Other than the legal requirement to turn the engine off, how dangerous is it to actually have the engine running when filling up? I ask because the turbo timer may be still running for a while and the forecourt is full of petrol vapour anyway.

[This message has been edited by lokokkee (edited 26-06-2000).]

 

I don't know, but there cannot be much difference between having your own engine running and having someone start their car five feet away on the opposite side of the pump can there?

 

Just a thought and I am not speaking from a techies point of view but a car that starts up a few feet away still has an "Air gap" for the vapour to disperse.

However, if your engine is running whilst you are filling up, you have live electrical circuits inches away from the vapour which must be alot more dangerous?

 

On this subject, just how many people have been killed from petrol stations exploding as a result of someone using a mobile phone on the forecourt?

On the odd occasion my phone has rung, the staff all dive for cover. Hillarious to watch

I'm sure its someone much simpler, like the signal messing with the pumps electronics, possibly slowing down the processor speed... resulting in a lower bill.

 

Besides which, if you fill up with the engine running the car is using petrol almost as fast as you put it in

 

hehehe!!!

 

Interesting thought. You have been barrelling down the motorway and pull in to a service area to fill up. What do you do? Park outside and let the car idle for a few minutes before pulling up to the pump or just pull up straight away and let it idle while you fill up.

If you choose the latter, don't, for goodness sake, leave it idling while you go in to pay!!

 

I do exactly that, pull to one side and wait for a couple of minutes before driving up to the pump & switching off. It causes less bother than sitting at the pump doing nothing.

 

Alternatively, you could slow down a mile or two beforehand (naaaaah )

 

I guess you're probably right there Kevin.

 

Hmmm, petrol fumes (in a Homer Simpson voice).

 

In case you want a technical answer (if you don't then click the back button now)...

Classification of hazardous areas is based on the probability of the presence of flammable gases. In case of a filling station there are petrol vapours present when filling up so the forecourt has to be classified as a hazardous zone. This means that uncertified electrical equipment should not be used.

(In general certified electrical equipment is less likely to ignite flammable gases under fault conditions)

Of course this is not possible, so in order to make it as 'safe as possible', simple rules such as turn off the engine should be followed to reduce the risk of vapour ignition.

As has been pointed out, the cars have to start in order to leave don't they? Due to the large electric current required to start an engine, it is likely that the risk of a starting car igniting petrol vapour is higher than the risk of a running car doing so. However both these risks are very low anyway, especially when compared to a risky action such as driving, or a very, very risky action such as driving a turbocharged car!

As you can see, the 'risk' business is all about BS, which is why I got out and went into IT instead.

The bottom line is: Compared to a lot of drivers on the road (you know who I mean), your action of filling up with the engine running is increasing the risk of harm to other people by a negligible amount. I.e. don't worry about it!

 

I used to work at a gas station, and I've seen enough idiots that I got to the point where I wouldn't turn on pumps if the car was still running.. It only takes once.. Here's 3 good examples - remember, this is the States, so your drivers might differ:

1. Guy inserts nozzle, starts pump - engine running. Walks in, gets coffee, tries to pay while gas is still pumping. Hadn't inserted handle correctly, so as he's standing in line, fuel begins fountaining out of his tank. Needless to say, I'm pounding the "emergency stop" button. Then he complains when I charge him for the gas he spilled everywhere.. ****er...

2. Guy pulls up in a "mid-restoration" bugeye sprite - nice car. In a hurry, apparently, so he leaves the car running.. Start pumping, and walks around to wash his window. On the way around, knocks the handle outta the tank, and the handle begins dancing around as he tries to get it under control - gas hits the ground, into the bugeye (no top), all over guy, all over side of building, everywhere - I was too awestruck to even hit the stop button.. The guy gets it under control, waves to me, opens the door (gas pouring outta the cockpit), and drives off.. wow..

3. 2 hillbillies (yobs?) pull up in their pickup (engine running), break out a gas can, and start filling it - while smoking. Of course, standing over a gas can while smoking is never a good idea, and the obvious happens.. I have an expression I use when I see someone dance badly - "I've seen people on fire move better" - well, this is where that expression comes from. One discharged fire extinguisher, a crispy hillbilly, an ambulance, and a lawsuit threat later, the whole event was over..

The moral? Turn off the bloody engine.. Even if you don't have a problem, the moron next to you may commence spraying gas everywhere at any moment. Trust me - I've seen it.. I've also moved on to less dangerous work in the IT field - had to - my nerves, you understand..

Basil

 

Nice one Basil, best laugh ive had all day mate......
Mmmm fried hillbillie !!!!!

 

One difference between the UK and the US is that our pumps don't lock open. In the UK, you have to hold the pump open (unless you have one of those grenade pins to lock it open), so there is no danger of a continuously-pumping fuel nozzle falling out of a car and spraying all over a hot exhaust.

Given the very real threat of legal action if a petrol pump ever did blow up, I'm not surprised that petrol stations err on the side of caution!

 

I have a mate who jams his XJS filler cap into the pump handle to stop it cutting out. One time, his wife got in whilst he was still filling up to move the car round to the air line, and ripped complete hose out of top of pump - auto cutoff prevented fuel spewing everywhere. funny.

 

Well, it's nice to know the moron factor is as strong there as it is here..

lordlucan - yeah, had this weird urge for pork rinds the rest of the day..

Basil

 

Isn't the fuel tank pressurised when the engine is running? At least my MY99 goes Psssssst whenever I open up the tank (which I do seem to do quite often....)

I lived in Sweden for a few years before I discovered that they also have the fuel pumps that can be locked open - that's so you don't feeze your parts off when it's -25 and you've got your stringbacks on :-)

 

Biggest prob I imagine is some W****R stealing the car which your kindly filling with fuel for them.

 

If it is so dangerous, why do they reintroduce refuelling pit stops in Formula 1 races? No doubt the crew are all dressed for the occasion, but in the event of a fire, the multi-million driver strapped in the car is going to get fried, nomex suit notwithstanding.

 

I also have a turbo timer fitted to my car but when i go to the petrol station i either keep the car off boost and let it idle for 30 secs before turning off or if on a long run ie:- motorway driving, i park up first then go for fuel after the car has run down.

Tony

 

I was popping up to Bob Rawles once and stopped planning to fill up with SUL at the only station that does it in the area. I had tried to call Bob before i got to the station to let him know i was in the area. It was engaged but he rang me back just as i had parked up on the forecourt. The engine was still running and there were no other cars there. I had not even left my car and i can honestly say i have never seen someone so chubby run so fast screaming and shouting to get off the phone! - it scared me!

[This message has been edited by sunilp (edited 28-06-2000).]

 

I was on my way to LeMans in 95 in my old Manta GTE Exclusive Coupe (yeh, i know!! i was poor OK ) and went over on a P&O Ferry.

When we arived in dock i went to my car to find 20 blokes with extinguishers stood around my ex-pristine Manta, it was absolutely covered in what looked like Jelly.

There was a clapped out VW camper van parked on the gantry above mine and its fuel tank had split mid journey, dumping its entire contents over my car, it had then had enough time to evaporate into a petroleum jelly.

I had to wait untill the entire ship had been evacuated before they would let me near it, we then pushed it of the ferry onto the docks and spent the next hour hosing it down to remove every last trace of fuel from the car.

To say i was a bit "nervous" the first time i fired it up was the understatement of the year, i was pooing my pants

I was so glad in a way it was my car though, as parked next to me was one of the Jaguar C types that had raced at LeMans in the 50's with its open cockpit, it had just come out of a 2 year restoration. Now that would have been a tragedy if fuel had gone all over that car!

The plus side was that my car was absolutely gleeming and i won an award for the Cleanest Manta at LeMans. Zymol HD Cleanse, who needs it? LOL