Fuel lid on which side?

sbasak · 19th January 2006, 19:52

I don't know if the question sounds odd, but I like to know if there is a rational behind it

Some cars have fuel lids placed on left hand side while others on the right hand side.
What's the logic behind it?

In most cases (there are many exceptions though) the fuel lid is placed on the opposite side of the driver (based on the actual originating country of the car).
For example, German/Italian cars have fuel lid on right side of the car (they are normally LHD in Europe)
Japanese cars have it on left side of the car (RHD in Japan)

Or it is just haphazard?

Ram · 19th January 2006, 20:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbasak

I don't know if the question sounds odd, but I like to know if there is a rational behind it

Some cars have fuel lids placed on left hand side while others on the right hand side.
What's the logic behind it?

In most cases (there are many exceptions though) the fuel lid is placed on the opposite side of the driver (based on the actual originating country of the car).
For example, German/Italian cars have fuel lid on right side of the car (they are normally LHD in Europe)
Japanese cars have it on left side of the car (RHD in Japan)

Or it is just haphazard?

It's not haphazard.

To explain the rationale,
rather than left and right, let's first define curbside and offside.

The driving position is on the offside.
This puts the driver closer to the center of the road than the curb, so that they have maximum visibility while driving.

In the case of vans that don't have bilateral doors, the passenger door should be on the curbside.
In the case of vans that have a vertical hinge, the hinge should be on the offside while the handle should be on the curbside.
Exterior mirrors should have the plane mirror on the offside and the convex mirror (the one that says, :"Caution, objects in mirror are closer than they appear") is on the curbside.

The vehicle pulls off the road into the petrol pump from the curbside and pulls up to the pumping station so that the fuel-filler door is close to the pumping station and its counting display.
Fuel fillers should therefore be on the curbside.

In a right-hand drive country like India, Australia & N.Zealand, Japan, UK,
Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, South & East African countries, Guyana, Suriname & St. Lucia,
you drive on the left hand side of the road.
Then the left side is curbside and the right side is the offside.

vice-versa for the remaining one hundred and sixty-three countries of the world.

Hope this helps.

kpzen · 19th January 2006, 21:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram

It's not haphazard.

To explain the rationale,
rather than left and right, let's first define curbside and offside.

The driving position is on the offside.
This puts the driver closer to the center of the road than the curb, so that they have maximum visibility while driving.

In the case of vans that don't have bilateral doors, the passenger door should be on the curbside.
In the case of vans that have a vertical hinge, the hinge should be on the offside while the handle should be on the curbside.
Exterior mirrors should have the plane mirror on the offside and the convex mirror (the one that says, :"Caution, objects in mirror are closer than they appear") is on the curbside.

The vehicle pulls off the road into the petrol pump from the curbside and pulls up to the pumping station so that the fuel-filler door is close to the pumping station and its counting display.
Fuel fillers should therefore be on the curbside.

In a right-hand drive country like India, Australia & N.Zealand, Japan, UK,
Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, South & East African countries, Guyana, Suriname & St. Lucia,
you drive on the left hand side of the road.
Then the left side is curbside and the right side is the offside.

vice-versa for the remaining one hundred and sixty-three countries of the world.

Hope this helps.

Very well explained...but
Does this hold good for different position of Exhaust silencer...

sbasak · 19th January 2006, 21:41

@ram
Well explained!
But what about the exceptions then? As per you opinion, even Mercedes then places fuel lid on the wrong side in India! The well known Land Rover is a British car, yet it places fuel lid on offside (right of car).

Kinetik · 19th January 2006, 23:02

its on the opposite side of the exhaust atleast for the indian cars as nearly all of them have one exhaust end

adit1329 · 19th January 2006, 23:51

The fuel lid is always on the opposite side of the driver for visibility when you are refuelling at a Pumping Station....

You don't need to stretch to see.

A few cars still have it on the drivers side maybe because they were the imported kits and the driving position was only changed.

Like the Baleno that has space on the Right hand side in the Engine 'well' so you can convert it to right hand drive if required....

my 2paise

jat · 20th January 2006, 00:00

Or was it because initially rich guys could afford cars and it was they who used to pay while sitting in the rear seat which would have been of left side in India

RK

adit1329 · 20th January 2006, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by jat

Or was it because initially rich guys could afford cars and it was they who used to pay while sitting in the rear seat which would have been of left side in India

RK

hmmmm, nice thought process, ease of payment.....

v1p3r · 20th January 2006, 02:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by adit1329

Like the Baleno that has space on the Right hand side in the Engine 'well' so you can convert it to right hand drive if required....

Sorry, bro, but I didn't quite follow this. Can you explain it again?

ghostrider4385 · 20th January 2006, 09:33

Nice explanation... but the way I see it, you would be turning your head around ANYWAY to see the meter reading on the fuel pump! :S...
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]godspeed.[/SIZE]

ghostrider4385 · 20th January 2006, 09:37

And more over... if the lid was on the offside it would be easier to see if the fool has closed the lid properly after refuelling, right?!

godspeed.

nitrous · 20th January 2006, 10:32

My Ikon has it on the left side and my sumo has it on the right side.

Samurai · 20th January 2006, 11:22

Ram, you explanation looks logical, but I haven't seen it in practice. Obviously in our own vehicles we know which side, but it has always been a pain while driving rented cars in US. It is a good thing most rental (in US) give fully fueled cars. But when I have to fill, then I start wondering which side since there is no apparent standard. I have often stopped to get out and check before pulling into a gas station.

Rtech · 20th January 2006, 11:38

All fuel stations have access for a car on either side. So it shouldn't be a problem really.

As Samurai says, the curbside/offside point sounds logical, but the only advantage I can think of by having it curbside would be if you run out of gas on the highway and need to fill up from a jerrycan or something. Then it would surly be better to have it curbside.

mclaren1885 · 20th January 2006, 11:54

What rtech and samurai said might be the logical reason to have the lid on the curbside.. Might sound stupid , but i always had a doubt .. Does the position of the fuel tank mostly depend on the side the exhaust pipe runs from ?? Bcoz logically speaking i have noticed the fuel lids to be oppsite to the position of the silencer pipe ..

Also is there a any particular rule that says the exhaust pipes should mostly be on the right side or is it put in use by the companies for ease ..

RAM : very well explained ..

19th January 2006, 19:52	#1
sbasak BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CCU-LTN Posts: 608 Thanked: 14 Times	Fuel lid on which side? I don't know if the question sounds odd, but I like to know if there is a rational behind it Some cars have fuel lids placed on left hand side while others on the right hand side. What's the logic behind it? In most cases (there are many exceptions though) the fuel lid is placed on the opposite side of the driver (based on the actual originating country of the car). For example, German/Italian cars have fuel lid on right side of the car (they are normally LHD in Europe) Japanese cars have it on left side of the car (RHD in Japan) Or it is just haphazard?
	() Thanks

19th January 2006, 21:41	#4
sbasak BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CCU-LTN Posts: 608 Thanked: 14 Times	@ram Well explained! But what about the exceptions then? As per you opinion, even Mercedes then places fuel lid on the wrong side in India! The well known Land Rover is a British car, yet it places fuel lid on offside (right of car).
	() Thanks

19th January 2006, 23:02	#5
Kinetik BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 324 Thanked: 7 Times	its on the opposite side of the exhaust atleast for the indian cars as nearly all of them have one exhaust end
	() Thanks

19th January 2006, 23:51	#6
adit1329 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 346 Thanked: 3 Times	The fuel lid is always on the opposite side of the driver for visibility when you are refuelling at a Pumping Station.... You don't need to stretch to see. A few cars still have it on the drivers side maybe because they were the imported kits and the driving position was only changed. Like the Baleno that has space on the Right hand side in the Engine 'well' so you can convert it to right hand drive if required.... my 2paise
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 00:00	#7
jat BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: SINGAPORE Posts: 265 Thanked: 7 Times	Or was it because initially rich guys could afford cars and it was they who used to pay while sitting in the rear seat which would have been of left side in India RK
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 09:33	#10
ghostrider4385 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 389 Thanked: 12 Times	Nice explanation... but the way I see it, you would be turning your head around ANYWAY to see the meter reading on the fuel pump! :S... [SIZE=2][/SIZE] [SIZE=2]godspeed.[/SIZE]
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 09:37	#11
ghostrider4385 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 389 Thanked: 12 Times	And more over... if the lid was on the offside it would be easier to see if the fool has closed the lid properly after refuelling, right?! godspeed.
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 10:32	#12
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	My Ikon has it on the left side and my sumo has it on the right side.
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 11:22	#13
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,831 Thanked: 45,612 Times View My Garage	Ram, you explanation looks logical, but I haven't seen it in practice. Obviously in our own vehicles we know which side, but it has always been a pain while driving rented cars in US. It is a good thing most rental (in US) give fully fueled cars. But when I have to fill, then I start wondering which side since there is no apparent standard. I have often stopped to get out and check before pulling into a gas station.
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 11:38	#14
Rtech Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,770 Thanked: 359 Times View My Garage	All fuel stations have access for a car on either side. So it shouldn't be a problem really. As Samurai says, the curbside/offside point sounds logical, but the only advantage I can think of by having it curbside would be if you run out of gas on the highway and need to fill up from a jerrycan or something. Then it would surly be better to have it curbside.
	(1) Thanks

20th January 2006, 11:54	#15
mclaren1885 BANNED Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bangalore (the city of modded cars) !! Posts: 4,820 Thanked: 45 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (10)	What rtech and samurai said might be the logical reason to have the lid on the curbside.. Might sound stupid , but i always had a doubt .. Does the position of the fuel tank mostly depend on the side the exhaust pipe runs from ?? Bcoz logically speaking i have noticed the fuel lids to be oppsite to the position of the silencer pipe .. Also is there a any particular rule that says the exhaust pipes should mostly be on the right side or is it put in use by the companies for ease .. RAM : very well explained ..
	() Thanks