Why Should You Turn Off the Engine When Pumping Fuel?

Cars have a limited fuel tank capacity, so you have to refill it at a public refueling station (SPBU) when the fuel runs out. Often you see a warning to turn off the engine when you pump your fuel. The warning sign is in the form of a sticker affixed around the gas station area in a visible area. When you are going to fill up fuel at a gas station, the gas station attendant will ask you to turn off the vehicle's engine. This is because sometimes some drivers neglect and ignore the warning. Do you know the reason why the vehicle must be turned off when refueling? Check out the answers in our article below.

When you turn off the engine of a vehicle, especially a car, the car's air conditioner will also stop automatically. Some drivers and passengers would feel uncomfortable with this situation. Generally the driver prefers to leave the engine running to let the air conditioner continue to work while waiting until they finish filling the fuel. However, you should not do this because it is very dangerous. Why does the vehicle have to be turned off when refueling? Let’s read and review this article ‘til the end for a complete explanation!

Why Should You Turn Off the Engine When Pumping Fuel? 

The following are some of the reasons why you should turn off the vehicle engine when pumping fuel:

1. Fire Potential

One of the reasons you have to turn off your vehicle's engine when pumping the fuel is to prevent fire hazards. When you fill up fuel with the vehicle engine still running, a fire triangle will appear and have the potential to cause a fire. The fire triangle consists of fuel vapor during filling, oxygen, and sources of ignition. When the vehicle engine is running, the source of fire can come from engine heat, faulty electricity, spark plugs, or other engine performance. If a fire triangle is formed, the risk of an accident or fire hazards will increase.

2. Static Electricity

Static electricity can form when you fill up the fuel while leaving the vehicle's engine running. Static electricity can create an unbalanced electric charge on or near the fuel hose. This can cause sparks to appear due to fuel vapors around the hose. If left unchecked, a fire can occur around the fuel hose and spread to other parts. Apart from that, static electricity can also arise due to the use of cell phones. There is a prohibition to use cell phones, especially to make calls when refueling.

3. High Gasoline Ignitability

Ignitability is the ability of a fuel to burn quickly when reacted with fire. The higher quality fuel you use, the higher the ignitability. Within a certain distance, gasoline can catch fire even if it doesn't come into direct contact. When refueling using a hose, you can see immediately the gasoline vapors that are formed. The vapor can start a fire when close to a fire source.

READ ALSO: A Guidelines on How To Choose The Right Fuel For Your Vehicle

What are the Rules When Pumping Fuel?

Apart from the rule of turning off the vehicle engine when pumping fuel, there are other rules that you must obey to ensure the process of filling up fuel runs safely. The following are some rules when pumping fuel:

1. Turn off the Cellphone

Just as a running vehicle engine can cause sparks, cell phones also have the same principle. Cell phone signals can produce high frequencies that can potentially create sparks. The energy produced is about 1 micron. Even though it is very small and invisible, it is possible that this spark can start a fire. Even so, the payment transaction process with electronic money is still safe to use.

2. Do not Smoke

Fuel is evaporable and flammable. Cigarettes are a source of fire which is quite dangerous. Flames from cigarettes reacting with fuel vapors or fuel droplets can increase the risk of fire. All gas stations require drivers not to light or smoke when filling fuel and in the vicinity of gas stations.

READ ALSO: Tips for Fuel Efficiency on Manual and Automatic Cars

3. Do Not Use Camera

It is forbidden to use the camera when refueling, especially using the flash on the camera. The flash on the camera has a static charge that can trigger a spark when it comes into contact with gasoline vapors or liquid gasoline.

4. Do Not Fill Up Fuel Overflow

Each vehicle has a different gas tank capacity. We recommend that you fill your vehicle's fuel sufficiently. If you overfill it, there is a high chance that it will spill out. Fuel spillage is easily ignited by a spark. A potential fire can occur if spilled fuel hits the engine of a running vehicle.

Those are some of the reasons why the vehicle must be turned off when refueling. Gasoline has a high ignitability so it is easy to burn. Currently, many car manufacturers have designed special car designs to make it safer when refueling at gas stations. One way is to put the gas tank cap opposite the location of the muffler. The location of the engine is also far from the exhaust end to reduce the risk of fire hazards. Even so, you should still comply with the rules of turning off the vehicle's engine when refueling to keep yourself and others safe.

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