Core77

What side is the gas tank on?

By Rain Noe - October 15, 2007

in Object Culture

We can't tell you how many times we've pulled up to the pump in a rental car and fruitlessly scanned the side mirrors for that telltale finger-bump that lets us know what side the gas tank is on. Well, turns out automakers have a system for this built into the icons, which we just never knew about. And yes, we feel like fools for not knowing/recognizing it sooner:

via bits and pieces and dump trumpet

Addendum/Revision: As you can tell, this post was written by one of our Manhattanite correspondents, whose friends are as likely to have cars as they are in-ground swimming pools. As numerous readers with access to actual automobiles have informed us, the tip mentioned above simply isn't always true. But it'd be nice, wouldn't it?

o

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gas thermocouples

13 years ago

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I'm not sure about it. But all i know is, the place where the gas tank is located have an arrow pointing on it. But if you own a car, its just a matter of familiarizing your own car.
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Vick

13 years ago

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Actually this is wrong. The actual theory is that the direction of the gas HANDLE of the pump shows which side the tank is not the side of the outlet pipe coming fromt he pump. Based on this, in both given exaples the tank would be on the left side of the car. If the gas HANDLE is directing to right side then the tank would be on the right side of the vehicle.

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Sherry Robertson

15 years ago

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I thought duh, how simple. Why did I not know about it before. Then I checked my car. This doesn't work for my 1998 Saturn SL1.
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drive by guy

15 years ago

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Car manufacturers will locate fuel tank openings on both sides equally so that everyone doesn't hit the same pump sides. This was done to alleviate fill-up congestion at the stations. Though...some stations are large enough so that you can choose what delivery side you want. I only buy cars that have driver side delivery simply because I can stay warm and still be close to watch the filling process as required by law.
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Pro Car Designer

15 years ago

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First of all, its not the hose of the gas tank you need to look at rather on which side of the FULL-EMPTY line the little gas tank is placed. Even if your meter is on the right of the speedometor, if the gas tank icon is on the left of gas meter then your tank is on the left. Japan adds arrows to the tank icon (Toyota Honda) and the Coreans (Kia Hyundai) also.
Secondly, Dong is one major asshole to insult right of the bat and without saying anything constructive. Isn't this a forum to discuss ideas or more? Dong needs manners if you ask me.
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Hammer

16 years ago

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LargePod, I have a 1998 Ford F-150 also and you are right, the hose on the icon is on the right, which is showing the pump orientation not the filler side. However, if you weren't so busy trying to rip this guy, you might also notice that there is an arrow next to the icon pointing to the left, which is the side the filler is on.
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ddd dddd

16 years ago

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It's the whole gas pump symbol. If it's by the E then it's on the driver side. If it's by the F then it's on the passenger side.
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scooter sanders

16 years ago

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First off if your tank fill cap is in the rear than it makes no difference, however if your tank is on the passenger side of the vehicle than your icon has a handle on the left of the pump
which means you should always pull up to the pump so it is on your right side or passenger side and if your tank fill cap is on your driver side than you should have an icon with the handle facing to the right indicating that you should always pull up to the pump with it on your left or driver side. the key here is the icon it is of a pump not of the fill cap it s telling you where the pump should be!

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Me

16 years ago

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The red writing is wrong in the above photo.

The 'Icon' lets you know which side of the pump you should pull up to.

As you look at the pump as you drive up to it, if your 'Icon' has the hose on the left then you should pull up to the pump with the hose on the left side of the pump, and if your 'Icon' has the hose on the right, then you need to pull up to the pump with the hose on the right side of the pump.

Very simple, don't try to guess what side the tank is on, the VIEW of the pump should MATCH the 'Icon'..
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Debbie

16 years ago

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Does NOT apply to DODGE INTREPID.. Trust me!! I relied on this and failed miserably in a rainstorm...

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Debbie

16 years ago

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Does NOT apply to DODGE INTREPID.. Trust me!! I relied on this and failed miserably in a rainstorm...

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Ed McConnell

16 years ago

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Nothing mentioned about vehicles with tank behind license plate at center of trunk. Just another way to invalidate this post.
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Wondering

16 years ago

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Wow that is so true my mom and step dad were like fighting about if the car told you what side the gas tank was on! i showed them this website and there like ha!!!
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bri

16 years ago

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my 91 chevy symbol i on the right but filler is on the left?and my uk 95 ford probe symbol on right filler on left? who cares anyway the pump pipe is long enough to reach both sides of your car......
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Eddie Gould

16 years ago

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I am waitting on the Patent I applied for to come through. I have been working on an idea for something that would tell us what side the tank is on. How do you like pulling in to get gas and get out to pump it? Just to find out the tank is on the other side. Would you be interested in something like that? When I get the Patent and my Web-Site,up and running, I will Post it here.
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mike

16 years ago

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it would be more covenient if they were all on the same side...my preference would be the drivers side...anyone know why they vary?
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who cares

16 years ago

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I think the hose on the icon means it is a male car.
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ed

16 years ago

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It isn't true on Saturns either. My wife's Saturn has the icon handle on the right side, but the filler is on the left. So much for that theory.
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LargePod

16 years ago

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Doesn't work on my 1998 Ford F150 or 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SE either. Bullsh*t!
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Robert

16 years ago

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My wife received this before and we double checked it on our two vehicles, with the Toyota dealer, and with Advantage rental car service. Actually, the handle indicates how you should pull up to the gas pump. If the handle is on the right, then the cars fill opening is on the left. If the handle is on the left, then the cars fill opening is on the right. I know it may be confusing, but that is actually how it works. The picture is really telling you how to pull up to the pump.

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gilliss

16 years ago

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As mentioned on snopes.com (see linked URL), there is actually a little triangular arrow on most new cars indicating the side of the gas cap.
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Karen

17 years ago

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Doesn't apply to my dodge Durango either.
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D

17 years ago

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This is all facinating! But do you have any idea how the manufactures decide what side of the car to put the gas tank?
Why don't they all put the gas tanks on the left side of all cars, eliminates the icon guessing game :)
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Pukachel

17 years ago

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This is not true. I own a 2003 Chevy Tahoe and my gas tank symbol on the dashboard is facing on the right. But My gas tank is on the left? how do you explain that?

signed ~Pukachel~
Honolulu, Hawaii
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co

17 years ago

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Wrong, the tank is in the middle of the car, not left or right.
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T

17 years ago

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This is so wrong. only by chance is it at all correct
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JJ Campbell

17 years ago

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Uh,...the pump icon on the 2005 Honda Odyssey also shows the handle on the right but the tank is on the driver's side (which, is the left if you're sitting in the car).
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Shane Hudson

17 years ago

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Doesn't apply for Dodge truck either.
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AUKEAN

17 years ago

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Suzuki has an arrow near the pump-indicator.I know that Honda & Toyota has a similar way to show you where the f* is the gas tank!
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andrea

17 years ago

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I checked my Volvo V50: besides the "right tank icon" there is also a little arrow pointing to the right.
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missval

17 years ago

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Mine has the hose on the right of the pump icon (take is on the left). It also has an arrow pointing to the left, indicating the proper side of the tank.
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you're doing it wrong

17 years ago

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Next you'll want a line of pulsing LEDs that guide you to the gas cap. One sure-fire way to figure it out is to lean out the window and take a look.
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you're wrong

17 years ago

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No good on my '04 Scion.

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Bryan

17 years ago

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This isnt always true, on my 1995 Hyundai it doesn't work.
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Gunnar

17 years ago

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Seriously, that's bad design. If someone needs to decifer the icon to gather the meaning of it then it's bad. I shouldn't be thought about. I had a vehicle that actually had an arrow with small text stateing which side the filler was on. That makes more sense. Or an arrow in the icon would make sense, but this solution is bad.
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Jay

17 years ago

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Some cars have gauges that are canted to one side or the other...corresponding to which side the gas tank is on too.

Do I ever remember that? Noooooo..... :)
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Josh

17 years ago

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Unfortunately, this doesn't work for the Chevy Impala my parents rented last weekend. It had an arrow pointing left, but the gas nozzle on the icon was on the right.
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Steve Joblin

17 years ago

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In addition to the location of the gas icon, many car makers will put a small arrow next to the icon letting you know which side the tank is on.
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Mark

17 years ago

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I think that if it isn't obvious that the symbol is indicating more than just the fuel level, then it isn't a very good design. Actually, it's a really dumb design. Why would you associate the side of a fuel bowser that the hose comes out of to mean the side of the *car* the hose goes into. They'd be better off using a car symbol somehow, because that's what we drive and put fuel into! No wonder nobody knows about this, most people would never even guess it means more than just the fuel level. Now I know what it means, I'll still not be checking the symbol that often, such that when I might need to find out what side of the car the hose goes into, I'll probably have forgotten about the fuel bowser symbol meaning more than just fuel level!
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ptamaro

17 years ago

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Wow, after all these years! I wonder why this isn't made more widely known? Do we attribute this problem to "user error"?

My Ford also adds an arrow which points to the side the tank is on. Now if they can just make 'em more fuel efficient so we gas-up less frequently, we'll run into this quandary less often.
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Rick Miller

17 years ago

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I had the same epiphany a wile ago, only to find out that it seemed to be a coincidence. Not all manufacturers have figured out this form of communication.
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jason

17 years ago

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Ok, I've seen this before on another site... It's not true, on my Nissan trucks the fillers are on the left side, and the icon is pointing right, and on the Toyota next door the filler is on the right and the icon points left. Now I've heard that the direction of the needle indicates the side that your filler is on, it holds true to the Nissans and Toyotas that I can see, I'm curious to hear whether or not it holds true for other people.
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Kas

17 years ago

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As much of a fantastic idea this is, and how amazing it is that nobody knows about it... however, it does seem a tad counter-intuitive to me...

Surely if the fuel pump's nozzle is on the right hand side (as displayed in the icon), it's indicating that you need to pull up on the right hand side of the pump - i.e. your tank is on the left. That image suggests it's the opposite of that...
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sabih

17 years ago

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this is actually confusing iconography, if that indeed is the case as the graphics show. if the pump has the hose coming from it's left side one could think that it means the gas tank is on the right side of the car...to line up on the proper side of the pump (and vice-versa for the other icon).

i think the problem is that there is no standard gas icon. some toyotas have an arrow next/underneath the gas pump icon to indicate which side the gas tank is on.
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Carlos

17 years ago

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Thanks for the info. A little know fact that people should know about.
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Peter Bird

17 years ago

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If only it were that easy... I've had several cars where this system wasn't followed, including my current Honda Civic. They used the right-hand icon for a tank on the left side.
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hugh

17 years ago

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So if I have the gas tank on the left side of the car , and need a gas pump with the hose on it's right , that is represented by a picture of a gas pump with it's hose on the left? That makes no sense at all.

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Anonymous

17 years ago

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This isn't true, my car has an icon like the yellow one on the right, but the tank is on the left.
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Alex

17 years ago

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this is ridiculous. its wrong. mine is the other way.
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Brian Kofford

17 years ago

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Most cars I've owned or rented lately actually have a small triangular arrow next to the pump icon pointing to the side of the car with the gas cap.
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Misinformed

17 years ago

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Hey buddy, yeah....thanks for misinforming however many people might view this blog. This isn't true so pulling shit out of your ass.
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Sweeney

17 years ago

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That's not true for the 2000 Chevy Blazer I'm currently driving. It's got the icon you show on the right, but the gas tank is on the left side of the car.
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Peter Serine

17 years ago

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I own a 1992 Dodge Dakota that does not conform to the "system" (gas nozzle graphic on the right, actual gas cap on the left.)
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Mike

17 years ago

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This is incorrect. My 92 Buick Lesabre has the fill on the drivers side but the gas tank icon points to the passenger side
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Michael

17 years ago

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Well, at least one car I have owned had a little triangular arrow next to the gas pump icon, indicating for the more intuitively impaired among us where the gas cap was...
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moioci

17 years ago

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Lately I'm noticing a little arrowhead adjacent to the pump icon that serves the same purpose. An example:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/.ee9ae92/cmd.233/enclosure..ee9ae93
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james

17 years ago

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Most newer cars (at least in Canada) have a little arrow beside the pump as an indicator.
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Josh

17 years ago

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This is not true. I have checked out several Hondas as of late, one from 1996, and one from 2007. Both had the symbol facing the right, and both cars gas tank was on the left side. Sorry!
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akatsuki

17 years ago

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I think it is a failure of the iconography. After all, if you think about it, the gas pump should be on the other side if your car is parked there. Frankly a generic arrow would be far superior in this situation and much less ambiguous.
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Eden_Mason

17 years ago

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There's also usually a little arrow that points to which side.
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Mkechaz

17 years ago

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For me, it took a 2nd marriage to learn this. I too didn't know this until my 2nd enlightened me. :)

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Deja Vu

17 years ago

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WRONG! =) My 2008 Honda Civic's gas tank icon is on the right, but the tank itself is on the left. =)
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Eric G

17 years ago

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I noticed that Toyota started putting an arrow (way easier to figure out) in their cars a couple years ago..seems like a bunch of manufacturers have followed suit.

See: http://www.fquick.com/blog/Where_My_Fuel_Tank_at_From_the_Front_to_Back/236
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RP

17 years ago

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This is not true on my 96 honda civic, the tank is on the left but the symbol has the hose on the right.
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Dong

17 years ago

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Doesnt apply for my truck or my co-workers car.

Hipstomp's a fool to post this without any research.
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Dong

17 years ago

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Doesnt apply on my Truck and my coworkers car... Your a fool for posting this without any research.
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