Learning this hack means you'll never pull up to the wrong side of the pump again
Here’s How to Tell Which Side of the Car Your Gas Tank Is on—Without Getting Out
Published on Nov. 26, 2024
The only thing more embarrassing than miscalculating how many miles you can drive after your gas light comes on is pulling into a gas station in a rental car or while borrowing a relative’s SUV only to realize you have no idea which side of the vehicle the tank is on. As you approach the filling stations, you have to put the car in park briefly so you can hop out and examine the situation while everyone stares at you—or do you? Not if you know this handy tip for identifying which side of the car your gas tank is on while you’re still sitting pretty in the driver’s seat.
Get Reader’s Digest‘s Read Up newsletter for more travel, tech, humor, cleaning and fun facts all week long.
Here’s how to tell which side of the car your gas tank is on
There’s no need to get out of an unfamiliar vehicle to assess the location of your gas tank. “There’s a triangle or arrow next to the gas gauge in the dash,” says Glen Hayward, the CEO of Good Works Auto Repair, a technician certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and a member of the Neighborhood of Automotive Repair Professionals (NARPRO). “It points to the side of the vehicle where your fuel tank filler is located.”
Dave Martin, an ASE-certified tech and owner of Martin’s Auto Repair in Phoenix, explains that we have a Ford employee named Jim Moylan to thank for this hack. “He invented the gas tank indicator arrow in 1986, and it was put in select Ford models in 1989,” he says.
How else can you tell which side the gas tank is on?
Obviously, checking before you get into the car is another surefire way to head off an awkward gas station arrival. “Additionally, sometimes you can pop the fuel door open and look in the side mirror to see what side it’s on without getting out of the car,” says automotive educator Chaya M. Milchtein, author of Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership. “If you’re in the U.S., it is more likely that the gas door is on the right side of the car, opposite the driver, than on the driver’s side.” However, there’s a reason why all cars don’t put their gas tanks on the same side.
Driving a vintage vehicle? Milchtein says that on some older cars, the fuel pump icon—or the side of the icon that the fuel hose is on—is on the side of the fuel gauge that the fuel door is on.
Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this story on how to tell which side your gas tank is on, Jill Schildhouse tapped her experience as a travel writer and an avid traveler who spends approximately 150 days on the road each year. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Chaya Milchtein, automotive educator and author of Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership
- Dave Martin, an ASE-certified tech and owner of Martin’s Auto Repair in Phoenix
- Glen Hayward, CEO of Good Works Auto Repair, ASE-certified technician and member of NARPRO
