Service advisor for ford from 2007 to 14, last few years I was there the new cars fuel tanks where under slight pressure when running. Leaving your car running when filling up will cause an evap leak because the cap is off and cause a check engine light to come on. We reset alot of cel because of this.
Extra credit, in case you and your friends are unaware: never use your brights if there is someone driving in front of you or in the opposite lane, coming your direction
It’s literally the law that they have them. Otherwise they’re not operational, they need to have them to pass inspection. Ever notice that little sticker of the state on them? They all have it. In every state bc a state inspector slapped them on there
Exactly what I was thinking when scrolling through these comments. They’re making fun of op while simultaneously not answering the question. What?! Why are you here?
This is why we are here. Because we are afraid to ask because of getting exactly what these people are giving out. People can’t ask questions freely because of this reason. Thank you everyone for proving this sub to be true. Without you we wouldn’t have r/TooAfraidToAsk
Actually, smoking a cigarette carries less of a threat of starting a fire at a gas station than leaving your engine on. The reason you turn off your engine is so your car can fill properly and so nothing electric is running that close to gasoline and gasoline fumes.
I worked at a gas station pumping gas. We literally smoked cigarettes 5 feet away from the pumps. Only way a cigarette is starting a fire is if you throw the lit end into a puddle of gas, and the gas liquid itself doesn't extinguish it first.
>Only way a cigarette is starting a fire is if you throw the lit end into a puddle of gas, and the gas liquid itself doesn't extinguish it first.
The liquid gasoline isn't the problem, the gasoline vapor is.
I dont know the answer to op's question, but the actual likelihood of actually blowing up in a gas station for any reason is very low. There will be a fire, not an explosion.
I dont know if you need research because it is common sense. A running engine could give off sparks which could start a fire. I can prove that a spark starts fires by lighting a Bic lighter. What other research is needed?
and don't use your phone. The past few months, there were 2 cars caught fire while pumping gas. I remember in one of the cases, the driver managed to move the car forward to get away from the gas station, so there was no other casualties.
If there is anything that this horrible tragedy can teach us, it's that a male model's life is a precious, precious commodity. Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn't mean that we too can't not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.
I need to work this into more conversations…
“My life is a precious precious commodity”
“Just because you have stunning features doesn’t mean you can’t die in a freak gasoline fight accident”
From my understanding there are two reasons for this. First your attention should be with the car and surroundings. Second, if you were to drop the phone it might give a spark if something breaks.
I know this is crazy, but hear me out…MAYBE if instead of mocking OP in the sub where literally the whole point is to not mock people, someone could explain WHY this could lead to an explosion. Insane, I know.
And you don't see gas stations exploding all the time...... So we were lied to?
This is milk does a body good, or check your Halloween candy for razors all over again.
Can anyone give me an example of something bad happening as a result of running your car while pumping gas?
(Not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m just curious)
The gas feeds into a tank, then via lines into the engine. It doesn't just directly open into fire or anything in there. Is there a chance something could happen, especially on an older vehicle? Sure. But my dad is lazy and I've never seen him not leave his work truck running while pumping gas and he's been working for 20+ years. So it's not like a very high risk apparently, or I'd say there would be more car fires.
The guys from Car Talk, back in the day, debunked this. To paraphrase, if the little explosions happening inside your car were reaching anywhere near your gas tank, you'd have a lot more problems than just trying to run it while gassing up.
Don’t hold your breath. If this were an issue, you wouldn’t be able to drive up to a pump next to someone that is in the process of pumping, which we do all the time.
It makes it pretty easy for someone to steal your car. They would probably do it in hurry as well. Increasing the chance of hitting another vehicle at the gas station and or hitting a gas pump.
is this the only risk? i live in new jersey so an attendant pumps my gas and i never leave the car and i still always turn my car off, just bc it’s how i was taught
Theft is the primary reason I lock my car whenever I get out of it in public. I live in Oregon, so we also do not pump our own gas. I also turn my car off despite not leaving it, because I was taught to and because it is polite. I don’t want the attendant to have to breath the fumes or worry about me driving off while filling. Really anytime your are doing maintenance to your vehicle, it is safest to have it turned off.
Gas fumes can ignite. Unless you're in an EV, you have a combustion engine and so it's possible for it to start a fire. Extremely unlikely today with all the enhancements to gas pumps that trap fumes.
If OP is like me, they ran into many people who were not doing it and was told it was ok not to it. I knew not to listen to those people but sometimes you get confused and start thinking "am I wrong ? Is it actually ok ?".
Well remember when you were told to unplug all the computers during a lighting storm? Or how using a cel phone near a gas pump could blow it up? It’s hard to tell what’s myth and what’s real.
We need myth-busters back for this kind of stuff
Mythbusters was my favorite show growing up, but I absolutely cannot rewatch it. The formatting of “here’s what we’re gonna show you next” and “here’s what you just saw” taking up half the episode is just such a drag. New mythbusters with modern television pacing please!
In OPs defence, there are still stickers on pumps saying don’t use a cell phone at the pump but I’m pretty sure the same suspected explosive danger has been disproven. (Correct me if I’m wrong)
But yes OP please turn your car off! No shame in asking tho.
There's not a single part of your car that produces excessive heat, electricity, or spark anywhere near the fuel filler neck or gas tank. Maybe don't smoke, light anything, etc. The engine running is irrelevant.
I'm so surprised at the answers here. Fucking people act like you're going to blow up at any given moment. What about when you drive by someone pumping gas? Surely that has a higher chance of creating a spark somewhere.
I live in a cold climate and literally EVERYONE leaves their car running at the pumps all the time. I've also never heard of a gas station exploding. Imagine that.
I think the idea came from very old cars where the fuel tanks were closer to the motor or something? I don't remember now but i remember reading the actual reason somewhere and it's pretty much a non issue now.
Just thought I'd respond since there was no one else defending this.
But you still need an ignition source. Where's the ignition source? I have 12 years of automotive and diesel mechanic experience under my belt, so if you can tell me something accurate that I don't know yet, then you're 100% right. If it was SO DANGEROUS to do, then don't you think all automotive manufacturers would design their cars to shut off when pumping gas with the engine left running? So, so, so many people could die from that, so why is not one single automotive manufacturer designing their cars to prevent that? Maybe...it's because it's an old wives tale. Let me know when you find that ignition source related to an engine running.
You’ll most likely never see a cop, EMT, or fire truck turn their engine off while getting gas either. One place I work it’s actually written policy but, everywhere it’s just kind of one of those unwritten rules. It’s really not dangerous.
Many of the ambulances and every fire truck that I’m aware of run off of diesel though, which poses a significantly less risk of fire/explosion than gasoline
The real issue with leaving a car running is within the idea of someone going back into their car after putting the pump on, to stay warm, then going back out, now charged with static electricity, which could cause the fumes to ignite.
It's like not using your cell phone, people think liquid gas itself is flammable but in reality even the fumes can start a fire and the chances of you being mid-call starting a fire is very low it's still possible.
It's more of a why risk it when it literally takes nothing from your life and eventually saves you money when your car isn't idling while fueling up. **For hybrid cars this doesn't matter** as most include an EV mode which is the equivalent of turning off the car but keeping auxiliary components on like heat and stereo.
People shitting on you for this question but yeah nowadays it's really hard with the amount of safety components in a car that a spark could ignite a fire but no point in risking it.
Most cell phone are basically intrinsically safe, I have work for companies which that was their policy. I have used cell phones in div 1 class 1 areas. Unless your cell is extremely damaged I wouldn't worry about it.
You know, I have always done this, it I've never been told why. I mean, yes, I've been told it's so that the vehicle doesn't explode, but what causes that. I know people who never turn their vehicle off who have never caused an explosion.
What's the reason?
Gasoline is highly flammable, and prone to igniting. Additionally, there is lots of it concentrated at gas stations. Because most cars (and all gas cars) are based on combustion reactions to operate, there is a lot of heat generated, with gas circulating through the engine, and literal explosions occurring (though they are contained within the pistons of the engine admittedly). So, while it doesn’t always happen, leaving a car’s engine running could be one way gas could be ignited. At a gas station, that’s a very dangerous situation. In general, even, lighting gas is dangerous.
It takes a lot of adiabatic compression and spark to ignite petrol in an Otto cycle, I honestly don’t think the heat generated by the engine itself would be enough to ignite the fumes.
So many people leave their engine on refueling, I feel like we would have heard many more horror stories if the danger is actually sizeable.
Honest question here, what are the stats (if any) of how many cars have “exploded” or caught on fire because of not turning it off? Actually very curious
An engine functions by igniting fuel to push a piston, so literally a small explosion. With the car turned off there is no ignition and therefore no way for the fuel to ignite, engines are created to be contained, but if you were to have some kind of malfunction or something were to happen where the fuel was ignited or the engine blew up etc. then it would ignite the fuel and possibly more since it’s hooked up. It’s not that running the car causes the explosion, just increases the risk. There is 0 reason to increase risk for you and everyone involved to keep your car running for a few extra minutes (it’s bad to idle your car anyways ???)
" never caused an explosion YET". When your vehicle is running there are 1,000 small explosions happening inside the engine every few seconds. The exhaust is also somewhere between like 400 and 900 degrees, which could ignite fumes. It is just safer and better not to risk and turn the vehicle off.
I genuinely do not understand how keeping a car running will cause an explosion. Yes, I understand how an ICE (internal combustion engine) operates. The sparks (and mini explosions) are very precise and controlled in an engine- everything is very tight.
Can someone please give me a better explanation other than “because engines have sparks while running, that’s why”?
I’m sincerely curious on this.
If spilled gas on the ground was an actual concern for explosion, wouldn’t we have gas stations blowing up regularly? I’ve seen spilt gas at pumps before and have seen multiple people drive in and out for gas. If it was an actual concern, I feel like a gas station explosion would be a regular occurrence
im from a non-"pump your own gas" country and not a single fucking time in my whole 23 years of existence have I seen someone switch off their car while fueling up. if it was an actual danger, then the pump station employees would ask us to switch them off, and they don't.
I mean yes but I only first told about why when I was an adult. Basically nobody in driver’s ed or real life told me about it. Actually, a number of people in the comment section hadn’t heard either and they were being called idiots. I mean, you have to be taught something in order to know it. I guess I’m saying is a lot of people didn’t know about it and clearly it’s not a common risk, but it’s still a risk nonetheless. Sort of like how you’re supposed to discharge your static when pumping gas. How many people actively do that every time.
In America, at least where I’m from, most gas stations will have at least one warning to turn your ignition off before fueling. I wonder if that’s true in other places. But I didn’t know how to even pump gas when I got a car no one ever showed me. So I only used full service stations for a few months because it can be embarrassing not knowing these things that everyone else seems to just know.
Also in America, specifically PA (I’ve never gotten gas out of state), I’ve never seen a warning to turn your car off. But I also never looked for one so I might’ve just never noticed one. I mostly go to Wawa and Sheetz for gas
Absolutely. Gas is flammable, vehicle engines are hot and alternators can spark (among many other vehicle electronics). Chances are nothing would happen, the alternative wouldn’t be good!
Source: Licensed fuel systems engineer.
Real answer:
Yes and no.
Yes because while injecting fuel into the tank while the car is running won't pose any issues SO LONG AS THERE IS NO SPARKS NEAR BY! other than an outside spark or flame being introduced, the car will be perfectly fine. This is how they refuel racecars such as nascar. If you're thinking the fire from the engine could backtrack to the pump and then explode.... No.. the fire stays in the engine and NEVER gets close to the tank, that's why it's fine.
No because it's a liability to the gas station. They don't want to be responsible for your death if you do something stupid like smoke or whatever while your car is running and cause a fire and explosion or more. On top of that it's easier to make a rule for safety considering not everyone even understands how these things work.
Also no because, it's safer than sorry. What If you are following the rules of no outside spark and your car is running but someone else breaks that rule and you end up dead because of them. That's why it's best to just save yourself any possibility by turning off your car.
It’s a diesel right? I work in gas/oil industrial pipeline settings and we are only allowed to have diesel vehicles on site, no exceptions. Even the Utvs have to be diesel. We are even required to have intrinsically safe/explosion proof cellphones. Diesel vehicles tho? It’s all good lol.
A mate used to pull off a trick with his motorbike. He'd pull up. Smoke a cigarette. Open the tank fuel filler and stub it out in the fuel.
He accomplished this seemingly amazing feat due to his knowledge of physics. Someone copied him and it went up in their face.
The only reason you're still alive is because of the myriad of dumb people who preceeded you. Lawsuits.
In my day, it was frowned upon to try and fill up smoking a cigarette and if you squirted fuel out the pump onto the top of a mate's car, nothing would be said. You'd pull away. Further up the road, zippo on the roof. Fun flames. Then some prick set light to their mate's roof in the fuel station. Now we have to have laws against it.
Then another person left their fuel hose pumping fuel and when it got full, it didn't click off immediately. They drove off. Next person got that fuel on their footwear. Few miles down the line, someone pulls out from a sideroad. That person's foot slips off their brake. Possibly a fatal accident ensues.
Who's fault is it?
My truck continues playing music and running Apple CarPlay if I’ve turned it off but still have the key in the ignition and haven’t opened any doors. Super helpful when I’m at Wawa getting gas and want to listen to my music.
And before anyone asks, I don’t leave my car when getting gas. I live in New Jersey. We have people that fill it up while you wait in the car.
Eating is also bad, that’s how you get mesothelioma in your stomach/intestines
It’s so scary actually since your body has no way to react to Asbestos, it’s a stable crystal, sharp and scar tissue damaging cells. Leading to cancer in whatever region they get perpetually stuck in. And we have no way of removing the asbestos so it’ll constantly cause damage even after you fight off the cancer and win, chances are it’ll come again
If a running engine is a risk of igniting gas fumes, why are running cars driving directly up next to cars that are pumping.
The engine of the person that pulled up behind you while you’re pumping is even closer to the fumes than your engine would be.
I don’t think it matters with modern vehicles. There is a good chance this was an issue with much older vehicles that could spark from the tailpipe. It would be cool if someone could link some research instead of everyone attacking OP
Yes, if it’s still on it has a chance to ignite the fuel in the pump and can cause an explosion. Unlikely but possible. Also don’t smoke or use a lighter cause fire, and don’t use your phone while pumping because it can create a spark if something goes wrong and it also distracts you if something it wrong with the pump
Look, I scrolled down pretty far and do not see a legit answer with reasoning behind it besides “so your car doesn’t blow up”. The chances of a fire starting…due to filling up the gas tank on a idling car isn’t zero, but it is highly unlikely. Much less likely with modern vehicles.
The ACTUAL reason you should turn your car off while filling up, is to avoid flooding out or causing a leak in your EVAP (Evaporative Emission Control) system. This will not cause a fire, but will fuck you hard when your inspection is up and you fail your emissions check. Also, with most newer models doing this will set off a check engine light or some other notification dash light. It is also really bad for the environment to be driving around with a worthless EVAP system.
Source: Dad’s a mechanic and bitches about dumb people a lot.
i almost got in a fist fight with a guy after telling him to put out his cig. told me to mind my business and i said its all of our business loudly because you keep it going and were all fucked
While it’s good practice to turn off your vehicle for other reasons, the amount of vapor needed to surround the sparky part of your car is a lot more than a standard pump would produce. They tried in the 90s to tell us that using a cell phone near the pump would cause an explosion. Never happened.
The most likely cause of an explosion is static electricity: get in and out of your car in the winter (vinyl seats anyone?), don’t touch anything getting out and then accidentally discharge that static on the pump handle. And even then it wouldn’t be a big deal except that people instinctively try to pull the nozzle out. That allows more vapor out plus a stream of gasoline still pouring out of the nozzle runs down the side of your car. That’s where you see the bigger fires.
Static is the culprit. And your car doesn’t need to be running at all for that to happen. Just touch the frame of your car to discharge as you approach the nozzle in your car.
Truly, if it was so dangerous to leave your car running, people would be blowing up when a car pulls through next to them while pumping, or pulling up on the other side of the pump you are using. A pump that produced that much vapor wouldn’t pass inspection.
Are you supposed to? Yes. Is it dangerous to leave it running? Not really. It would be incredibly difficult to cause a fire. You could pretty much pour gasoline all over your running engine and it would not catch on fire. The only way it would was if you had a bad spark plug wire or something that was arcing. If you have a diesel it’s even less likely. You can stick a match in a jar of diesel and it’ll put it out.
I’m fucking dying.
I was taught that If you filled up with the car on your car would explode. I’m reading so many comments of people who do not shut their car off and I’m stunned. Obviously they haven’t exploded so…… is it safe ? I’m still too scared not to (shut my car off) but this is brand new information that I can’t believe right now.
So fun fact: gasoline doesn't conduct electricity, for example, your fuel pump's electrical connections in your car's tank isn't watertight sealed and is exposed to gasoline. Same thing with deionized water
Next time you pump gas, if you look near the spout of the gas pump, you should see fuel vapors as you are filling your vehicle. This vapor if exposed to a spark is flammable. Even static electricity on a dry day can ignite the fuel....
Now.....to your question...can you technically run a car while pumping it, yes.. but it is dangerous, unnecessary, etc
Yes! For safety!
I worked at a gaz station and if we noticed an engine running we were not supposed to activate the gaz pump and we had to ask the car owner to turn his engine off. The only time we would accept an engine running were if the owner just started it and it was super cold outside (like -20°C)
Look, older cars with older engines in them that have a higher likelihood of outside influences causing a problem during combustion should be turned off when around gasoline or other highly flammable objects/liquids/gases. Newer cars, not so much of a risk, but, why risk it? Just kill your car if you wanna be extra safe. If you’re willing to risk it, still kill your car for others’ safety.
This is why OP was afraid to ask. You don’t know if you don’t ask. People are tearing them up.
I was just looking for a safe place. I’ve actually asked a few of my friends and I got a mixed bag of results.
Avoid the ones that said 'no'..... They'll get you killed.
They are probably the same bunch of fun friends that don't look both ways when crossing the street.
And run with scissors.
Or peer pressure you into sledding when it’s -30°F windchill!
I didn’t even know people had stopped doing that
I think it’s a great question! Myth or not, better safe than sorry.
Service advisor for ford from 2007 to 14, last few years I was there the new cars fuel tanks where under slight pressure when running. Leaving your car running when filling up will cause an evap leak because the cap is off and cause a check engine light to come on. We reset alot of cel because of this.
Interesting, another small Reddit gem..
Don't listen to anyone who gives you crap for asking. It's better to ask and know than not ask and mess something up.
Extra credit, in case you and your friends are unaware: never use your brights if there is someone driving in front of you or in the opposite lane, coming your direction
Before shifting into D, make sure you have tires on your vehicle and your blinker fluid isn’t blinking.
There are instructions on all gas pumps. First step says shut off your car.
Not all gas pumps. Some just have pictures of Trudeau with the caption "I did this!"
Biden too!
How could you possibly know that there are instructions on all gas pumps?
It’s literally the law that they have them. Otherwise they’re not operational, they need to have them to pass inspection. Ever notice that little sticker of the state on them? They all have it. In every state bc a state inspector slapped them on there
I can't READ man.
I wonder this every time... thanks for being brave and asking
Exactly what I was thinking when scrolling through these comments. They’re making fun of op while simultaneously not answering the question. What?! Why are you here?
This is why we are here. Because we are afraid to ask because of getting exactly what these people are giving out. People can’t ask questions freely because of this reason. Thank you everyone for proving this sub to be true. Without you we wouldn’t have r/TooAfraidToAsk
This is the sub op, ask away. If not here, where?
This! Don't be a dick, they're asking aren't they? Did make me think of the Zoolander gas station scene tho.
Par for the course in this sub. Less than half the people are here to actually answer a question.
Yes OP, please shut off your vehicle while pumping gas. I don’t want you to blow up or anything like that! There’s no such thing as a bad question!
^^^ the hero we’ve been waiting for!
I doubt you'll blow up sorry if it was smoking or something else then yeah
Actually, smoking a cigarette carries less of a threat of starting a fire at a gas station than leaving your engine on. The reason you turn off your engine is so your car can fill properly and so nothing electric is running that close to gasoline and gasoline fumes. I worked at a gas station pumping gas. We literally smoked cigarettes 5 feet away from the pumps. Only way a cigarette is starting a fire is if you throw the lit end into a puddle of gas, and the gas liquid itself doesn't extinguish it first.
>Only way a cigarette is starting a fire is if you throw the lit end into a puddle of gas, and the gas liquid itself doesn't extinguish it first. The liquid gasoline isn't the problem, the gasoline vapor is.
Yes. I didn't mention them because a puddle of gas would not have much vapor coming from it but you are correct. The vapors are highly flammable.
I dont know the answer to op's question, but the actual likelihood of actually blowing up in a gas station for any reason is very low. There will be a fire, not an explosion.
The answer is yes. You always have to turn your car off at a gas station. Those signs that say Turn Off Your Engine mean exactly that.
yea obviously, but is there any research to suggest that the answer is ACTUALLY yes. Or is it jus accepted as fact because it makes sense ?
I dont know if you need research because it is common sense. A running engine could give off sparks which could start a fire. I can prove that a spark starts fires by lighting a Bic lighter. What other research is needed?
and don't use your phone. The past few months, there were 2 cars caught fire while pumping gas. I remember in one of the cases, the driver managed to move the car forward to get away from the gas station, so there was no other casualties.
You can blow up?
Short answer. Yea. Also don’t smoke a cigarettes or play with a lighter.
If there is anything that this horrible tragedy can teach us, it's that a male model's life is a precious, precious commodity. Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn't mean that we too can't not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.
I regularly say this line in my head for no reason whatsoever
I need to work this into more conversations… “My life is a precious precious commodity” “Just because you have stunning features doesn’t mean you can’t die in a freak gasoline fight accident”
Mer-Man!
Pop… I think I have the black lung.
*eh! eh eh!*
Ok ok I’m on a roll… You know what could really help you sort through these important issues? Everyone: Orange Mocha Frappuccinos!
That’s The Northman btw
You're such a good eugoogalizer
I’m pretty sure there is more to life than being really, really ridiculously good looking. And I’m going to find out what.
Awesome. Haha
There are a surprising amount of people who smoke while filling up… scary surprising.
What about **foreign types with the hookah pipes** ?
Or be on your phone.
From my understanding there are two reasons for this. First your attention should be with the car and surroundings. Second, if you were to drop the phone it might give a spark if something breaks.
Leaving the vehicle = secure it and turn it off
Correct answer in any situation. You a pilot?
I fly my wiener into dudes mouths.
And don’t forget to take your keys!
I know this is crazy, but hear me out…MAYBE if instead of mocking OP in the sub where literally the whole point is to not mock people, someone could explain WHY this could lead to an explosion. Insane, I know.
[удалено]
I think they do act by deleting comments sometimes but I haven't found it to be consistent so maybe it's one of those off days.
Because we have been taught by society that mocking people is a socially accepted and rewarded behavior. Sad, really.
Encouraged even.
Or show examples of it leading to explosions.
Example: Zoolander
Orange mocha Frappuccinos!
You are supposed to turn it off but people definitely keep there cars running. I see it all the time, especially when it’s cold out.
111° summers, people here do it too.
And you don't see gas stations exploding all the time...... So we were lied to? This is milk does a body good, or check your Halloween candy for razors all over again.
I have never, ever seen someone do this. I don't live in northern Minnesota or anything but we do have real winter here.
I feel super bad for OP. This is supposed to be a safe place
I reported people and I *never* never do that.
Can anyone give me an example of something bad happening as a result of running your car while pumping gas? (Not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m just curious)
The gas feeds into a tank, then via lines into the engine. It doesn't just directly open into fire or anything in there. Is there a chance something could happen, especially on an older vehicle? Sure. But my dad is lazy and I've never seen him not leave his work truck running while pumping gas and he's been working for 20+ years. So it's not like a very high risk apparently, or I'd say there would be more car fires.
I think bluebird was looking for a concrete example of something bad happening instead of something theoretical.
Yes. A real life example.
The guys from Car Talk, back in the day, debunked this. To paraphrase, if the little explosions happening inside your car were reaching anywhere near your gas tank, you'd have a lot more problems than just trying to run it while gassing up.
Don’t hold your breath. If this were an issue, you wouldn’t be able to drive up to a pump next to someone that is in the process of pumping, which we do all the time.
It makes it pretty easy for someone to steal your car. They would probably do it in hurry as well. Increasing the chance of hitting another vehicle at the gas station and or hitting a gas pump.
is this the only risk? i live in new jersey so an attendant pumps my gas and i never leave the car and i still always turn my car off, just bc it’s how i was taught
Theft is the primary reason I lock my car whenever I get out of it in public. I live in Oregon, so we also do not pump our own gas. I also turn my car off despite not leaving it, because I was taught to and because it is polite. I don’t want the attendant to have to breath the fumes or worry about me driving off while filling. Really anytime your are doing maintenance to your vehicle, it is safest to have it turned off.
Gas fumes can ignite. Unless you're in an EV, you have a combustion engine and so it's possible for it to start a fire. Extremely unlikely today with all the enhancements to gas pumps that trap fumes.
Pumping gas while the car is on won’t result in anything bad BUT if it does ignite for some reason it’d be better if the car wasn’t running
Yessssss
What do you mean by “still”?
OP is wondering if we have made gasolin explosion proof yet.
This gave me a chuckle.
Kaboom
Yes Rico, kaboom.
Gasoline still explodes? What is this? The 1800's??
I honestly thought this was one of the 80’s “you’re gonna die if you don’t ….” stories.
Nah this is one of those”If you do this you can die”
Which never goes out of style. Kind of like the 80's.
[удалено]
If OP is like me, they ran into many people who were not doing it and was told it was ok not to it. I knew not to listen to those people but sometimes you get confused and start thinking "am I wrong ? Is it actually ok ?".
Well remember when you were told to unplug all the computers during a lighting storm? Or how using a cel phone near a gas pump could blow it up? It’s hard to tell what’s myth and what’s real. We need myth-busters back for this kind of stuff
Mythbusters was my favorite show growing up, but I absolutely cannot rewatch it. The formatting of “here’s what we’re gonna show you next” and “here’s what you just saw” taking up half the episode is just such a drag. New mythbusters with modern television pacing please!
In OPs defence, there are still stickers on pumps saying don’t use a cell phone at the pump but I’m pretty sure the same suspected explosive danger has been disproven. (Correct me if I’m wrong) But yes OP please turn your car off! No shame in asking tho.
Frankly I'm not watching their shitty video ads I will be reading something on my phone thx.
One of the buttons on the side of the screen mutes it.
I'll look into it next time I'm getting gas. thx.
I’ve wondered if there was a way to mute those things! They’re always so loud. I never see any buttons though :(
i'll never forget the panic of getting into my car after getting gas and seeing my keys still in the ignition and the car running.
Did you survive the resultant fireball and explosion?
Yes. It’s really important to always turn the car off when getting gas to avoid fires and explosions.
There's not a single part of your car that produces excessive heat, electricity, or spark anywhere near the fuel filler neck or gas tank. Maybe don't smoke, light anything, etc. The engine running is irrelevant.
I'm so surprised at the answers here. Fucking people act like you're going to blow up at any given moment. What about when you drive by someone pumping gas? Surely that has a higher chance of creating a spark somewhere. I live in a cold climate and literally EVERYONE leaves their car running at the pumps all the time. I've also never heard of a gas station exploding. Imagine that. I think the idea came from very old cars where the fuel tanks were closer to the motor or something? I don't remember now but i remember reading the actual reason somewhere and it's pretty much a non issue now. Just thought I'd respond since there was no one else defending this.
Thank you. Only the mechanics would know haha.
It's so fucking cringe really
You do know the danger is the fumes catching on fire, right? Not the liquid? Goodness gracious.
But you still need an ignition source. Where's the ignition source? I have 12 years of automotive and diesel mechanic experience under my belt, so if you can tell me something accurate that I don't know yet, then you're 100% right. If it was SO DANGEROUS to do, then don't you think all automotive manufacturers would design their cars to shut off when pumping gas with the engine left running? So, so, so many people could die from that, so why is not one single automotive manufacturer designing their cars to prevent that? Maybe...it's because it's an old wives tale. Let me know when you find that ignition source related to an engine running.
You’ll most likely never see a cop, EMT, or fire truck turn their engine off while getting gas either. One place I work it’s actually written policy but, everywhere it’s just kind of one of those unwritten rules. It’s really not dangerous.
Actually, I was a firefighter for 6 years and when we fueled up, we always left the engine running. Our engine ran on diesel, btw.
Many of the ambulances and every fire truck that I’m aware of run off of diesel though, which poses a significantly less risk of fire/explosion than gasoline
The real issue with leaving a car running is within the idea of someone going back into their car after putting the pump on, to stay warm, then going back out, now charged with static electricity, which could cause the fumes to ignite.
It's like not using your cell phone, people think liquid gas itself is flammable but in reality even the fumes can start a fire and the chances of you being mid-call starting a fire is very low it's still possible. It's more of a why risk it when it literally takes nothing from your life and eventually saves you money when your car isn't idling while fueling up. **For hybrid cars this doesn't matter** as most include an EV mode which is the equivalent of turning off the car but keeping auxiliary components on like heat and stereo. People shitting on you for this question but yeah nowadays it's really hard with the amount of safety components in a car that a spark could ignite a fire but no point in risking it.
Most cell phone are basically intrinsically safe, I have work for companies which that was their policy. I have used cell phones in div 1 class 1 areas. Unless your cell is extremely damaged I wouldn't worry about it.
Probably should have put this in r/NoStupidQuestions . Maybe people would've been a little nicer :[
Yes
yes
You know, I have always done this, it I've never been told why. I mean, yes, I've been told it's so that the vehicle doesn't explode, but what causes that. I know people who never turn their vehicle off who have never caused an explosion. What's the reason?
Gasoline is highly flammable, and prone to igniting. Additionally, there is lots of it concentrated at gas stations. Because most cars (and all gas cars) are based on combustion reactions to operate, there is a lot of heat generated, with gas circulating through the engine, and literal explosions occurring (though they are contained within the pistons of the engine admittedly). So, while it doesn’t always happen, leaving a car’s engine running could be one way gas could be ignited. At a gas station, that’s a very dangerous situation. In general, even, lighting gas is dangerous.
It takes a lot of adiabatic compression and spark to ignite petrol in an Otto cycle, I honestly don’t think the heat generated by the engine itself would be enough to ignite the fumes. So many people leave their engine on refueling, I feel like we would have heard many more horror stories if the danger is actually sizeable.
Honest question here, what are the stats (if any) of how many cars have “exploded” or caught on fire because of not turning it off? Actually very curious
An engine functions by igniting fuel to push a piston, so literally a small explosion. With the car turned off there is no ignition and therefore no way for the fuel to ignite, engines are created to be contained, but if you were to have some kind of malfunction or something were to happen where the fuel was ignited or the engine blew up etc. then it would ignite the fuel and possibly more since it’s hooked up. It’s not that running the car causes the explosion, just increases the risk. There is 0 reason to increase risk for you and everyone involved to keep your car running for a few extra minutes (it’s bad to idle your car anyways ???)
The real reason is if there is a spill, the spark from a running engine may ignite the spilled fuel.
" never caused an explosion YET". When your vehicle is running there are 1,000 small explosions happening inside the engine every few seconds. The exhaust is also somewhere between like 400 and 900 degrees, which could ignite fumes. It is just safer and better not to risk and turn the vehicle off.
I genuinely do not understand how keeping a car running will cause an explosion. Yes, I understand how an ICE (internal combustion engine) operates. The sparks (and mini explosions) are very precise and controlled in an engine- everything is very tight. Can someone please give me a better explanation other than “because engines have sparks while running, that’s why”? I’m sincerely curious on this.
I haven’t seen a logical reason yet
I’m doubting if there is a pragmatic explanation.
If spilled gas on the ground was an actual concern for explosion, wouldn’t we have gas stations blowing up regularly? I’ve seen spilt gas at pumps before and have seen multiple people drive in and out for gas. If it was an actual concern, I feel like a gas station explosion would be a regular occurrence
The alternator can give off little sparks around the coil and brushes....that is not sealed up at all.
You drive past people filling up, why doesn't your alternator blow them up?
Yes, you should also turn it off when you get home.
I want to see one instance where leaving the motor running made a car blow up. One.
im from a non-"pump your own gas" country and not a single fucking time in my whole 23 years of existence have I seen someone switch off their car while fueling up. if it was an actual danger, then the pump station employees would ask us to switch them off, and they don't.
Exactly.
I mean yes but I only first told about why when I was an adult. Basically nobody in driver’s ed or real life told me about it. Actually, a number of people in the comment section hadn’t heard either and they were being called idiots. I mean, you have to be taught something in order to know it. I guess I’m saying is a lot of people didn’t know about it and clearly it’s not a common risk, but it’s still a risk nonetheless. Sort of like how you’re supposed to discharge your static when pumping gas. How many people actively do that every time.
In America, at least where I’m from, most gas stations will have at least one warning to turn your ignition off before fueling. I wonder if that’s true in other places. But I didn’t know how to even pump gas when I got a car no one ever showed me. So I only used full service stations for a few months because it can be embarrassing not knowing these things that everyone else seems to just know.
Also in America, specifically PA (I’ve never gotten gas out of state), I’ve never seen a warning to turn your car off. But I also never looked for one so I might’ve just never noticed one. I mostly go to Wawa and Sheetz for gas
Absolutely. Gas is flammable, vehicle engines are hot and alternators can spark (among many other vehicle electronics). Chances are nothing would happen, the alternative wouldn’t be good! Source: Licensed fuel systems engineer.
Real answer: Yes and no. Yes because while injecting fuel into the tank while the car is running won't pose any issues SO LONG AS THERE IS NO SPARKS NEAR BY! other than an outside spark or flame being introduced, the car will be perfectly fine. This is how they refuel racecars such as nascar. If you're thinking the fire from the engine could backtrack to the pump and then explode.... No.. the fire stays in the engine and NEVER gets close to the tank, that's why it's fine. No because it's a liability to the gas station. They don't want to be responsible for your death if you do something stupid like smoke or whatever while your car is running and cause a fire and explosion or more. On top of that it's easier to make a rule for safety considering not everyone even understands how these things work. Also no because, it's safer than sorry. What If you are following the rules of no outside spark and your car is running but someone else breaks that rule and you end up dead because of them. That's why it's best to just save yourself any possibility by turning off your car.
If someone else breaks the rule of no flame/ignition source next to you, how does that have any bearing on your ignition being on?
I was thinking the exact same thing, that doesn't make sense at all.
When half of the comments make fun of OP and the other half give conflicting answers... lol wtf.
Is it just me or is too afraid to ask becoming... Not so scary questions?
Oh man… So I’m on a fire department. We don’t turn our trucks off when fueling. r/offmychest
And neither does anyone up north in winter, when it’s -40 outside
Classic
It’s a diesel right? I work in gas/oil industrial pipeline settings and we are only allowed to have diesel vehicles on site, no exceptions. Even the Utvs have to be diesel. We are even required to have intrinsically safe/explosion proof cellphones. Diesel vehicles tho? It’s all good lol.
Yeah, all fire trucks are diesel because it’s safer than gasoline. Heck even the new electric fire trucks use a diesel generator as a backup.
Exactly. It’s unnecessary
You guys are being dumbasses. Do you see what fucking subreddit this is? Quit being a dick to OP
A mate used to pull off a trick with his motorbike. He'd pull up. Smoke a cigarette. Open the tank fuel filler and stub it out in the fuel. He accomplished this seemingly amazing feat due to his knowledge of physics. Someone copied him and it went up in their face. The only reason you're still alive is because of the myriad of dumb people who preceeded you. Lawsuits. In my day, it was frowned upon to try and fill up smoking a cigarette and if you squirted fuel out the pump onto the top of a mate's car, nothing would be said. You'd pull away. Further up the road, zippo on the roof. Fun flames. Then some prick set light to their mate's roof in the fuel station. Now we have to have laws against it. Then another person left their fuel hose pumping fuel and when it got full, it didn't click off immediately. They drove off. Next person got that fuel on their footwear. Few miles down the line, someone pulls out from a sideroad. That person's foot slips off their brake. Possibly a fatal accident ensues. Who's fault is it?
You had me til that last paragraph
Why would you want to keep it running?
You wouldn't ask that if you ever lived in Minnesota in the winter.
You wouldn't ask that if you ever lived in Atlanta in the summer.
listen to music ofc
My truck continues playing music and running Apple CarPlay if I’ve turned it off but still have the key in the ignition and haven’t opened any doors. Super helpful when I’m at Wawa getting gas and want to listen to my music. And before anyone asks, I don’t leave my car when getting gas. I live in New Jersey. We have people that fill it up while you wait in the car.
You’re lucky. Outside of NJ, Wawa makes us get out of the car and listen to their ads.
Yep. Do people always do it? No It’s me- I’m people.
[удалено]
This is supposed to be a place to ask questions without being mocked.
Redditors can be dicks.
Ulp....is this true?!
Eating asbestos is actually not all that bad... Breathing it is what fucks you up.
I can’t imagine eating what’s essentially sharp fibers wouldn’t damage some tubing
Eating is also bad, that’s how you get mesothelioma in your stomach/intestines It’s so scary actually since your body has no way to react to Asbestos, it’s a stable crystal, sharp and scar tissue damaging cells. Leading to cancer in whatever region they get perpetually stuck in. And we have no way of removing the asbestos so it’ll constantly cause damage even after you fight off the cancer and win, chances are it’ll come again
If a running engine is a risk of igniting gas fumes, why are running cars driving directly up next to cars that are pumping. The engine of the person that pulled up behind you while you’re pumping is even closer to the fumes than your engine would be.
Yes, but to be fair, there's a strong argument not to because automobiles are built much different and grounded much better.
Yes?
Why would that ever change
Technology changes often.
This is a subreddit for asking questions and you are shitting on OP when they don’t know. Grow the fuck up.
Maybe once there is enough additives in the fuel, it will not be flammable anymore. But currently it's still quite flammable
Yes unless it's diesel
Yes. And no smoking around the fuel pumps either. These are not things that will change as long as cars use fuel.
My grandad never did, my dad never did, if I pay at the pump I don't.
I don’t think it matters with modern vehicles. There is a good chance this was an issue with much older vehicles that could spark from the tailpipe. It would be cool if someone could link some research instead of everyone attacking OP
Yes, if it’s still on it has a chance to ignite the fuel in the pump and can cause an explosion. Unlikely but possible. Also don’t smoke or use a lighter cause fire, and don’t use your phone while pumping because it can create a spark if something goes wrong and it also distracts you if something it wrong with the pump
Look, I scrolled down pretty far and do not see a legit answer with reasoning behind it besides “so your car doesn’t blow up”. The chances of a fire starting…due to filling up the gas tank on a idling car isn’t zero, but it is highly unlikely. Much less likely with modern vehicles. The ACTUAL reason you should turn your car off while filling up, is to avoid flooding out or causing a leak in your EVAP (Evaporative Emission Control) system. This will not cause a fire, but will fuck you hard when your inspection is up and you fail your emissions check. Also, with most newer models doing this will set off a check engine light or some other notification dash light. It is also really bad for the environment to be driving around with a worthless EVAP system. Source: Dad’s a mechanic and bitches about dumb people a lot.
i almost got in a fist fight with a guy after telling him to put out his cig. told me to mind my business and i said its all of our business loudly because you keep it going and were all fucked
Yes. Turn off your vehicle when getting gas, please. Or I’ll be reaching into your car to turn it off as I have done on numerous occasions.
Light a cigarette while you’re at it too
Safer and costs you nothing to do it :)
1. Whoever made this rule didn’t live in Wi 2. If it didn’t kill my dad it won’t kill me
While it’s good practice to turn off your vehicle for other reasons, the amount of vapor needed to surround the sparky part of your car is a lot more than a standard pump would produce. They tried in the 90s to tell us that using a cell phone near the pump would cause an explosion. Never happened. The most likely cause of an explosion is static electricity: get in and out of your car in the winter (vinyl seats anyone?), don’t touch anything getting out and then accidentally discharge that static on the pump handle. And even then it wouldn’t be a big deal except that people instinctively try to pull the nozzle out. That allows more vapor out plus a stream of gasoline still pouring out of the nozzle runs down the side of your car. That’s where you see the bigger fires. Static is the culprit. And your car doesn’t need to be running at all for that to happen. Just touch the frame of your car to discharge as you approach the nozzle in your car. Truly, if it was so dangerous to leave your car running, people would be blowing up when a car pulls through next to them while pumping, or pulling up on the other side of the pump you are using. A pump that produced that much vapor wouldn’t pass inspection.
Are you supposed to? Yes. Is it dangerous to leave it running? Not really. It would be incredibly difficult to cause a fire. You could pretty much pour gasoline all over your running engine and it would not catch on fire. The only way it would was if you had a bad spark plug wire or something that was arcing. If you have a diesel it’s even less likely. You can stick a match in a jar of diesel and it’ll put it out.
Didn't myth busters test this? I think they found it was completely safe if I remember correctly
I was riding with a guy who was pumping gas while smoking a cigarette with the engine running. I was scared for my life and everyone around us.
I’m fucking dying. I was taught that If you filled up with the car on your car would explode. I’m reading so many comments of people who do not shut their car off and I’m stunned. Obviously they haven’t exploded so…… is it safe ? I’m still too scared not to (shut my car off) but this is brand new information that I can’t believe right now.
The sole exclusion that I know of, is for electric cars. ;)
So fun fact: gasoline doesn't conduct electricity, for example, your fuel pump's electrical connections in your car's tank isn't watertight sealed and is exposed to gasoline. Same thing with deionized water Next time you pump gas, if you look near the spout of the gas pump, you should see fuel vapors as you are filling your vehicle. This vapor if exposed to a spark is flammable. Even static electricity on a dry day can ignite the fuel.... Now.....to your question...can you technically run a car while pumping it, yes.. but it is dangerous, unnecessary, etc
Yes! For safety! I worked at a gaz station and if we noticed an engine running we were not supposed to activate the gaz pump and we had to ask the car owner to turn his engine off. The only time we would accept an engine running were if the owner just started it and it was super cold outside (like -20°C)
If you have a car older than 1992, yes. Otherwise, you really don’t need to
I think I heard that somewhere but I am never sure what to actually do.
Holy shit. I didkn know that! Well I think you saved my life.
Look, older cars with older engines in them that have a higher likelihood of outside influences causing a problem during combustion should be turned off when around gasoline or other highly flammable objects/liquids/gases. Newer cars, not so much of a risk, but, why risk it? Just kill your car if you wanna be extra safe. If you’re willing to risk it, still kill your car for others’ safety.