Can you gas up while leaving your engine running?

[RTStork]

Fireworks are for 4 Huly and for Afganstan

LMAO!

 

[Robert]

Regarding the static discharge issue: The only time I have ever gotten shocked from my Explorer was when I was getting in, when the engine was NOT running.

 

[TPLYNCH]

Leaving it running gives you the opportunity to fill it up a little extra to make up for what you burned sitting there. Theoretically, you could continually pump gas into your Ex, especially at the rate it sucks down gas! ;-)

 

[leenjen]

Originally posted by 2001ExpSport
Is this sort of like, a dog will lick his balls because he can thing?.....
... they CAN even though there is no real purpose....

lol...
i'm pretty sure there is a reason dogs do it (like cleaning themselves)

i doubt the dog is bored and just decides; might as well sit around and lick my balls...

lol..

 

[ok89]

Well just don't fill up at the gas station with your car running when other people are there. They would have left their cars on too if they wanted to take a chance on exploding. But you and your Exploder can explode if you want to.

 

[Lemondrop]

Gasoline is not as explosive as everyone thinks . It has to have air to set off . Ive filled my truck many times with the engine running , but only when my daughter is inside and it's in the high 90's and feels like 100's . If the "Static Discharge " was a problem , don't you think it would be worse on a empty fume filled tank than on one being filled with cool gasoline ? I believe the static discharge is for filling portable fuel cans . I think it was started years ago when cars had a bigger shot of igniting a fire . Now it's hard to get a gas fire in a vehicle . A gas station is a bad place for fumes , and if you were going to ignite something by running your engine , it wouldnt be your truck . I turn my truck off most times as there is no advantage to running it . I personally think running the truck puts off less fumes as the evaporative system has a shot at the fresh fumes , but the extra hydrocarbons going out the tail pipe makes up for the bonus .

 

[2001ExpSport]

Originally posted by Lemondrop
Gasoline is not as explosive as everyone thinks . It has to have air to set off . Ive filled my truck many times with the engine running , but only when my daughter is inside and it's in the high 90's and feels like 100's . If the "Static Discharge " was a problem , don't you think it would be worse on a empty fume filled tank than on one being filled with cool gasoline ? I believe the static discharge is for filling portable fuel cans . I think it was started years ago when cars had a bigger shot of igniting a fire . Now it's hard to get a gas fire in a vehicle . A gas station is a bad place for fumes , and if you were going to ignite something by running your engine , it wouldnt be your truck . I turn my truck off most times as there is no advantage to running it . I personally think running the truck puts off less fumes as the evaporative system has a shot at the fresh fumes , but the extra hydrocarbons going out the tail pipe makes up for the bonus .

So what exactly are you saying? Cold gas is less volitile as warm gas? Or a tank with less FUMES in it is more explosive? How does the a running truck put off less fumes and why didn't I get an evaporative system with my truck?

 

[Bill Kemp]

Years ago the gas fill was close to the exhaust pipe and pumps didnt have auto shut offs. Many were behind the licence plates or in the tail light housing(55 Cad.) directly over the exhaust.
In the winter I fill with the motor running and have never had a problem nor have I heard of any problems.
But I 've only been doing it for the last 20 yrs. or so that I've had to pump my own so I guess something COULD happen but I doubt it.

 

[gt_stang88]

On OBD-II X's you should shut-off before filling up because they record pressure in the tank, if you depressurize it while running, it could trip a hard fualt code and your check engine light will stay lit until you have the codes cleared

 

[Lemondrop]

Originally posted by 2001ExpSport


So what exactly are you saying? Cold gas is less volitile as warm gas? Or a tank with less FUMES in it is more explosive? How does the a running truck put off less fumes and why didn't I get an evaporative system with my truck?

Colder fuel is less likely to evaporate and form fumes ( which is all gasoline fumes are ... evaporated fuel) When the truck is running the evaporative system sucks fumes off the fuel tank itself . Your vehicle has a evaporative system onboard as it's required by the gubment . All a evaporative system does is vacuum off fumes from your fuel tank . It's called evaporative because it's there to remove fumes which have evaporated and prevent them from getting into the air (pollution) . It's a series of vacuum lines and a charcoal canister to catch the liquid (from fumes condensing) until they evaporate again and can be sucked into the intake of the engine and burned .

 

[ld50]

I`m with Lemondrop on the volatility of gasoline. It needs air to ignite. The reason you get a lot of fumes at the gas tank is because the gas is "cascading" into the tank. We`ve all smelled it, I`m sure. In my work in the oil and gas industry I`ve seen some pretty strong static sparks happen in an area where we were all wearing airpacks because of the fumes. Scared the crap out of me, but it just isn`t hot enough to ignite.
Have you ever gotten a burn from a static spark?
Ever been shocked by a spark plug wire?
As for the smoking, This guy who used to work here (retired) showed us all a trick where he threw his smoke into a small cup of gas to prove that it would put the smoke out before igniting it.
Diesel is even harder to get burning, much higher flash point.

I believe you should turn your engine off though, while refueling. To be safe and reduce your emissions, idling for more than a minute is a waste of air. It adds up over time.

I think the greatest danger they are referring to when saying you shouldn`t smoke at the pump is from the actual lighting of the cigarrette. All the accidents from smoking that I`ve heard of is when the moron flicks the lighter.

I wouldn`t suggest smoking a hash pipe, water bong, OR a crack pipe while refueling either.

 

[VOATMJ1]

Originally posted by RTStork
I was told on the OBD-2 vehicles (96+) that the check engine light would come on if you opened the gas cap while the engine is running. Is this true and if so, does the light go off after you replace the cap?

I have an acutal light that says "Check Fuel Cap" if I do not it on correctly or not on at all. I have a 2000 model, and I believe that is when they started putting that light in.

In ref to fueling with the engine running, I have in the past done this, but only when it is sub zero weather. 99 percent of the time, I fuel with the engine off. In Iowa, it is a state law that your HAVE to fuel with your engine off.

 

[jssong]

i also have that light, but i tried opening my gas door and loosening the gap cap and turning on the engine and the light did not go out. mayb eu have to move for that light to go on.. dont know.. and dont really care to find out. even when i bought the car, the dealer told me that 2000+ models had to be shut off otherwise the CEL would go off. dont care to test the validity of that statement though

 

[VOATMJ1]

According to my owners manuel, it says that the vehicle has to have a certain amount of starts/mileage with the cap off or loose, before it will activate the light.

Once the cap is put on correctly, it takes the same amount of time before the light goes off.

You can fuel with the engine running, and if you put the cap back on correctly after fueling, you will never see the CEL/Check Fuel Cap light!

 

[Boondoggie]

For what it's worth:

I've seen boats (2) catch fire / small explosion while refueling.
The boats in question, being mostly plastic and fiberglass, also had plastic filler tubes, but a metal gas-cap and collar that were grounded. (Watered? you'd think a boat, sitting in the water.. but i digress.)
From what I understood, each time it was blamed on the filler nozzle not actually contacting the collar, and thereby not grounding, allowing a static charge to build in the filler tube...

 

[Crankcase]

I think it takes 3 "normal driving cycles" with the gas cap off or loose to trigger the gas cap light.

In British Columbia gas stations, there are signs warning you to: "Turn off vehicle and turn off cell phones while fueling"

 

[VOATMJ1]

Originally posted by Crankcase
In British Columbia gas stations, there are signs warning you to: "Turn off vehicle and turn off cell phones while fueling"

That's not only in British Columbia, thats also in EVERY State in the U.S. Just makes good sense, unless you have a diesel thats another whole story!

 

[rscamaro73]

OK....info from experiance here - I'm an Aircraft Firefighter in the Marines. Been doing this for 12 years now, and I've dealt with lots of the refueler guys. Most of the fires I fight are jet fuel , JP-8 (since they did away wirh JP-4 & JP-5 {jp-5 for the most part}),....anyways, the thing on the static charge is very true. The Worst case scenario I heard was at a gas station - guy filling a plastic fuel jug for his mower in the back of his p/u truck, with a plastic bed liner. Just the FLOW of fuel will cause the static charge to build, and the 2 plastic surfaces will hold it until it can ground - kinda like when you rub a balloon and hold it next to your head.

ALL aricraft EVERYWHERE are grounded to the GROUND, and the the vehicle fueling them. You don't see that in boats or on cars/truck. That's why they want the vehicles shut off - the motors running still have the ignition system running, and the car DOES hold a charge. Which is a reason for the ground straps on the motor to the firewall and a ground strap from the motor to the frame, and also the ground from the battery to the motor/frame. Keep the circuit flowing, and not building.

Anyhows, I'm no electrician, but I'm sure they can give the theory behind this all as well, I'm just giving MY experience in this matter.....your mileage may vary.

 

[addkev]

So, the cell phone warning...
Is it for a static discharge reason or just so that hopefully you will pay attention to the hose and not Aunt Sally's latest marital problem?

According to my owners manuel, it says that the vehicle has to have a certain amount of starts/mileage with the cap off or loose, before it will activate the light.

That's what I had been told, it took a certain driving cycle to set it off.

 

[daniel cauchon]

Hey Guys when you live in the great freezing province of Quebec you always leave your engine running while you gas during winter ! don`t let it cool down !!, there is definetly not prob with that ! unless I would be dead for a long time now !