Just sitting here thinking about this, I have never seen anyone drape that hose over their car. Not saying it doesn't happen, just that I have never seen it.

My Colorado has a small arrow on the dash next to the gas gauge pointing in the direction of the filler cap.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Learn something new everyday. Not heard about these long hoses. I guess they must be somewhere close and folks use that mentality.
The 3 gas stations I fill up with do not have the longer hoses.
With these longer hoses is one able to insert the nozzle in the proper orientation??
I see these folks especially with trucks and the nozzle is of course upside down in the filler neck which would lead me to believe the nozzle is barely inserted and could easily cause issue with the automatic shut off.

Yes, they’re typically long enough that you have plenty of slack to get the nozzle in the correct position. The hoses also usually have a retractable lanyard type line attached about mid-hose that keeps tension on the hose as well as keeping it elevated to help reach across the top of the vehicle; it also serves to better stow the long hose when it’s not in use.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
I’m old enough to remember when cars had the fill nozzle hidden behind a flip down plate on most cars. It never mattered what pump you pulled into.

Most would disagree but I prefer the filler being on the passenger side because you can get nice and close to the pump without having to squeeze out of your door.

Just as an aside every car I have ever owned has a locator on the fuel gauge letting you know what side your fill side is.

All this! Beat me to it.

I do it at Costco, lines always long, but gas is high quality, less expensive, and a percent back on my card...

I open tank, use one hand for nozzle, and one hand to hold hose so it doesn't rub vehicle...

Not my preference, but I don't see the big concern.

Folks who drag across paint, and have nozzle upside down, now that I don't get, but that is on them.

If the line is ridiculously long on one side and not the other, and the hose will reach, why wouldn’t you? I’m not sitting for 15 minutes when I can gas up and go while other people waste their time.

How much do you save on the gas to wait 15 minutes?

Depending on how much driving one does, the membership at Costco could pay for itself in fuel savings alone quite fast. Here, Costco is ¢30 less a gallon and it’s top tier fuel. If you have a small car like mine, Civic hatchback, the long hose works perfect. Never understood why people would sit there and wait for the passenger side pump unless they had to.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
If the line is ridiculously long on one side and not the other, and the hose will reach, why wouldn’t you? I’m not sitting for 15 minutes when I can gas up and go while other people waste their time.

I don’t ever see myself waiting 15 minutes to pump for gas on a regular fill up. Outside of a natural disaster or something.
Never done such a thing or been in a spot where I have needed to.

Though I generally fill up at a tiny little station with top tier full at the entrance of the trailer park. Which I have actually never seen the new over the car method.

The other 2 spots I fill up no wait either but these 2 places where I have been seeing the tactic but as stated these are not the long hose pumps I am just learning of.

Never done that, never seen the long hoses but also never been to a Costco.

I'd also never wait in a line for gas more than one car. I usually stop for gas just above a quarter tank so if it's busy that time, I can come back.

If you want to talk about gas station problems, how about the idiots who park at the pumps and go inside to buy other shit and then just leave (so its not like they need to pre-pay)?

Maybe when pump camping became socially acceptable? At a station the other day, I pulled up behind a car that was pump camping at one of the two diesel pumps. I started to move towards the other pump when a woman pulls up to it in a truck just like mine I know her fill was on the opposite side of the pump she pulled up to. When she got out, I politely asked if she was getting fuel. She was not, offered to move, and proceeded to pump camp in front of one of the gasoline pumps. There were no less than 8 empty parking spaces right at the front of the store.

It took me 10 minutes to fill up and neither pump camper emerged from the store during that time.

 
One of Car Talk's weekly puzzlers was how can you tell which side the gas tank filler door is by only looking at the rear of the vehicle. Answer, it is the side opposite the exhaust pipe.

quote:

I open tank, use one hand for nozzle, and one hand to hold hose so it doesn't rub vehicle...

Exactly how I do it.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob at the Beach:

I use Costco and the line can be long.

Yes, there are usually a few cars waiting, but there is no convenience store for inconsiderate people to go in, buy lottery tickets, cigarettes, three day old microwave burritos, etc. while they leave their vehicles parked at the pump, so the line moves fairly quickly. Just gas, and go. There is nothing else to do at Costco pumps, nothing shiny to look at to slow things down.

I don't mind waiting a couple minutes, I can check email on my phone, so the time is not really wasted. Pump price is generally about 10% less than other local gas stations, and there is an additional 4% cash back when paying with a Costco VISA.

---

Pro tip: When you need gas, leave the house a few minutes early and gas up on your way to work. Costco near me has twelve pumps and most of them are not in use early morning, it's drive right up, gas, and go.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeNH:
If you want to talk about gas station problems, how about the idiots who park at the pumps and go inside to buy other shit and then just leave (so its not like they need to pre-pay)?

What we need is an OUT OF ORDER sign to hang on the pump while they are inside.

When Costco installed long hoses at their pumps that both allowed and promoted the practice.

Seems like, in the olden days before EPA, or for some other reason, hoses were attached the the side of the pump, and were much longer. You could take the hose around the back of the vehicle to reach the far side without too much difficulty. There was a lot more wrong-side filling than there is now, and this was true even for the pump jockeys. Then "gas station attendant" became an obsolete profession. Then they moved the hose attachment to overhead, and shortened the hoses considerably. Some years later they added breakaway connectors. Before the breakaways, if you drove off with the nozzle still in the filler, you stood a good chance of pulling the entire pump assembly off its pad, kinda like making off with the speaker unit at the drive-in (yes, I know I am dating myself now).

Like others, I pick the shortest line at Costco. No 'right' side or 'wrong' side. Just a quick line or a long line.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
One of Car Talk's weekly puzzlers was how can you tell which side the gas tank filler door is by only looking at the rear of the vehicle. Answer, it is the side opposite the exhaust pipe.

Dual exhaust ?

I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that?

For the air nozzle to fill tires, yes, but gas nozzles, no.

My little Civic Si is at the very end of the driver side. So I can easily use either pump. My wife's Nissan is on the passenger side.

I go for the quickest pump for time savings. I'm still amazed how many motor vehicle operators are stumped by the fuel pump and payment. It's like brain surgery to them.