# When filling up gas, is it important to SHUT OFF the car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** corolla\ **Created:** [September 5, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675 "2010-09-05T01:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mareakin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@mareakin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mareakin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/1 "2010-09-05T01:30:59Z")
Is it a bad idea to leave the car on while filling/fueling up? I’m trying to baby the starter! lol 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/2 "2010-09-05T01:39:55Z")
Don’t worry about the starter. It may trigger a check engine light keeping it running. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/3 "2010-09-05T03:04:15Z")
not to mention the fire hazard ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/4 "2010-09-05T03:11:54Z")
Baby a starter, and possibly blow up a gas station? Where do people come up with this stuff?? Tester ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/5 "2010-09-05T04:16:04Z")
It’s a possible fire hazard to fuel a vehicle while the engine is running. In most states, if not all, it’s illegal to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffmw05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@Jeffmw05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffmw05)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 4:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/6 "2010-09-05T04:32:04Z")
There are signs at the gas station that say to shut off the engine, for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![GSN\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@GSN\_fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GSN_fan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/7 "2010-09-05T05:23:31Z")
Yes, there is a extremely big fire hazard. Your starter will be fine. ---
**Author:** ![cappy208](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cappy208/32/31_2.png) [@cappy208](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cappy208)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 9:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/8 "2010-09-05T09:01:02Z")
lets see. the short list of things to do while filling up. 1. leave engine running. 2. talk on cellphone. 3. jam something into the nozzle handle so it will continue filling while you go back into car to answer phone. 4. smoke a cigarette (to keep the smell outside) 5. leave the lights on to keep the wires warm to make starting easier. 6. have passengers light up inside the car, to make it easier to find any leaking gas fumes. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2010, 10:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/9 "2010-09-05T10:43:45Z")
Also it is illegal in at least some states. I once lived across the street from a gas station. I had two fires that I saw. One was someone just filling it up with engine running. The other I guess does not count, they ran into the pump knocking it over and starting a fire. Yea it is a bad idea to keep the engine running. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/10 "2010-09-05T12:14:30Z")
Many people, perhaps most people, seem to see gas as an inert harmless substance; like water. Not true. The liquid form of gas is toxic and dangerous, but the unseen gas fumes are especially dangerous. And the fumes can spread for a significant distance in concentrations high enough to ignite. A running car is hot, and there are “sparks” in the engine compartment of a running motor. Some motors with bad ignition wires spark such that you can hear and see the electricity spark as it jumps to “ground”. Yes, turn your motor off when you are filling the car with gas. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/11 "2010-09-05T12:38:10Z")
1. Getting in and out of the car while filling up, causing a static charge build-up. (see Mythbusters, season 1, ep.5) ---
**Author:** ![kizwiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@kizwiki](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kizwiki)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-filling-up-gas-is-it-important-to-shut-off-the-car/54675/12 "2010-09-06T02:11:52Z")
The starter can take care of itself. You need to turn the car off in order to not violate fire codes.