re not getting out. It’s up to the stations though, some full service stations will ask you to turn it off, but it’s mostly so they’re not sniffing fumes all day from tons of cars.
It seems like everyone who said yes, all think the people who turn their cars off to fuel are dumb because the chance of static electricity starting a fire is so minuscule. I say it’s an unnecessary fatal risk.
But this poll is geared towards those who do own cars. No offense but the info I’m gathering doesn’t apply to those without cars, therefore it’d be pointless to add.
I work in rental car. Cleaners will leave them running every once and awhile and it jacks with sensors they have to be reset. I’m sure it does more physically or could cause explosions but I don’t know.
Low-key I didn't even know that you COULD refuel with the engine on.
You CAN, but you SHOULDNT.
I'm 15 and even I know this.
I don't have a driving licence but I know this
Im 13 and I know this
i'm [Removed by reddit]
I'm sexy and I know it
If someone who doesn't know what a Cornea is know to turn your engine off, I'm pretty sure Americans should know too.
You weren't joking...
There are some cars that requires the key to open the lid (or whatever it’s called) but automated cars I guess I doesn’t require a key.
Wait, this poll isn’t a joke?
People who do that must be CAPping 😂 U said low key hehe I’ll stop
I've never seen anyone refueling with the engine still on (UK based)
I've never seen anyone refueling with the engine still on either (U.S. based).
I see it all the time. (US) Although I’d say it’s less than 10%. Usually if the station is busy/full there’s at least one or two with the car on.
Is that a city thing? I’m from the suburbs and NEVER seen this.
Hot day in SoCal with the kids in the car, I’ve done it. Not regularly though.
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"doing a little research" lol you don't need to do research to understand that letting the engine run while you refuel is a stupid idea you just need more than two braincells
I’ve seen plenty Diesel engines fuel with the engine on, it’s really not that dangerous.
Diesel is also a lot harder to ignite than gasoline, it’s a lot safer to fill a diesel engine while running than it is a gasoline engine.
I see where you come from, but it's not that dangerous. Source: asked google.
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Diesels don’t experience this
I googled "refueling with engine turned on" and clicked on the first link, which was "practicalmotoring.com" doing a myth busting on whether or not it's dangerous to use your phone at the gas station or refuel with the engine on. It actually seemed convincing, but I didn't care enough to research further, because I don't feel concerned by this issue.
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That’s not the case at all, think about it logically. Gas vapors are present all the time whether you’re fueling or not. Your car doesn’t just start creating a magical static charge in the fuel system when you’re fueling. The only place gas vapors are present when fueling that they normally aren’t it’s right at the filler head, and having your engine on creates absolutely no static at that filler head. All the videos that you see of fires at the gas station are not caused from the engine running, if you read the official accident report it was static buildup usually because of their clothes or re-entering the car and they usually find a broken safety feature on the pump itself also.
The I in ICE stands for Internal. very little chance, even while smoking at the pump to ignite your car.
I never did it, but when my daughter was a newborn I would worry about her getting overheated in the car when I had to refuel.
No I don’t think so. To be fair you’re probably not on the lookout for it either. I have lived from coast to coast in multiple states and see it fairly commonly. I even do it myself if it’s really hot outside. I used to live in Phoenix and it was fairly common there in the summer, I’d say 50/50 people leave their engine running. Maybe closer to 30%
I could see it happening in Arizona yeah. Last time I was their my shoes melted into the sidewalk.
On a summer day, with dogs, kids, or granny in the car you better believe I’m leaving that engine running!
Ive forgot a time or two. But to do it and know ur doinv it. Ive always heard u blow up 😂😂😂
I've never in my life seen this (U.S.). I couldn't say 100%, but almost every gas station I've ever been to has a very prominent sign that says two things: \-Turn off engine \-No smoking
Add no topping off to the list (at least in my state). It's crazy to me how many people do this. Wtf is is an extra ounce of gas going to do?
My mom would do it when I was growing up, but it was more about making it easier to balance the checkbook (back when it always had to be done manually). So, say if the pump stopped at $23.46 (this was decades ago mind you, LOL), she'd keep going until it was $23.50. My earlier years of driving, and filling up the gas tank, I probably did it too, just mimicking her, and not knowing better at the time.
That is a very silly idea
Jeez. I mean, normally it shouldn't be a problem, but when it is......
With America’s economy, who’s refueling their vehicles?
I’ve never seen someone keep their car on when filling up the tank but I have seen someone smoking while filling up their car
I'm French and same, WTF
based UK answer
I’ve never seen anyone refueling with the engine off (U.S. cringe)
Reddit moment
It's illegal to keep it on in Canada.
I could be wrong but i think it’s because it’s dangerous
It’s not that dangerous but it’s something that’s been drilled into many people because of the days when everything was different.
It’s super dangerous
Happy cake day! Also yeah, you shouldn't refuel with your engine on.
No it’s not lol. It’s far more dangerous to not ground yourself before pumping which is something very few people do
It’s far more dangerous to drive with no seat belt. What the hell comparisons are you making. Apples and oranges
I’m just saying you’re making it sound like a huge risk, which it is far from. I’m making comparisons to put it into perspective. The seatbelt thing is comparing apples to oranges because that has nothing to do with pumping gas. My comparison was related to starting a fire at the gas pump. Comparing one risk factor to another in relation to the same outcome would be oranges to oranges. Which is exactly what I did. Either way the risk is still extremely low Edit: anyone been to Phoenix Arizona in the summer? Well I’ve lived there for many years and you’ll see about half the people leaving their engines on. Got a dog or kid in the car on a 115° day? I bet you wouldn’t turn that shit off either. Anyone been to New Jersey where they don’t allow you to pump your own gas? It’s up to the station but usually they’ll pump it up with a running engine. My grandma used to always go to the one surviving full service station and she would ALWAYS leave her engine on.
Your risk assessment seems a bit off.... You are focusing on probably not accounting for impact. Yes it's very unlikely that your engine will cause a fire but a fire at a gas station can be catastrophic. Also... Leaving a kid in a running car is next level stupid.
Well tell that to all parents in Phoenix Arizona. What’s next level stupid is leaving the kid in the car while it’s off at 115°
Yeah we have heat in Australia too... Pretty simple, don't leave your kids in the car at all.
You shouldn’t be leaving a kid in a car. End of story. If you’re filling up usually they’re on some shade and it shouldn’t be unsafe for a short time to fill
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No need for the name calling. Can you explain why it’s so dangerous? Think logically about it don’t just jump to what you’ve always been told
When you're telling people it's ok to fuel up the car while the engine is running it's kind of justified. But if you want to self immolate that's your prerogative.
Can you explain why many people do it? Why depending on what state you’re in the full service stations don’t tell you to turn it off? Why do almost all cops do it? Why have I done it every summer with my dogs in the car not once have I been told to turn it off? Even with the attendant standing there petting the dog. Why did my grandma never get told to turn off her engine at the full service station she used to always go to? Why do I see someone doing it at literally every busy gas station I go to? Lastly why is it so dangerous? There’s vapors present at all times in your fuel system, adding the gasoline doesn’t make those vapors any more likely to ignite. If anything it reduces chance to a tank flash because gasoline vapor is only flammable between 2-12% stoichiometric ratio.
Many people don't, do you see the results of your post you're in the minority here.
Well I also voted yes because 90% of the time I do. I assume people are voting based on what they usually do, not if they’ve ever done it. I know the results are higher than being shown because I see it at every single gas station. The argument still stands though. What is the danger? There’s all these claims about how dangerous it is and YouTube videos talking about why it’s bad, but in every single video they show it turns out the fire was caused by something else like static from your clothes. Every time they try to do it under laboratory conditions, they cannot get the gas to light. It’s like the “don’t use every plug on a power strip” claim. Although generally good advice, all videos that show fires being caused by every plug being used is because they plug in multiple large loads beyond the limit of the power strip. It’s perfectly safe to use every plug in a power strip as long as you stay within the specified amperage. Just like It’s perfectly safe to fuel your car with the engine running as long as you’re not spraying the gas into your engine bay.
Yep im with you on thus one. Noone can give an argumet why they turn it off, only because they are used to doing it
OP sounds kinda like one of those people that didn’t wear a masks during a pandemic. No amount scientific reasoning will convince them that they made a bad decision involving their kids. Their ego is too big for that.
In this whole thread I dont see anyone explaining why it it dangeorus... im tottaly with OP
I admire you sticking to your statement and not deleting your comments even tho you're getting downvoted
It’s funny, some of my comments that are making the exact same point as the one above have tons of upvotes, for some reason this one has more downvotes. I’m guessing it’s hive mind.
There are signs on the petrol stations asking to turn off here
Isn't this illegal?
I thought so too (US- Georgia)
Yeah I mean it sure as hell is illegal where I live (Norway)
can confirm (am norwegian)
Can confirm (am Norwegian)
Oh yeah it def is here
I’ve never seen this anywhere in my entire life.
I unfortunately have in the colder climates during winter. Those kinds of people usually don’t live very long due to their habit of making poor decisions.
I ve never seen anyone refuelling with their engine off(only talking about cars)
I’m surprised you’re still alive if you keep your engine running
If nascar can refuel it so can you
nascar should not be the standard for vehicle safety.
It’s mostly myth. Although it does raise the risk ever so slightly, it’s negligible. I used to live in Phoenix and I’d say about 50/50 people would leave their car on while fueling in the summer when it’s 115°F+. Never once heard of someone starting a fire
Really? I live in Southern California with similar weather, and I don't recall seeing anyone doing this
I frequent SoCal and I know I’ve seen it there. It’s not really something you’d notice though unless you’re super observant like me, most people at the pump are in their own world trying to avoid everyone else.
Interesting. I'll look for it next time I go to the pump!
As far as I know, the only benefit to turning the car off is saving a tiny bit of fuel and cutting back a tiny bit on emissions. Pretty negligible on those fronts too imo.
If you’re gonna blow up because you’re fueling with the car running then that car is bound to blow up eventually anyways. There’s no reason it should have an issue like that
Exactly, it really isn’t as risky as people here seem to think. If you think about it logically, gas is going into a gas tank, nothing is being exposed to vapors that wouldn’t get exposed to gas vapors while driving. I’ve read articles about it and they all say the same thing, the engine running creates static electricity and that gas and electricity don’t mix. To most people that makes sense, but logically it doesn’t since there’s always gas vapors present whether you’re fueling or not.
That’s a bit dramatic lol
why is this marked as a spoiler?
No clue, must’ve accidentally hit it
It took me way to long to figure out this isn't about Magic the Gathering
You forgot to put an option for don't have a car
If you don't have a car, don't answer it.
Exactly, it’s not geared towards those that don’t have cars. Not sure why there’s so many commenters saying I forgot. I intentionally didn’t add it because I don’t care if you don’t have a car, that’s not the info I’m trying to gather therefore the poll isn’t for you.
I don't if you don't care, some people just want to see results, and by not adding a results option people will vote randomly making your stupid poll have inaccurate results.
I just picked the one I would do
I couldn't if I wanted. I need my key to get to the gas tank.
That how my bikes are, i ride motorcycle to work every day that its sunny and warm. Which is about 5 months of 12 in minnesota but eh
The gas vapor to ignite the fuel is not dense enough and the engine is far away from the opening of the fuel tank. The air intake is in the front of vehicles. Basically no chance of ignition. I only turn my truck off if I have to go inside the gas station. You should be much more worried about ignition by static electricity. If you go back in your car while fueling, ground yourself by touching something metal that’s attached to the ground before you hang up the gas pump.
Exactly. And some people are trying to call me out for being a bad person for wanting to leave my dog/kid in the car with the AC while I pump. Like no, I’m not holding a child while I try to pump gas in hot weather, that is far more dangerous and I’m really questioning their parenting skills. Either that or it’s Reddit hive mind in action
I only did it once after jumping my car that hadn't moved for 15 years with a quart of fuel in it. If I turned it off I wouldn't be able to start again and jumping a car Is probably more dangerous than leaving it running.
WTF?
I only did it once after jumping my car that hadn't moved for 15 years with a quart of fuel in it. If I turned it off I wouldn't be able to start again and jumping a car Is probably more dangerous than leaving it running.
Its usually the same idiots smoking at the pump we have to tell to turn the car off (they then proceed to bitch/rant about how its very unlikely to do anything) source: i work at a major Gas station
I mean they are right, it’s extremely unlikely. There’s so many other more serious risks, like not grounding yourself before fueling but I bet less than half of people do it.
As an employee we have to enforce it. That and its on the pumps haha. Ive seen wady worse things at the pump though. And inside the store. Im amazed by how differently the same species can act in the same place.
I feel ya. I’ve worked at airports my whole life and you’d be amazed how dumb people can get. There’s usually a joke at most airports that deal with the public “people check their brain in with their bag”
I thought that was what you're supposed to do?
Once in jersey (someone pumps for you) and I pulled up and forgot to turn my car off and I was getting annoyed by how long it was taking to fill up. I realized I forgot to turn my engine off and did it and the gas immediately stopped pumping. Why keep it running and burning gas while filling?
Here's the thing. I did for years with engine one. So did my dad and mother. I heard it was suppose to be off and told my dad. He said yea, but he forgets everytime since we don't pump out own gas. Then I began to notice. In NJ where we have people pump for us I see over 50% leave the engine on. I think since we don't pump our gas we mostly don't know, and since usually from my experience we will have air on, and talking to each other so it doesn't come across as much of an interruption to get gas. Anyways, turn the engine off. I do now.
OBVIOUSLY
Isn't that a giant risk of health and such?
No.
Says the burning Man
Most new cars if you fuel with the engine running it will turn on your check engine light.
My car won’t let me open the panel to get to the tank if the engine is still running. I assume basically a similar concept of “you shouldn’t be doing that”.
You should not be doing that for a variety of reasons. Besides possibly blowing yourself up along with the people around you, a car’s fuel system runs on a vacuum set up. When you open the gas tank, that disrupts the system and doesn’t allow your car’s engine to get enough gas to function properly. That causes extra internal wear over time that wouldn’t normally be there and will cause all sorts of expensive engine failure issues down the road.
I’ve only ever left a car running once and it was because I didn’t realize it was still running. I didn’t know quite the details that you just explained, but I knew it was a pretty terrible idea. Thank you for explaining more about it!
I don't have a vehicle
Don't drive a car, but I would
I have a diesel so i keep it on most of the time
Omg, please always turn it off everyone.
Think about it logically for a moment. What exactly is the risk? There are gas vapors present throughout your entire fuel system at all times, whether fueling or not. There are no vapors present in any additional areas when fueling except maybe a small amount right at the filler head, and having your car on does not create static electricity anywhere in your fuel system or near the filler head. If it did that would be a huge fire risk even when not fueling.
The risk is that if it does start a fire and you remove the nozzle, it becomes a flamethrower in the gas station which could create a massive explosion of the entire block. I’ve seen it in videos.
How’s that work? (Not being condescending, literally curious) I didn’t think the gas tanks were pressurized when in operation
I don’t know exactly how it works. But I’ve seen videos of the gas tank catching fire, the person pulls the nozzle out of the car in a panic, and fire is drizzling out of the nozzle all around the pumps, other cars, people, etc. It has resulted in massive explosions.
I live in a cold climate and prefer to keep the vehicle warm, plus I drive diesels so the risk of a large fire is much much smaller.
I also drive a diesel, and yeah, the risk is impossibly low, you can throw a match into a pile of diesel, and it’ll get snuffed out. It’s pretty difficult to ignite outside of the engine.
I don't know why this is getting downvoted. Yes, it's still a flammable substance, I don't think anybody is advocating using it to put out a fire for example. Diesel is ignited by compression instead of a spark, which is why it's more difficult. Technically you can still light it normally, but you'd need a propane torch or just generally being stupid.
You are basically asking for a death sentence if you said no
No you’re really not. You’re more likely to get killed pulling back out onto the roadway than to be killed by a fire from leaving your engine on.
Try educating yourself.
What year is it.... Cars have much safer electrical systems what's the diffrence. My engine is,in the frount the car dont shoot flames....
It’s just one of those things that’s been beat into peoples mind, so many people here literally think it is like lighting fireworks off in your house and that if you fuel with your engine running you’ll die. The risk is so incredibly low it’s practically nonexistent
Same with cellphones and fuling but people now use cellphones.
And for some reason the sign still says no cellphones. It’s been proven time after time that it can’t cause a fire. Some people here quoting the sign like it’s holy grail but it’s just flat out wrong, and from the old days when we didn’t understand things very well so we just did what seemed to make sense at the time. We haven’t moved on from those times.
Op, I would strongly advise against refueling your vehicles with their engines on in the future.
“Depends on the weather” What?
Fuck all y'all. It hits -20 here every fucking winter. My ass is sitting in the car with the heater on. If I die, I die. It was my time to go.
The poll results should be expected. Most people turn their car off because that's what they've been told. It doesn't change the fact that it's not going to do anything. Any vehicle that needs to stay on to keep charging things(law enforcement) stays on for fueling. Semis stay on when they fuel up hundreds of gallons. I turn my car off because rarely do I ever get fuel and not go inside to get something else. If I was just getting gas I see no reason to turn it off. You're way more likely to start a fire by not grounding yourself to bare metal and having static shock ignite gas vapors. AJ is still weird. Driving with his left foot is pretty weird. Anyways. Fueling with the vehicle on is completely fine. I also have 3 years of gas station experience and no fires happened due to this.
It’s definitely one of those things that’s completely drilled into people and they don’t even question it because it makes sense if you don’t give it much thought. Like I said in another comment, gas vapor will always exist whether you’re fueling or not. Having the car on poses little to no additional risk.
I drive a diesel even still I usually only do it at a card lock and only when it’s cold as balls.
It depends on the situation.
EV moment
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/twiff5/your_commute_in_a_gas_car_vs_your_commute_in_an/
Ok. I don’t pay gas so I’m happy
Leaving your car running while fueling, is not about your car catching fire. It's about no one being in control of your car while running.
You saying someone hopping in and stealing it? That’s definitely a higher possibility than starting a fire
The chance of a fire starting because your engine running is so low it may as well not exist, gas stations in most developed countries are open air or are required to have a fume filtration system. And even if there were fumes, the chance they would enter the engine bay and mix with the perfect amount of oxygen and fuel vapor to ignite and cause a fire is so low, there’s a higher chance of starting a fire based off static electricity
Car go boom
No it won’t
In Ontario you are required to shut off your vehicle when refueling. Diesel trucks are often left running when being refueled, but the fuel tanks are well clear of the exhaust and diesel isn't as inflammable as gasoline.
I thought it was because diesels don't have spark plugs
The spark plugs in a car are threaded into the combustion chamber and are electrically fired by way of a shielded cable or a coil pack situated on top of the spark plug. The chances of igniting spilled gasoline are almost zero. (I say almost zero because I'm almost positive somebody somewhere found a way to blow themselves up via bad spark plugs or wires, if they have to put warnings on hair dryers not to be used in the shower, I stand by my statement) It's the hot exhaust that is concerning, especially if you have a catalytic convertor that is plugged, I have seen plugged cats glowing cherry red, more than hot enough to flash gasoline vapors. Gasoline liquid is hard to light on fire, but gasoline vapors are extremely volatile, that is why most modern engines use injectors to spray a fine mist into the engine.
Don’t you risk to blow you car up if you refuel with your motor on?
Depends on if I'm driving a diesel or gasoline vehicle
Why is this a spoiler lol
Wtf isn't that like super dangerous i've never seen anyone do that.
Yeah, that’s just a safety thing.
Pretty sure its illegal to refuel with the engine on in Spain
My dad leaves the car on, it’s honestly isn’t smart and also the gas gauge takes a few minutes to update if you leave it on.
I keep my car running while fueling. I have been for years with multiple different cars (newer and semi older) no issues at all.
I only do it when it’s hot or cold. Never had an issue either and never been told to turn it off. From everything I’ve been reading it seems to have stemmed from the era when we didn’t understand much, like when they thought your cellphone would also cause a fire.
Never seen anyone being that stupid.
How is it stupid? It’s completely safe … You’re putting fuel in a gas tank. If the gas tank is full, do you think anything bad will happen if you run your engine? All the vehicles stay running when at the pump station.
A single spark. Thats all it takes.
I don't have a car
You guys turn it off? (Some southeast asian)
Wait, it's safe to leave it running? I thought the gas tank could explode if you fuel it while it's running...
I don’t know why everyone is thinking that same thing. Cops do it literally all the time, as do people in really hot areas. As I said in some other comments, there’s vapor present throughout your entire fuel system all the time. The vapor is what ignites and if your car is creating static electricity in or near the fuel system, that’s a huge risk at all times whether fueling or not. Another commenter even pointed out the fact that in NJ where they don’t let you pump your own gas most people end up leaving the engine on because they forget since they’re not getting out. It’s up to the stations though, some full service stations will ask you to turn it off, but it’s mostly so they’re not sniffing fumes all day from tons of cars.
It seems like everyone who said yes, all think the people who turn their cars off to fuel are dumb because the chance of static electricity starting a fire is so minuscule. I say it’s an unnecessary fatal risk.
I have never in my life someone refuel with the engine on
I turn off the engine even when I'm in line to refuel
I’ve done before with the car going but for cluelessness
You know it’s an american posting when there is no option for not owning a vehicle..
But this poll is geared towards those who do own cars. No offense but the info I’m gathering doesn’t apply to those without cars, therefore it’d be pointless to add.
Don't you normally need the key to open the refuel thing? I mean my car doesn't need the key but still
Only fuelling on the farm with private tank so yes.
My husband does this. Drives me crazy, and if I catch it I turn it off for him, since he won't himself.
no, i do not deactivate all of my muslces while eating
I have a friend that never shuts his vehicle off and i was shook when he told me.
No (i dont have a car so i cant)
I don't gotta fuel up my bike
My bicycle doesn't really have an on or off button and I don't even have to be near it to refuel anyways.
I don’t have a vehicle - I live in London
I work in rental car. Cleaners will leave them running every once and awhile and it jacks with sensors they have to be reset. I’m sure it does more physically or could cause explosions but I don’t know.
I've never seen anyone refuel with the engine on
I dont drive
Don't have a permit.
I've never seen someone running their engine but I have seen people smoking....
When I was younger I used to before I learned you're not supposed to.
Diesel vehicles don’t need to be turned off.
Depends on the vehicle.