# Gas Tank Fill Right or Left? **URL:** \ **Category:** Power/Fuel\ **Tags:** gas-tanks, ford, taurus, gasoline\ **Created:** [January 12, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424 "2010-01-12T23:36:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BobbyC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@BobbyC](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BobbyC)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/1 "2010-01-12T23:36:14Z")
I just looked at the 2010 Ford Taurus which I fell in love with, until I found out the gas tank fill is on the right side of the car. Whose idea was this? We drive on the right side of the road and when I pull up to a gas pump, the pump is on the left. If I am in a gas line at Sam’s everyone approaches the pumps to have the pump on the left side of the car. If I were to buy a new Taurus, do I drag the hose across my shiny new trunk, or do I get in line backwards and approach the pump by backing up in line. I wish the car manufacturers would put all the gas fills on the left side of the car to avoid all of this confustion. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/2 "2010-01-12T23:39:52Z")
Some left, some right, no big deal. Pull up so the pump’s on the same side as the filler. I have one of each. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/3 "2010-01-12T23:40:06Z")
– Remember where your filler is and pull to the correct side of the pump. ( EVERY station I visit has both sides option ) –Stretch the hose over and DON’T drag it on the trunk. ( I do it often at Costco ) –Yes, back in if it’s your turn on that side of the line. ( it absolutely astounds me how many people CAN’T back up into parking spots, driveways or gas pumps. I do it often at a conoco where the cashiers stand is next to one pump. ) – NOTICE, your Taurus is NOT the only right side fill car out there. ---
**Author:** ![BobbyC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@BobbyC](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BobbyC)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/4 "2010-01-12T23:50:05Z")
This is alright to do if there are not gas lines, but if there is a line of cars, they all approach to have the pump on the left of the car. Then there is the problem of getting the hose to the right side of the car. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/5 "2010-01-12T23:56:42Z")
No they don’t. ( ALL approach the pump on the left of the car ) Look at the Costco in Albuquerque. ( only one way in to the fueling lanes. Six lines of cars, 3 on the right side of pumps, 3 on the left. ) REACHING THE HOSE ACCROSS IS NOT A PROBLEM. My 79 Chevy pickup has two tanks, one on each side. What side of the pump do YOU want me on ??? ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/6 "2010-01-13T00:01:41Z")
I have a car with a filler on the passenger side. Its not a big deal. Just pull up to the pump on the passenger side, other drivers can deal with it. Previously I had a Volvo which was a passenger side fill, apparently Volvo saw this as a safety feature. Since the Taurus has Volvo roots perhaps that’s where the filler placement came from. While most cars fill on the driver’s side, there are quite a few that fill on the right. You will have company if you buy the Taurus. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/7 "2010-01-13T00:04:55Z")
Yup. Your Taurus is definitely not the only right-side fill car out there. As a partial sample, Subarus fill on the right, and IIRC, so do BMWs. The conventional theory on this is that, in the event of running out of gas on the road, this would allow you to stand on the side away from traffic in order to fill the tank from a jerry can, thus making you somewhat safer. Is this really the reason? I don’t know. Another thought as to why yours is on the right is that the Taurus is “derived” from a Volvo design, due to Ford’s ownership of Volvo (which is about to end). My guess is that the Volvo from which the Taurus was “derived” also has a right side gas fill. Since virtually all gas pumps nowadays serve from both sides, you just may find yourself in the shorter line on the left side of the pump, while the majority of cars are on the right side of the pump. This could be an advantage! ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/8 "2010-01-13T00:20:31Z")
I remember a couple years ago I pulled into a pump to fill my Chevelle up. I was pulling all the way up to the next pump when someone pulled in for it too. I had to back up and go to the other side to fill my tank up. When the guy asked me why I did that, I told him it’s because the filler neck is behind the license plate. The guy commented that he’d forgotten about old cars having that. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/9 "2010-01-13T00:23:33Z")
It would be very convenient for the public with no inconvenience or cost to the manufacturer for the fillers to be uniformly on one side. But no ome seems too concerned. ---
**Author:** ![twotone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@twotone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/twotone)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/10 "2010-01-13T00:52:24Z")
Many people don’t know this little secret, but there is an easy way to tell what side of the car has the fuel filler before you get out of the car. Look at your gas gauge. It has a small “gas pump” icon. The icon has a fuel filler hose on either the left or right side of the pump. That’s the side of your car that has the fuel filler. Comes in very handy when you are filling a rental car in the rain. At night. Twotone ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/11 "2010-01-13T01:06:59Z")
No one seems too concerned because many gas stations have one entrance and one exit. By mixing it up, some cars can pull up with the pump on the right, and some can pull up with the pump on the left. I think this whole thread is making a mountain out of a mole hill. When you consider how many children go to bed each night hungry, it makes issues like this seem downright frivolous. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/12 "2010-01-13T01:07:40Z")
Some cars don’t adhere to this convention. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/13 "2010-01-13T01:45:31Z")
My car also has a right side fill. They are not uncommon. I doubt if we will end up in the same line however as I use diesel. BTW have you noticed that for most cars: - The filler is on the opposite side from the exhaust. - The filler is usually on the same side as the little pump icon shows the hose. ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/14 "2010-01-13T02:51:41Z")
Pull up on the left side of the pump which is the right side of the car. I find it hard to believe that you cannot get in line for this. I have had 2 Tauruses and never been kicked out of a gas line for going the wrong way. I agree with Whitey, this is a non issue. ---
**Author:** ![Wha-Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9f8e36/32.png) [@Wha-Who](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Wha-Who)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/15 "2010-01-13T03:21:02Z")
Our motorhome had the fill on the left and the gas refrigerator with its flame on the right. In the case of such a vehicle, fill on the left is vital as there is no way you are going to reach across with the fill hose. That tells me that gas station traffic should really keep right as on the road with filler caps on the left of the vehicle. It would be good if fillers on the left were standardized but it is not vital for a car. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/16 "2010-01-13T04:52:31Z")
Right side is great. The gas pumps I used to use would put me right at the pump with no waiting during lunch hour. I saved a lot of time. ---
**Author:** ![MurrayHenson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19b73/32.png) [@MurrayHenson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MurrayHenson)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/17 "2010-01-13T05:17:30Z")
My '09 Citro?n C4, a diesel, also fills on the right (passenger) side. As others have pointed out, pumps fill on either side and I cant remember it - which side/the “wrong” side being an issue. in fact, I’d never thought about it cause both of my Toyota Camry’s and the Citro?n Xsara I had before also filled on the right/passenger side. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/18 "2010-01-13T13:46:47Z")
BMW puts the filler on the right. I’ve heard that this helps to balance the car when only the driver is in the car. Given BMW’s expertise on handling, it sounds reasonable to me. ---
**Author:** ![kb0001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7bcc69/32.png) [@kb0001](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kb0001)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/19 "2010-02-08T15:38:19Z")
Maybe they should go back to putting fuel door behind the license plate and then we can use pumps on either side 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424/20 "2010-02-08T16:53:51Z")
Didn’t that present a safety hazard in collisions? [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-fill-right-or-left/42424.md?page=2)