Leave a car running while refueling

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Sometimes when it is 99 degrees out and I need 10 gallons of gas I will leave the car running with the AC blasting so I do not step back into a sauna. My wife thinks that she should take out an extra life insurance policy because this is obviously much more dangerous that wresting 19 foot gators.

I fail to see how a modern car in good repair can possibly have anything go bad by doing this. Honestly what could go wrong?
 
It should trip an evap leak code.Also,most stations post signs saying "Shut off engine before fueling"...I'm surprised someone hasnt come out and harrassed you over it.Pump islands usually have 2 way speakers so they can hear inside that the engine is running.
 
Most likely, against the law.

I drove by a scene where someone had done this and the car ended up driving over the enbankment and down into a pond, in the winter, with kids in the vehicle.

Quote:

Honestly what could go wrong?


50,000 volts ignition, 500F cat, flammable, poisonous fuel being pumped? probably nothing.

The thing not anticipated most likely.

For the safety of others around you, shut off your vehicle.

Sorry pet peeve of mine.
 
You could get an EVAP check engine light or the fuel gauge may take forever to register.

I don't see the engine throwing sparks anywhere near the fuel filler.
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Gas pumps have awnings so the car won't heat up that much in the 5 minutes it takes to refuel. I mean can you stand being moderately warmer than you would prefer for 30 seconds once a week? If so shut the car off.
 
Originally Posted By: AlienBug
Gas pumps have awnings so the car won't heat up that much in the 5 minutes it takes to refuel. I mean can you stand being moderately warmer than you would prefer for 30 seconds once a week? If so shut the car off.


I agree, I bet in the time it takes to fill up the car the interior of the car is only going to change by about 5 degrees. So it's still going to be considerably cooler than the outside air. Don't be foolish, shut the engine off. If it isn't already, it should be against the law to leave the engine running while refueling.
 
It's against the law in my neck of the woods, and can trigger a CEL. I just shut the engine off when re-fueling, I don't need the hassle.
 
Most likely, against the law. - I don't really care, I speed and do rolling stops through stop signs all the time. Have not gotten a ticket in over 24 years.

I drove by a scene where someone had done this and the car ended up driving over the enbankment and down into a pond, in the winter, with kids in the vehicle. - I will take my chances since my car is a stick shift and would stall in 1 second if it somehow got put into gear.

It should trip an evap leak code. - It doesn't, I have done it a million times.
Also,most stations post signs saying "Shut off engine before fueling" - I really don't care

I'm surprised someone hasnt come out and harrassed you over it.Pump islands usually have 2 way speakers so they can hear inside that the engine is running. - It is a 4 cyl Saturn that runs pretty darn smooth so no one is going to hear it over a crummy speaker. And if they did come out I would be done filling up my tiny tank anyhow.

I am not just trying to argue here - I want to know if anyone has ever heard of some car blowing up or real damage happening to a modern car in good repair. No gross negligence counts (IE - kids putting the car in gear and it rolling into a river and then going over Niagra Falls.
 
Originally Posted By: Barkleymut

I fail to see how a modern car in good repair can possibly have anything go bad by doing this. Honestly what could go wrong?


The most dangerous aspect is the chance of vehicle rolling or unintentionally accelerating(left in gear) into another innocent person or the pumps(if enough acceleration). My car is smart enough to keep doors locked and requires manual lock open if in gear. Not sure if most cars this way.
 
Surely someone will call me a liar or totally insane or perhaps even that I have a death wish, but I actually smoke when I fill my car up with gas. I don't do it all the time, but if I happen to have a cigarette in my mouth, I don't put it out. I've done this for years and no one at any time has ever stopped me or said anything. I do not advise or recommend doing this, but it is a bad habit of mine.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
It's against the law in my neck of the woods, and can trigger a CEL. I just shut the engine off when re-fueling, I don't need the hassle.


+1 Maybe you want to leave the car running, talk on the cell, and smoke all while refueling?
 
Maybe because most cars can throw check engine lights or "check fuel cap" messages if the fuel cap isn't sealed? Does your car really heat up that much under the big awning in the time it takes to refuel? Every fuel pump I've been to has very clear directions to "Turn off engine" or something to that effect. I'll bet your owner's manual says to turn off the engine while refueling too. Feel free to ignore directions at your own risk.
 
I always shut the engine off, even in 99 degree temperatures or sub zero temperatures. After all, there's an awning to protect me from the sun and heat, and I rarely (if ever) use the air conditioner.

Not only is it for my own safety, but the safety of others around me. I won't be so selfish as to think I need to keep the air conditioner running just so I don't break a sweat-it's only a few minutes.
 
You have to be a monumentally pompous ignorant selfishly stupid buffoon to ignore a basic safety step to prevent you, your car, the gas station and everyone around you being at risk for the number of odd freak circumstances that could arise and cause a hugely dangerous, deadly accident because you don't want to turn a key backwards and forwards and you're incredibly bothered by the extra four seconds of warm air you're stuck with...

The real problem is people are too polite to inform those who do this of this fact.
 
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I agree with shutting the engine off, but the high-voltage/hot cat argument is kind of silly. Vehicles travel up to, through, and around fueling stations continuously. Most people don't coast into a gas station with the engine off, either (not on purpose, at least.)

We've all been to [censored] stations where the vapor recovery system at least faulty enough for fumes to waft up to your nose, but it's far more common, IME, to smell nothing volatile in the air at all.

That doesn't mean that your cracked coil won't just happen to start sparking at the most inconvenient, 1:1,000,000,000,000 chance instance, such as during a freak gasoline fight accident!

Any other thoughts?
 
Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
Most likely, against the law. - I don't really care, I speed and do rolling stops through stop signs all the time. Have not gotten a ticket in over 24 years.

I drove by a scene where someone had done this and the car ended up driving over the enbankment and down into a pond, in the winter, with kids in the vehicle. - I will take my chances since my car is a stick shift and would stall in 1 second if it somehow got put into gear.

It should trip an evap leak code. - It doesn't, I have done it a million times.
Also,most stations post signs saying "Shut off engine before fueling" - I really don't care

I'm surprised someone hasnt come out and harrassed you over it.Pump islands usually have 2 way speakers so they can hear inside that the engine is running. - It is a 4 cyl Saturn that runs pretty darn smooth so no one is going to hear it over a crummy speaker. And if they did come out I would be done filling up my tiny tank anyhow.

I am not just trying to argue here - I want to know if anyone has ever heard of some car blowing up or real damage happening to a modern car in good repair. No gross negligence counts (IE - kids putting the car in gear and it rolling into a river and then going over Niagra Falls.


So the safety signs, the law, the opinion of other Bitogers and your wife won't sway you. You obviously have an extremely low threshold of brief, marginal discomfort. I hope no one places a pea under your mattress.
 
Originally Posted By: AlienBug
So the safety signs, the law, the opinion of other Bitogers and your wife won't sway you. You obviously have an extremely low threshold of brief, marginal discomfort. I hope no one places a pea under your mattress.


I'm gonna take a guess he's the sorta guy where nothing he does is wrong,

But everyone else, yeah, they're wrong all the time.

I'd love to see him come back and complain that he lost his car to a gas station fire caused by "some idiot who didn't know better".
 
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Originally Posted By: RiceCake
You have to be a monumentally pompous ignorant selfishly stupid buffoon to ignore a basic safety step to prevent you, your car, the gas station and everyone around you being at risk for the number of odd freak circumstances that could arise and cause a hugely dangerous, deadly accident because you don't want to turn a key backwards and forwards and you're incredibly bothered by the extra four seconds of warm air you're stuck with...

The real problem is people are too polite to inform those who do this of this fact.


So you did not answer or even address my question you assuming jack wagon.
 
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Surely someone will call me a liar or totally insane or perhaps even that I have a death wish, but I actually smoke when I fill my car up with gas. I don't do it all the time, but if I happen to have a cigarette in my mouth, I don't put it out. I've done this for years and no one at any time has ever stopped me or said anything. I do not advise or recommend doing this, but it is a bad habit of mine.


I DO NOT recommend --> but i live to tell seeing a guy put a lit cigarette down a gas tank filler neck on 2 separate occasions
 
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