Car running while filling it....

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: supafly
FWIW my friend fills up his truck (diesel) while it's running. He says it's safe to do it with diesel.

Diesel fumes =! flammable
Yes, it is safe

 

[Shyatic]

Okay whoever things an "explosion" is going to happen is smoking something. The reason for this is back in the 70s, the pumps were not powerful enough to push the fuel down because there was backwards pressure from the fuel tank. And to boot, you'd kind of have to gauge it manually because the old style pumps didn't "click" in properly and there was plenty of overfilling and ie, spillage.

Nowadays that's about all that can happen -- the back pressure in the gas tank can cause an air bubble and the gas will overflow even if the car is dead empty. My habit lately has been to stop the car, rev the engine a bit and turn it off while revving. This pushes all the exhaust gases out and makes sure the gas tank doesn't get a bubble in the fuel line as you're fueling.

Nothing will happen if you leave your car on though. 99 times out of 100 you will have no air bubbles, it's that 1 time that you'll just get irrritated and have to sit there with your finger in the tank while it lets the air out

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: spidey07

What if there is something faulty with the car's electrical system? That law is there for a reason and not some inconvience.

You must be inexperienced with the legal system

What fault in the car's electrical system could possibly allow you to DRIVE to the gas station, and then explode the second you start pumping? That's not the real reason for the law. It's a "just-in-case" law, really. It keeps people from stealing cars while their owners are pumping, and it keeps the total bimbos from starting to fill up the car, getting back in, and then realizing that they want to go to the hairdresser's and driving off while the nozzle is still in their tank and pumping.

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124

Originally posted by: supafly
FWIW my friend fills up his truck (diesel) while it's running. He says it's safe to do it with diesel.

Diesel fumes =! flammable
Yes, it is safe

We used to light fires with diesel all the time.

less flammable than gasoline is NOT the same thing as inflammable.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124

Originally posted by: supafly
FWIW my friend fills up his truck (diesel) while it's running. He says it's safe to do it with diesel.

Diesel fumes =! flammable
Yes, it is safe

We used to light fires with diesel all the time.

less flammable than gasoline is NOT the same thing as inflammable.

Diesel fumes != flammable. You can put out cigarettes in diesel fuel (can also be done, carefully, with cold gasoline; kids, don't try this at home.) Having a spark anywhere near open gasoline can cause the vapor to ignite.

Diesel fuel is hard to burn compared to a lot of other substances (like gasoline or ethanol). Diesel engines ignite the fuel via compression, and need glow plugs to heat it up first when it's cold.

As for 'no car running while fueling'? Vibration causing a spark between the tank and dispenser is a possibility, but my money's mostly on people leaving the thing in gear and/or driving off. IMO, it seems very unlikely to start a fire unless something is really wrong with your electrical system.

What annoys the hell out of me is states (like mine) that don't allow the fuel pumps you can latch so they'll fill handsfree... it's frickin' cold in Massachusetts in the winter!

Someone pulled up behind me a while back and was filling their car while it was running. I mentioned it to them; I got a dirty look, but then they turned it off. It does say on the pumps to turn off your engine...

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124

Originally posted by: supafly
FWIW my friend fills up his truck (diesel) while it's running. He says it's safe to do it with diesel.

Diesel fumes =! flammable
Yes, it is safe

We used to light fires with diesel all the time.

less flammable than gasoline is NOT the same thing as inflammable.

Diesel fumes != flammable. You can put out cigarettes in diesel fuel (can also be done, carefully, with cold gasoline; kids, don't try this at home.) Having a spark anywhere near open gasoline can cause the vapor to ignite.

Diesel fuel is hard to burn compared to a lot of other substances (like gasoline or ethanol). Diesel engines ignite the fuel via compression, and need glow plugs to heat it up first when it's cold.

As for 'no car running while fueling'? Vibration causing a spark between the tank and dispenser is a possibility, but my money's mostly on people leaving the thing in gear and/or driving off. IMO, it seems very unlikely to start a fire unless something is really wrong with your electrical system.

What annoys the hell out of me is states (like mine) that don't allow the fuel pumps you can latch so they'll fill handsfree... it's frickin' cold in Massachusetts in the winter!

Someone pulled up behind me a while back and was filling their car while it was running. I mentioned it to them; I got a dirty look, but then they turned it off. It does say on the pumps to turn off your engine...

Hehe, thanks, you saved me the work of pointing out that I said fumes and not diesel itself.

 

[RiverDog]

Diesel fuel does burn, I use it in my oil furnace.

 

[manowar821]

Cellphones cannot start fires at the gas station, why do people still talk like they do?
I know that a running car, and static from your car seat CAN start fires, though.

 

[GasX]

The thing about internal combustion engines is that the combustion is INTERNAL.

The risk of anything happening are infintesimal, however the outcome of an "event" would be fairly catastrophic so...

 

[LS20]

same reason they dont want your laptop or mp3 players on while a plane is taking off, or cell phone will theyre in the air.

realistic danger? nope

 

[fisheerman]

No way to start a fire with the engine running at a gas pump this is complete bs. Back in the day, cars had carburators that could cause a backfire and catch things on fire but it was rare.

The laws are there because they are old and there is noone wanting to get rid of them. They post all of this stuff and everyone goes nuts "Youll blow yourself up"

Cell phones will not do it either.....it has never been proving just theoritical (mythbusters tried and they ended up having a arc in pure gasoline vapors 10 times what the worst cell phone could imit and it didn't do anything) .

The car being left in gear is a bigger reason to be concerned.

another stupid law!

-fish

 

[fisheerman]

Originally posted by: RiverDog
Diesel fuel does burn, I use it in my oil furnace.

but you have to have a pilot light already burning in order to get it started........

it takes a hot flame to start diesel fuel.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

i leave my car running all the time when i fill.

 

[RiverDog]

Ain't no pilot light in an oil furnace, just a spark from the transformer.

 

[Softballslug]

Originally posted by: Jawo
Running your car while filling up is just stupid....not much gas, or fumes + short in car/something else nearby for carboom

And yest he cellphone thing has happened...can't find the article now.....

Then we need to put the pumps in such a location so that NO ONE can DRIVE BY while your filling up!!!!!!

 

[Kelemvor]

Most gas pumps now have a vapor recovery system built in that sucks up the gas fumes so there really is no danger these days in all practical purposes. But they still have signs telling you to turn off the car and stop using your cell phone and everything but it's more just leftover from reasons from years ago. Kind of like the idea to change your oil every 3000 miles. Can't teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[Luthien]

You can get ticketed

 

[irishScott]

Worst case scenario: Either "PWOOF" or "BOOM".

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: deepred98
sparks therefore fire or explosions

Any fumes dense enough to burn/explode will have an overpowering smell. In addition, any cloud of fumes dense enough to explode almost certaily will regardless of whether your car is on or not, or your phone is on or not. Think of all the sparks flying around in the car next to yours starter motor when he turns it on to leave . . .

 

[jiggahertz]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124

Originally posted by: supafly
FWIW my friend fills up his truck (diesel) while it's running. He says it's safe to do it with diesel.

Diesel fumes =! flammable
Yes, it is safe

We used to light fires with diesel all the time.

less flammable than gasoline is NOT the same thing as inflammable.

Diesel fumes != flammable. You can put out cigarettes in diesel fuel (can also be done, carefully, with cold gasoline; kids, don't try this at home.) Having a spark anywhere near open gasoline can cause the vapor to ignite.

Diesel fuel is hard to burn compared to a lot of other substances (like gasoline or ethanol). Diesel engines ignite the fuel via compression, and need glow plugs to heat it up first when it's cold.

As for 'no car running while fueling'? Vibration causing a spark between the tank and dispenser is a possibility, but my money's mostly on people leaving the thing in gear and/or driving off. IMO, it seems very unlikely to start a fire unless something is really wrong with your electrical system.

What annoys the hell out of me is states (like mine) that don't allow the fuel pumps you can latch so they'll fill handsfree... it's frickin' cold in Massachusetts in the winter!

Someone pulled up behind me a while back and was filling their car while it was running. I mentioned it to them; I got a dirty look, but then they turned it off. It does say on the pumps to turn off your engine...

I can't stand this. I'll usually shove an empty water bottle in the handle or something so I don't have to babysit the pump.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
Most gas pumps now have a vapor recovery system built in that sucks up the gas fumes so there really is no danger these days in all practical purposes. But they still have signs telling you to turn off the car and stop using your cell phone and everything but it's more just leftover from reasons from years ago. Kind of like the idea to change your oil every 3000 miles. Can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Really? Maybe in your state. I'm in Pennsylvania, and I have never seen anything with a vapor recovery system - the gas vapor coming out while refueling is dense enough that it produces very visible distortions in the air.

 

[RiverDog]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
Most gas pumps now have a vapor recovery system built in that sucks up the gas fumes so there really is no danger these days in all practical purposes. But they still have signs telling you to turn off the car and stop using your cell phone and everything but it's more just leftover from reasons from years ago. Kind of like the idea to change your oil every 3000 miles. Can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Really? Maybe in your state. I'm in Pennsylvania, and I have never seen anything with a vapor recovery system - the gas vapor coming out while refueling is dense enough that it produces very visible distortions in the air.

www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol29/29-15/584.html - 32k

Pa has had vapor recovery rules since 1998 for a lot of the stations. I see these systems nearly every time i fill up.

 

[Jeeebus]

What if the car was on a treadmill while filling up?

 

[RiverDog]

Originally posted by: Jeeebus
What if the car was on a treadmill while filling up?

Somebody would use their cell phone to report it and everything would explode!

 

[torpid]

Better question... why would anyone leave it running? Leaving your car running while filling up the gas tank is self-defeating, because you are wasting gas. The only reason I can think to do it is if your car was just jump started, or your family is in the car and really likes the britney song playing on the radio.

 

[mobobuff]

Originally posted by: torpid
Better question... why would anyone leave it running? Leaving your car running while filling up the gas tank is self-defeating, because you are wasting gas. The only reason I can think to do it is if your car was just jump started, or your family is in the car and really likes the britney song playing on the radio.

Where do you live, just out of curiousity.