Readers beware: Off-topic mini-rant ahead!

[Harry P.]

Ok, so I just bought a new car... and every time I drive it I feel like I'm in Jerry Seinfeld's "Bizarro World". Everything is the same... but different!

I had my old car for 9 years, and it practically drove itself. The shifter was right where my hand wanted it to be, the clutch felt like an extension of my leg, etc. Everything just fell into place.

Now I feel like I'm learning to drive all over again. The clutch doesn't feel the same, the shifter isn't where I want it to be, the tach and speedo are opposite of where they are on my old car. To turn on the wipers on my old car you flip the lever DOWN. To turn on the wipers on the new car you have to flip the lever UP. When I glance at the dash to see how fast I'm going I see that I'm going 2500 RPM. And so on.

All minor things, and nothing I can't get used to. But I do have one major rant. The gas cap is on the driver's side!!!

My old car has the cap on the right side... where it should be! Now, every time I need gas, not only do I have to remember to pull up to the pump on the "wrong" side, but I have to be careful so I don't open my door into the concrete island!

Obviously the cap can be on either side... so why not put it on the right side, where it's convenient for the driver?

[RodBurNeR]

My wife's car has cap on passenger side and when she got it, I got driven nuts with it too. I kept having to get back in the car and move it or tell her to turn around so I could put gas in....I don't know when, but I thought it was always on the driver side.....don't know when they put them on passenger side.

When I got my truck....talk about things not where you expect them to be! My wife was driving and she pushed the brake instead of the clutch to switch gears....any idea what it's like to hit the brakes at 55 without knowing it's gonna happen? lol

Edited May 16, 2009 by awbcrazy

[Modelmartin]

Harry, who cares where the gas cap is...........as long as every car has it in the same location. Seriously though, I am so used to it being on the driver's side at this point. I loved the 50s and 60s cars - who knew where the gas filler was? Behind a tailight? Under the license plate? Secret panel? I worked at a couple of gas stations in the 70s and once in a while we would be perplexed.

Bob, a friend of mine has a 1921 Citroen touring car which has the clutch pedal in the middle. Maybe your wife would like to drive it?

[Foxer]

You really started one mentioning gas cap placement, Harry!! Of COURSE they belong on the driver side.. that is convenience!!

I remember hearing a year or so ago that there were some regulations coming to put gas fillers all on the same side for all cars.. wonder what ever happened to that. I doubt anyone or country could actually do that.

[Custom Hearse]

Ok, so I just bought a new car... and every time I drive it I feel like I'm in Jerry Seinfeld's "Bizarro World". Everything is the same... but different!

I had my old car for 9 years, and it practically drove itself. The shifter was right where my hand wanted it to be, the clutch felt like an extension of my leg, etc. Everything just fell into place.

Now I feel like I'm learning to drive all over again. The clutch doesn't feel the same, the shifter isn't where I want it to be, the tach and speedo are opposite of where they are on my old car. To turn on the wipers on my old car you flip the lever DOWN. To turn on the wipers on the new car you have to flip the lever UP. When I glance at the dash to see how fast I'm going I see that I'm going 2500 RPM. And so on.

All minor things, and nothing I can't get used to. But I do have one major rant. The gas cap is on the driver's side!!!

My old car has the cap on the right side... where it should be! Now, every time I need gas, not only do I have to remember to pull up to the pump on the "wrong" side, but I have to be careful so I don't open my door into the concrete island!

Obviously the cap can be on either side... so why not put it on the right side, where it's convenient for the driver?

They call it progress Harry.... It took hours of hours of drafting work, and allot of engineering to put it on the the left side.... They knew they had to do something to get a cheap laugh!

When I got my truck....talk about things not where you expect them to be! My wife was driving and she pushed the brake instead of the clutch to switch gears....any idea what it's like to hit the breaks at 55 without knowing it's gonna happen? lol

All I can say is.... OUCH!!!!

[Harry P.]

That's where it is on my '67 Impala. I get some weird looks at the gas station when I walk to the back and flip down the license plate!!!

And man... the bending down to get the nozzle into the hole!!!

[old-hermit]

Make sure you replace the gas cap properly Harry. My wifes 98 Blazer has a sensor in the cap and if it isn't screwed on properly the check engine light comes on. Overkill at it's best !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Zoom Zoom]

To me the best place for the filler is on the driver's side. Think of the gas pump island like a road; your car on the right side of the island, the cars on the opposite side facing the other way. Also, the fuel filler is on the driver's side up relatively high because it's safer there than the other side or in back. In a rear end collision (which is the most common kind), cars tend to veer to the right to avoid if possible, there's generally more damage to the right rear than the left. If you think about it, it makes sense. If it becomes standard on all cars, eventually it won't be confusing when you get in a different car and it's not in the same place.

I have two Mazdas, and the fuel fillers are on different sides of each car, and I have to recite to myself as I drive up to a pump which side the filler is on. The cars have different controls for wipers, cruise control, etc. and it's amazing how 2 cars from the same company can have such different control locations.

I have never had any problem whatsoever with opening a door into a concrete island when getting out of the car to pump gas. But then again, I don't drive a big American coupe w/big, heavy doors

[cruzn]

Make sure you replace the gas cap properly Harry. My wifes 98 Blazer has a sensor in the cap and if it isn't screwed on properly the check engine light comes on. Overkill at it's best !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah My S-10 is Like that too..

[Rob Hall]

IIRC, my Jeep is the first car I've had with the gas door on the left..all the Fords (and the one BMW) I owned previously had it on the right. But the last year I've driven an older Mercedes quite a bit w/ the door on the right, so I've found myself pulling in on the wrong side with it when filling it up after driving the Jeep.

I always find myself looking at the gas gauge for an arrow to see which side it's on when I'm traveling and have a rental car.

The funniest thing, though, was the first week or so after I bought the Jeep back in '00 was the phantom clutching...since I had driven cars and SUVs with sticks pretty much exclusively the previous 14 years!

Edited May 16, 2009 by Rob Hall

[Harry P.]

I have never had any problem whatsoever with opening a door into a concrete island when getting out of the car to pump gas. But then again, I don't drive a big American coupe w/big, heavy doors

Granted, your Mazdas don't have heavy, long doors like an American coupe has.

But what happens if you misplace that big wind-up key???

[plasticbutcher]

as for the gas cap situation I'm screwed, On my truck (82chevy) I have two tanks, I get REAL funny looks from people when I fill one tank---then have to turn the truck around to fill the other tank.

BUT on a hight note Congrats on the NEW car Harry

[lordairgtar]

Just a question, Harry. Did your old car seem that easy to use when you first got it? After nine years, your motions at the wheel are more or less trained. After your new car has a few miles under the belt, you'll wonder how you ever did without it. When I got my Mercury Marquis with a shifter on the column, I was grabbing the air around the floor because my hand was used to a floor shift. Now that I have a floor mounted shifter again, I'm always turning on my wipers when I start.

Edited May 16, 2009 by lordairgtar

[mountaindewd]

At least being on the left, you know how far you are from the pump. Next time, try a little experiment. When you pull in, stop a little further away from the pump. The hoses have enough reach,you can probably get 6 - 8 feet between the car and the pump. Your door isn't that long is it? The worst thing is having to get back in and move it, just like if it were on the right. Plus, you don't risk opening your door in the path of another car.

Les

[Guest Davkin]

My '96 Caprice had the filler behind the license plate, I really liked that because no matter how busy the gas station was, if there as an open spot I could pull right into it and fill up. Now I drive a '99 Ford CV and the filler is on the driver side, hasn't really bothered me. I've driven this Ford for over 9 months now and I still get confused with the wiper switch, the Caprice's rotated the opposite direction. I adjusted to everything else pretty quickly though.

David

[LoneWolf15]

Harry,

It is just a period of adjustment . Give it a couple of weeks , and it'll seem like you have owned and driven it forever. My ' 85 Chevy pickup has a stick . On the rare occasion that I drove the ex's Taurus , my last of the Mohican kid would laugh until she cried when I reached for the shifter to put the car in reverse. " It's not the truck , ya big dummy ! " She'd crow.

The kid got the biggest kick out of watching me trying to downshift and push in the invisible clutch , almost dislocating a knee in the process. Strange sense of humor in that child! As for the gas cap , left side on the Old Girl and the new Silverado .

Don't worry , Tinman , a couple of extra shots of Geritol for a week or so outta help it all sink in !

The Old Man

[Foxer]

as for the gas cap situation I'm screwed, On my truck (82chevy) I have two tanks, I get REAL funny looks from people when I fill one tank---then have to turn the truck around to fill the other tank.

Ah Rick ... that solves this discussion! Now we need you to solve world peace!!!!

[James Flowers]

The gas filler should be on the drivers side only. We do not drive on the left side of the road. It would make it so much easier at the gas pumps when everyone had to pull in on the same side. We have to accommodate the rest of the world because of the world cars being built out there. That's why we are in the shape we are in today. They come first .

[MikeMc]

one of the neatest things about all these newer cars....is the ARROW on the dash that shows you which side its on!!!!!

[Zoom Zoom]

But what happens if you misplace that big wind-up key???

I look for the closest guy w/a Mustang and ask him nicely for it back before I sic Guido on him

[Harry P.]

I look for the closest guy w/a Mustang and ask him nicely for it back before I sic Guido on him

:P

[roadhawg]

We have to accommodate the rest of the world because of the world cars being built out there. That's why we are in the shape we are in today. They come first .

Man, I'm with you on this! How did it ever get so important to take something that makes sense and change it just to be like the foriegners? My pet peeve is the dimmer switch. It USED to be on the floorboard, where it belonged! Then, some Einstien got the bright idea that since some Audi or Saab or Mazda has it on the steering column, ALL American cars should have it on the steering column. So how's that working out? NOT TOO GOOD! I'm driving along with my high beams on....cup of coffee in my left hand, cell phone in my right, steering with my right knee. I meet another car. I now have a choice....spill coffee everywhere, wreck, or blind the poor guy with my brights. Meanwhile, my left foot is just laying there, doing nothing.

Oh, the gas filler should be on the drivers side, because thats where Nascar puts 'em.

[Joe Handley]

Just a question, Harry. Did your old car seem that easy to use when you first got it? After nine years, your motions at the wheel are more or less trained. After your new car has a few miles under the belt, you'll wonder how you ever did without it. When I got my Mercury Marquis with a shifter on the column, I was grabbing the air around the floor because my hand was used to a floor shift. Now that I have a floor mounted shifter again, I'm always turning on my wipers when I start.

When ever Dad or I drive one of the vans He and Mom have owned we do that All three vans and the Pontiac 6000 they've owned were column shift while all 5 Jeeps and the 2 Turbo Mopars we've had all have been console shifters. When the '88 G-20 was still alive both I nearly punched the doghouse a few times reaching for the shifter and almost hit the dash a couple times with the T&C when taking Mom to work lately too.....

[Rob Hall]

A lot of '80s Fords had the fuel door on the right rear quarter...haven't noticed where the newer ones have it. One unusual detail the '80s Fords I've had all seemed to have the fuel door release in the glovebox. My '00 Jeep oddly doesn't have a locking fuel door..

[BigPoppa]

any way to embed this?

Edited May 18, 2009 by BigPoppa