How to Pump Gas Correctly (Most Drivers Do This Wrong)
Pumping gas seems simple. You pull up, swipe or tap your card, put the nozzle in, fill the tank, and drive away.
But there are a surprising number of things about filling up your car that many drivers were simply never taught.
In Episode 70 of Mastering the Commute, Randy Keith walks through the entire process of stopping for gas—from choosing a pump to pulling away—and covers the small habits that can make fueling your vehicle easier, safer, and less stressful.
We’ll start with something surprisingly useful: How do you know which side of the car your gas tank is on? That little arrow next to the fuel-pump symbol on many dashboards can save you from pulling up on the wrong side.
Then we’ll tackle one of the biggest questions at the pump:
Regular, midgrade, or premium?
Does premium gas actually make your car run better? Is higher octane automatically better? Or should you simply use the fuel recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer?
We’ll also talk about when you should fill up and why treating the low-fuel warning light as a challenge isn’t necessarily a great habit. Filling up around a quarter tank can give you more flexibility, particularly during road trips and emergencies.
Then we get into paying at the pump, including:
- Cash versus credit
- Credit-card rewards
- Gas-station loyalty programs
- Rewards apps and barcodes
- Card-reader and skimmer concerns
- Checking the payment terminal before inserting your card
Once you’re ready to fuel, we’ll go through the actual process: inserting the nozzle completely, using the handle latch when available, staying near your vehicle, and letting the pump’s automatic shutoff do its job.
And that brings us to a mistake Randy admits he used to make:
Topping off the tank.
When the pump clicks off, resist the temptation to squeeze in another few cents or another half gallon. We’ll discuss why topping off can lead to spills and wasted fuel and why repeatedly overfilling the tank can potentially interfere with your vehicle’s evaporative-emissions system.
We’ll also cover basic gas-station safety, including static electricity, smoking and vaping, fuel vapors, distractions, and what to do if you get back into your vehicle while the tank is filling.
And because driving smarter isn’t only about what happens on the road, we’ll talk about gas-station etiquette too.
Don’t leave your vehicle sitting at a busy pump while you spend ten minutes shopping inside. Watch for pedestrians. Give other vehicles room. Don’t unnecessarily stretch hoses around cars. Return the nozzle properly. And remember that everyone else at the station is trying to get somewhere too.
If you remember only three things from this episode:
Use the fuel your vehicle recommends.
Stop when the pump clicks off.
Be courteous to everyone sharing the station.
These aren’t complicated skills. They’re simply things many drivers were never taught.
🎙️ Mastering the Commute with Randy Keith
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