- NEW!
by Brew Guy wishes he was icefishing... on March 2nd, 2007
Where is the Toyota Previa oil pressure switch located?
by Answerbag Staff on May 21st, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Are"check engine"light codes related to internal transmission problems?
by Answerbag Staff on May 20th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
where can I locate the connectors for airbag light 2006 camry ? what color.
by user11name on February 20th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
What year is an M-reg car?
by Answerbag Staff on October 11th, 2009
| 1 person likes this
what to do if you leave a car window open in the rain
by mattmatttom on September 8th, 2011
| 2 people like this
You're reading Why do you have to turn your car off to get gas?
Your favorite Q&A site is on Facebook! Become a fan to connect with the ever-growing community of Answerbaggers, share your thoughts and find out what Answerbag's up to next!
Comments
You couldn't be more wrong. Gas fumes can be seen easily coming from the tank while fueling.
by Darryl61 on March 2nd, 2007
Hell ya. If you can't smell that high octane floating around the pumps, especially in summer, you need to see an ears-nose-throat Doc.
Also...tell that to the guy that killed his kids two summers ago at a marina near me and had his kids in the cabin of the boat he was fueling as it was running. The cabin blew apart.
by scubabob on March 2nd, 2007
I realize this, but if it was a problem, then do the fumes just dissappear when you turn on your car when you are done?
by Brew Guy wishes he was icefishing... on March 2nd, 2007
Boats are COMPLETELY different. You need to turn a blower on in a boat before you start it.
by Brew Guy wishes he was icefishing... on March 2nd, 2007
He had his blower on. Apparently the idiot thought that it was sufficient. It's not, fumes can still escape the fuel filler spout and drop into the cabin. No different than fumes seeping around your car at the pumps. The fumes are still there, even after you've closed your fill cap. They aren't gone until a wind moves them away. If the flashpoint exists and a spark is present, you'll have ignition.
by scubabob on March 2nd, 2007
Apparently he didn't have good enough ventilation in his cabin and more than likely there were other problems (not to mention what were the kids thinking sitting in the cabin with the smell of gas??!) Otherwise, every boat would blow up after refeuling, there would be fumes in the cabin when you turn it on!
by Brew Guy wishes he was icefishing... on March 2nd, 2007
The right circumstances presented themselves. There were gas fumes in the correct ratio to air to create a flashpoint. All that was needed was a spark. It could have initiated anywhere, not even the boat. You're missing the point, in that fumes exist. If the correct vapor/air mix is present and you have an ignition source, you WILL get combustion. It's that simple. Tell you what. Grab your gas can, take it into your garage, take off the cap and play with a lighter for awhile near it. IF you come back and can still login ( your house is still there), we'll discuss it further.
by scubabob on March 2nd, 2007
You have illustrated my point exactly. The circumstances can happen even if the car is off. Hence, I'll take my chances with the car on.
PS. I have lit a can of gas on fire and it was really neat.
by Brew Guy wishes he was icefishing... on March 2nd, 2007
No, if anything we've proved that having a source of ignition is dangerous. Thank you for illustrating OUR point.
by scubabob on March 2nd, 2007
Well, I know that I'm not going to take the "extra chance" of leaving my car on while pumping gas. I want to live! I have a son! I don't want to risk the chance of making my life any shorter!
by Pensacoladiva on March 3rd, 2007
Ok, last comment:
Brew guy, how can you comment about the children sitting in the cabin with the smell of gas? They were CHILDREN! Who knows how old they were, or if perhaps there was someone cooking inside (which would create other smells), or anything else! It's not kids responsibility to realize that being in a cabin while their father is pumping gas with the boat on is unsafe-IT'S THE PARENTS! I hope that if you have children, you are more partial to them than you seem on here!
by Pensacoladiva on March 3rd, 2007
If your car can explode by pumping gas into it while it is running then it can also explode just by having gas in it. It's a closed system. The opening is at the point of entrance, where the nozzle goes. What causes ignitions the vast majority of the time is a static discharge in the presence of the fumes coming out of the opening, and that is usually made from people getting into their car while it fuels and not touching something that will discharge the static build up in their body. Other ignitions are caused by open flames and things of that nature. It doesn't happen from having the engine running.
by Scott_C9146 on November 8th, 2010
Scot..tell me how your engine works because most that I know of rely on a spark ignition and their radios work using a 12 V Dc current as do the lighting system. Yours must be special.
The entire idea behind not having your car running is to reduce the risk of an errant spark from igniting vapor that has reached flash point.
Put a gun to your head with one bullet in it. Now are you willing to pull the trigger and chance it?
by scubabob on November 14th, 2010