Guys and girls, it only takes 1 time for something to go wrong to seriously mess up your day. Why risk it just to keep your car warm or cool? It's seriously not worth the risk. Sorry if this comes off all preachy and stuff, and I'm not just picking on BlakcBIRD. I just think it's silly to risk a fire or explosion for something so trivial. Just turn off the engine.

 

You would risk a friendship over something that tivial?

 

I dont think thats what he meant...but I might be wrong

 

Has anybody heard that startin your car, although frequent as we do, is not a favorable thing to do for the engine. Remember those oil commercials, sumthin about viscosity? I prevent restarting as much as possible, and living in NY could be a dangerous thing to do.

 

How many folks here actually turn off their cell phones when at the pumps??

 

I've gotten to the point where I leave it in the car, instead of on my belt clip. I think I turned my phone off ONCE at the gas station; that was after I saw a gas station blow up because someone was on the cell phone. That was the only time I ever turned it off.

 

Snopes

 

other than possibly catching you and the car on fire?

 

He didn't give any details so that's what I got from it.

 

Im pretty sure the gas station and police fine motive for telling you to turn your car off is to prevent theft. Seriously doubt if police and gas station owners give a hoot if your CEL comes on.

 

Like Irish said "it is a static elec." thing and a study concluded that most accidents that happen are due to static elec. ignition. Apparently, when you leave the car running and you get back in the car to stay warm, while the gas pumps, then return to the pump from the INTERIOR of your car and in doing so you build up "static electricity" and as soon as you touch the pump handle KA-BOOM!

At least thats the theory?

 

It's a good theory but it mainly applies in cold weather conditions. I saw a video clip of a lady wearing a wool sweater that started pumping her gas, went back into her car for something, grabbed the pump nozzle and the static charge from her hand ignited the gas vapors. She did not panic and managed to get the flame under control.

 

Naah - I leave my car running, smoke, and light cherry bombs. Not a problem

 

Thats one way to stay "warm" when its cold out! Seriously, I'm glad she was Ok.

 

It's against the law in every state to leave your car running, IIRC. It's a safety issue. There are also age restrictions to pumping gas, but those vary state to state.

 

hey in some states it is illegal to pump ur own gas

 

i thought that ran the risk of blowing the car up

 

I always turn my car off before filling up with petrol. I think if I did leave my car running some d*ck might steal my ride or something. Here in Australia you must turn your vehicle off before filling up.

 

Hehehehe... I never leave the car on and I give the evil eye to anyone I see doing this... I even saw this white trash lady smoking while she was filling up.

 

hell no we dont pay for full service, i know nj is cheaper than cali!!! and they dont even have full service. super is like 2.03 - 2.10 right now. thats pretty cheap.. yeah i dont know any other state with that law, i guess we have alot of theives stealing cars, while its unattended.

 

what kind of a moron would keep a car running while filling up? Geez, I guess there are more stupid people than I imagine, who risk themselves for catching on fire, or yet, explosion at the gas station. Or yet, someone could carjack you.

 

WOW, i have never turned the car off when i fill up, nor have the attendents ever questioned me about it no matter where i drove. I just drive up sit in car, fill up and go. Guess I learned it from my parents, never had a prob though. Actually when I saw my friends shutting their's off i was like what are you doing? Maybe it was a new york thing even though i have lived in jersey since i was 14 and am now almost 23.

P.S. - I always get full service and never left the car while it was running so threat of it being stolen.

 

never done it, never will