You may think – how hard could it be to fill up fuel in my car. You’ve been doing it your whole driving life, haven’t you? Well, there’s always room for improvement.
DOs
Sure, it shows you how much fuel you have left, but in most cars there’s a small arrow that will also show you which side of your car the fuel flap can be found. This will save you an embarrassing moment trying to figure this out and also from having to carry the fuel nozzle over your car because you’ve parked at the wrong side.
Mixing up diesel and petrol and using the wrong fuel for the wrong engine can lead to catastrophic issues and a long hiatus without a car. Choose the right fuel with the right octane number for your car, however the latter is not an issue in Malaysia as our fuel starts at RON95 which is quite high and can be used for all cars available here.
Give the nozzle a couple of taps into your tank to get the last drops out, then lift it while pointing the nozzle upwards to avoid drops getting onto your paintwork or on the ground. Besides being a fire hazard, petrol is a solvent and will damage your paint.
DONTs
While the Mythbusters seem to have proven that your phone isn’t capable of igniting, you just don’t want to be distracted. You may drive off with the nozzle still in your car or you may even be a target for snatch theft because your attention is clearly divided.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the real fire hazard. All it takes to ignite fuel fumes is heat and a spark,and within seconds your car could be engulfed in flames. Don’t risk it, there is no benefit to be had in leaving your engine running in the few minutes it takes to fuel up. Also, a would-be car thief would find it a lot easier to steal your running car as the keys are already in the ignition and ready to go.
While it may seem like this is the most efficient way to do things i.e. only fill something when it’s empty, you could be causing more harm than good. Your fuel pump has to work much harder when there is less fuel in the tank, which could cause it to wear out faster. Instead, aim to fill up when you’re between one-eighth to one-quarter of a tank full.
Fill up safely and drive safe, folks!
