Seriously? The Gas Cap Has A Real Unmodifiable Reason To Be On The Wrong Side?

[Jay3wheel]

one benefit of having the fuel port on the off door side is it will be pretty close to the exhaust port .... any fuel accidentally spilled filling may run down onto the hot exhaust pipe where it will instantly vaporize and not leak on the ground ...

Jim

Darwin's selection of the fittest to survive.

 

[NSTG8R]

one benefit of having the fuel port on the off door side is it will be pretty close to the exhaust port .... any fuel accidentally spilled filling may run down onto the hot exhaust pipe where it will instantly vaporize and not leak on the ground ...

Jim

First I laughed! Then it got me thinking (not always a good thing). Static electricity 'allegedly' causes most of the fires during refuelling. The Elio, being composite bodied, wouldn't allow the static to discharge from the person refuelling it by touching it as composites are esscentially insulative (i.e. - opening the metal fuel door). You're supposed to either touch the metal part of the pump, or the vehicle to prevent this. Who actually touches the metal parts of the fuel pump before refuelling? o_O

 

[CompTrex]

First I laughed! Then it got me thinking (not always a good thing). Static electricity 'allegedly' causes most of the fires during refuelling. The Elio, being composite bodied, wouldn't allow the static to discharge from the person refuelling it by touching it as composites are esscentially insulative (i.e. - opening the metal fuel door). You're supposed to either touch the metal part of the pump, or the vehicle to prevent this. Who actually touches the metal parts of the fuel pump before refuelling? o_O

Are there metal parts to a fuel pump?
Does the lever on the nozzle count?

 

[JEBar]

other than taking a bunch of money, we had a Corvette and never had a problem related to fueling

Jim

 

[NSTG8R]

Are there metal parts to a fuel pump?
Does the lever on the nozzle count?

All the ones out here have rubberized covers on the pump handles. I usually grab the pump, and use the nozzle to flip up the lever, or push the button. Going to have to research this....when I get really bored.

 

[NSTG8R]

other than taking a bunch of money, we had a Corvette and never had a problem related to fueling

Jim

Good point, Jim. Research complete.

 

[CompTrex]

All the ones out here have rubberized covers on the pump handles. I usually grab the pump, and use the nozzle to flip up the lever, or push the button. Going to have to research this....when I get really bored.

You push the button with the nozzle of the pump? I guess that explains why my hand smells like gas...o_O

 

[JEBar]

now back to my point about the proximity of the exhaust pipe and fuel port being a plus, above all we really wouldn't want to pollute the ground water ...

Jim

couldn't resist

 

[NSTG8R]

You push the button with the nozzle of the pump? I guess that explains why my hand smells like gas...o_O

 

[wheaters]

First I laughed! Then it got me thinking (not always a good thing). Static electricity 'allegedly' causes most of the fires during refuelling. The Elio, being composite bodied, wouldn't allow the static to discharge from the person refuelling it by touching it as composites are esscentially insulative (i.e. - opening the metal fuel door). You're supposed to either touch the metal part of the pump, or the vehicle to prevent this. Who actually touches the metal parts of the fuel pump before refuelling? o_O

The car in my avatar <~~~ has a composite body shell. I've refuelled it quite a lot over the last thirteen years and 56,000 miles and setting fire to it hasn't been a major problem. It has a key operated, metal fuel cap, which I obviously touch to remove. From experience, you thankfully need a fairly hot spark to set fire to petrol vapour, unlike some other seemingly safe fluids such as WD40, which will light up on a hot surface such as an exhaust manifold. I've used a squirt of WD40 to test fire my engines after rebuild, just to make sure everything is working.

To stay on topic, the filler cap is on the rear of the car, but off to the right hand side, which is of course the offside in UK because we drive on the left. The exhaust pipe is on the left.