It is an almost well known practice at most fuel filling station for all cars to turn off their engines whole buying fuel. This is part of the measures put in place to avoid fire accidents while refueling.

Some stations won't sell to you unless you comply and shut off your engine while some will ignore you and just sell once you pull in and they access your fuel filler cap.

For your information, it is not just to save the filling station from a fire, you also stand the risk of getting your fuel guage to malfunction and get you stranded.

Two years back, I was driving to Abuja from Lagos in a 2007 Toyota RAV4 and stopped over in Benin City to refuel. I was distracted by someone in the car so forgot to turn off the engine while refueling and filled my tank.

I noticed that surprisingly the fuel guage dropped to half and remained there after several hours of driving. I was excited that the car's fuel efficiency was top notch. Only for me to pass Giri Junction and the car died while on motion without any warning whatsoever.

I checked and realized I had run out of fuel meanwhile my guage was on half. I also was sure the guage was very ok before leaving because it was a new car.

Luckily I got a fuel and got going but learnt my lesson.

Only for me to also get carried away again today and got reminded of the lesson in a near similar way.

Today I was driving a 2006 Ford Explorer and drove into a filling station but was distracted by someone else in the car and a tricycle trying to squeeze into my front. Since the Ford's fuel tank didn't need me to unlock it the attendant just started fueling the car and I forgot to turn off the engine but bought #3,000 (Naira) worth which should be like 35 liters plus the quantity I had before but it hit me that I had made the same mistake again when about 20 mins later the fuel Guage refused to rise to the new position.

It was much later that it started rising which was not the norm for this Explorer.

So I decided to share with you all and ask if anyone has ever experienced such before.

Happened to me two days ago. It took about 5 minutes of driving before the gauge reflected the 5k fuel bought. Learnt my lesson

Op the only risk of fueling with the vehicle still running is that of a fire outbreak. Your vehicles fuel gauge SHOULD not malfunction because it’s being refueled while the engine is on.

Yes there will be a lag between the time the fuel is put in and when it starts to read on the gauge but it only happens when the fuel gauge is an ANALOG type, a DIGITAL gauge will read instantaneously.

Your gauge malfunctioning was just a sad coincidence that’s all

I just did that today,all the fuel I bought na yellow light.make e no be say na air dey my tank. Tmrw morning I go enter filling station do top up. That fuel guage stick must read full tank or I carry lighter and cigarette.

Oya. Whar Whar
Why are u running.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6VHqFgOA6I