SHODOG is correct. Look at all the cars with a single exhaust, the fuel filler will ALWAYS be on the opposite side of the car than the exhaust pipe. Now on cars with dual exhaust exits(as most all are not true dual exhaust), it doesnt really matter. It started years ago and helped to prevent gas spills hitting the hot exhaust pipe.

 

The reason the gas cap is on the passenger side is so you don't have to stand on the traffic side of your car when you run out of gas on the freeway. On a narrow shoulder, your backside would stick out into the slow lane, and sure as sh*t, some idiot who only knows one way to get home and HAS to be in that lane, at that exact moment in time, at that section of freeway, because they don't have the mental capacity to change lanes for two seconds, or their whole life falls apart and the world stops spinning, hits you with their passenger side mirror. If your gas cap is on the passenger side, I don't have to park behind you on the shoulder with my directional lights on so the dummies know to move over.

 

Well after reading this thread....and not personally knowing the exact reason, right off the top of my head (since all car manufacturers are different), I'm not a believer in the "so you don't get clipped by a car when you're putting gas in your car on the side of the road because you're a dumb **** & don't know when to fill your tank up". I'm guessing it's because of the exhaust (as discussed above).....it's makes a hellovalot more sense....safety due to hot exhaust & to prevent fire rather than the moron who doesn't know he needs gas . Tomorrow AM on my way into work, I'll be looking out for cars to see where there exhaust is versus the fuel filler door....I'm guessing the two of them won't be on the same side (not sure what the deal is though for people w/ dual exhaust) . My VW filler door was on the right....exhaust was on the left....my wifes Toyota Highlander...filler door on the left....exhaust on the right (not because she plans on running out of fuel on the highway) . If she does....I want a divorce!

In all honesty though....it's just not worth letting your gas level go below 1/8 of a tank. Are people really that lazy? My mother was one who would always let the fuel light come on...well she ended up paying for it (literally), as she had to have her fuel pump replaced due to the crap in the bottom of the tank (or at least that's what they told her). The part was only a hundred bucks or so....but the labor was a killer....as they had to remove the fuel tank to get to the pump!

 

I'm betting your mother actually ran out of gas at one time, I've known several people who ran out of gas, and a while down the road, guess what went out, the fuel pump! The gas serves as a lubricant for it.

 

Nope...she never did. I think she fills up now when she reaches 1/2 tank! I thought it occurred because of all the crap @ the bottom of the tank?

 

were not the only ones..our explorer and volvo s80 have it on the other side too

 

Actually I think it's the right thing to do on the coupe to have the gas door on the right. Figuring that the coupe's doors open pretty wide and if I pulled up against the pump with the gar filler door on the same side as the driver, I will likely hit the door against the post and dent it. Which on some windy days, this has happened to me in the past, where the door just flew open. With the gas filler door on the right side, I can swing my door open wide, clear of any obstacle and walk around to fill my gas.

Just my $0.02 worth..

 

I don't see why Nissan would want to switch any of their cars anyway. If you look at all of the German cars (VW up to Porsche), the gas door is on the passenger side - and these are cars that are designed to be LHD. I'm pretty sure this is the case for most european cars (execpt for maybe cars from the UK).

 

I love it. With the majority of cars having the door on the d-side, I like having it on the P-side. Especially at Costco where everyone lines up for a D-side fill. Leaving the P-side pumps with shorter lines.

 

Putting the door on the passenger side so that you are safer if you run out of gas on the freeway is bogus. I mean seriously, how often does that actually happen? Certainly not enough to impact an engineer's decision on where to put the filler door. There are only two good explanations: 1) Fuel tank opposite exhaust pipe (as previously stated) and 2) weight distribution. We fat-**** American's need the tank on the opposite side of the car to offset the double cheeseburger effect.

 

^^^ AMEN BROTHAH!!!!!!!!!!

 

Werd...

 

Well, all (maybe most of) the above reasons are reasonable. I would like to believe that it's for safety, but who knows. I like it on the passenger side, because as the driver, I hardly ever go around to the passenger side of the car. At least this way, I can stand on the passenger side and take a look at how things are on that side (dents, dings, etc). BTW, I can't hand wash the car during the winter, so that's the season when I can't eye every inch of the car...

 

I hate it comepletely, but I guess the theory that because it was made in Japan and their driver is on the other side it makes sense

 

On a sort of related note, I hope you all know that when you look at your gas gauge on the dashboard there is a little arrow that poijnts to which side of the car the gas filler door is on. This is usually on most cars which is convenient if you ever have to drive a car other than your own (i.e. rental, friends).