‘I’m a mechanic – drivers should know this tip to tell which side their fuel cap is’

Scotty Kilmer’s tip can help drivers avoid embarrassment at the petrol station (Image: Getty)

One of most popular motoring experts has shared a simple way for drivers to know which side of their vehicle the fuel filler is located on.

No matter how long a driver has been on the road for, almost everyone has pulled up to a only to realise that the fuel filler is on the opposite side of the car.

However, in , YouTuber and noted that all cars have a small icon that can help drivers to determine what side of the car their filler is located.

He explained: “Now, imagine you recently bought a car. Whether you bought a new or , when you pull up to the gas [petrol] station, it dawns on you that you don’t know which side of the car you need to use to fill the gas up.

“So, how do you know which side of the car to fill the gas up? Actually, the answer is right in front of you. Just look at the fuel gauge indicator on your dashboard. There you’ll see an arrow pointing to the left or right, indicating which side your gas tank is located on.”

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Close up of a vehicle fuel gauge with pump arrow

Most fuel gauges feature a small arrow showing which side of the pump drivers need to park on (Image: Getty)

Almost all drivers are aware that the fuel gauge in their car features a small icon featuring a petrol pump. However, few realise that this is typically accompanied by an arrow on the side.

This arrow can be used to show drivers which side of the fuel pump they need to park on in order to fill up the tank without causing embarrassment at the forecourt.

Another easy way to tell which side drivers will need to use to fill up with petrol or diesel is by identifying the side of the road motorists use in the model’s origin country, with traditionally right-hand drive models featuring the filler on the left and vice versa.

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Later in the video, Scotty added that vehicles traditionally had their fuel tank on the opposite side of the vehicle to the driver.

He added: “Some people say that, if the steering wheel is one the left-hand side, the tank will be on the right and vice versa. Well, that used to be the case because some countries regulated the location of the fuel tank for safety reasons.

“Historically, to prevent flash fires from the opposite contact of gasoline [petrol] with a hot exhaust pipe, the fuel tank used to be placed on the opposite side. This also was to protect pedestrians walking on the sidewalk from being directly exposed to exhaust fumes. Nowadays, many cars have two exhaust pipes or a central exhaust, so that rule is not relevant these days.”

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