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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?
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?
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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.
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.
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Very well explained...but
Does this hold good for different position of Exhaust silencer...
@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).
its on the opposite side of the exhaust atleast for the indian cars as nearly all of them have one exhaust end
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 rl:
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 :D
RK
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 :D
RK
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hmmmm, nice thought process, ease of payment.....rl:
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....
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Sorry, bro, but I didn't quite follow this. Can you explain it again?
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]
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.
My Ikon has it on the left side and my sumo has it on the right side.
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.
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.
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 ..
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