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Automobile Enthusiasts

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usonian

(23,370 posts)
Fri Dec 26, 2025, 09:05 PM Friday

Which side is your gas tank filler on? Don't look back. [View all]

It's on your dash.



Here, it's on the driver's left.
Its inventor just passed away.

Ford Engineer That Designed Gas Tank Indicator Passes Away

https://fordauthority.com/2025/12/ford-engineer-that-designed-gas-tank-indicator-passes-away/




James Moylan is most well-known for the Moylan Arrow, which stems from one rainy day in 1986, when he pulled a company car into a gas station to refuel it - only to discover that he parked on the wrong side of the pump. Moylan wound up getting soaked, which set of a proverbial light bulb - what if cars had an arrow near the fuel indicator gauge as a quick, visual reference to inform drivers which side is used to refuel?

“I got back to my office after the meeting, and without even taking my coat off, I sat down and started writing the first draft of this proposal,” Moylan told Design News in 2020. “I typed it up and turned it in and forgot completely about it." "The indicator or symbol I have in mind would be located near the fuel gauge,” Moylan wrote in his proposal to his boss, R. F. Zokas, “and simply describe to the driver on which side of the vehicle the fuel fill door is located.” By 1989, the Moylan Arrow began showing up in Ford vehicles, and the rest, as they say, is history.


Thanks!





59 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Rita Rudner says she has a car with a rotating gas tank. House of Roberts Friday #1
She is priceless Raven123 Yesterday #26
Unless you own many cars, PoindexterOglethorpe Friday #2
My Subaru is on the passenger side UpInArms Friday #6
I also have a Subaru and it's the first car I've ever owned with the gas tank on the passenger side dflprincess Friday #13
Yup, Vw has the tank on the passenger side mwmisses4289 Friday #20
Rental cars PJMcK Yesterday #23
So convenient when you're in a rental. Phoenix61 Friday #3
That seems very odd. I don;t know that I'd have thought to look there. 3catwoman3 Friday #7
I don't remember. It was a cheap rental around 1989.nt Phoenix61 Friday #8
Was it an Audi? littlemissmartypants Yesterday #48
I don't think so. Seems a little high end for Hertz. Phoenix61 Yesterday #49
Seems unlikely... littlemissmartypants Yesterday #50
That's one of those common-sense fixes-- viva la Friday #4
My brilliant idea - I've long thought French onion soup... 3catwoman3 Yesterday #43
Just so long as you realize True Dough Yesterday #53
What a great trivia question. 3catwoman3 Friday #5
I get my gas at BJs Delarage Yesterday #24
I would rather wait a few minutes to not have to drag the hose across the car. MichMan Yesterday #35
I would also rather wait, so I usually do. 3catwoman3 Yesterday #42
I got a loaner Subaru, and was looking for the gas cap release lever. There was none. usonian Friday #9
Gas tank cover release Old Crank Friday #14
I had a new loaner Subaru. HappyH 21 hrs ago #56
Yes, apparently so. usonian 20 hrs ago #57
The first thing I did with the Subi loaner HappyH 19 hrs ago #58
I didn't take the time to figure how to turn off the computer driving instructor. usonian 18 hrs ago #59
Mine is on the sdfernando Friday #10
Mine is on the driver's side. CentralMass Friday #11
My '72 Chevy Nova didn't have that problem. LudwigPastorius Friday #12
I remember those. Old Crank Friday #15
My dad had a '57 Bel Air dflprincess Friday #16
Woah. LudwigPastorius Friday #19
Yep. I also had one and that is where it was. OldBaldy1701E Yesterday #27
Making it vulnerable to leaking after a rear end collision MichMan Yesterday #33
Borrowed a friends car to do an errand. Old Crank Friday #17
I never noticed Moylan's Arrow before this article. I'm looking forward to finding it in our two vehicles. summer_in_TX Friday #18
I'd never realized it either until a George Takei post 10 + years ago underpants Yesterday #28
Mine used to be in my driver's side rear fin on my '57 Chevy then moniss Friday #21
We learned this trick a few years ago when we had a rental. LisaM Friday #22
Ford is backwards of other makes. Ford puts their Emile Yesterday #25
Neither of my Mustangs have either of those padfun Yesterday #29
Maybe it's just on the Ford Escape? I had several Ford pickup trucks Emile Yesterday #30
My Ford Freestyle was on the right side. My biggest gripe after the screwed up CVT transmission. ... marble falls Yesterday #31
Every car I have ever owned has had it on the passenger side where it belongs MichMan Yesterday #32
I believe it's on that side because it was built for the Japanese market JohnnyRingo Yesterday #36
Pretty certain my Volkswagen's and Ford's were not built for the Japanese market. MichMan Yesterday #37
UK, Australia, India, China, and Japan. JohnnyRingo Yesterday #38
I live in the US MichMan Yesterday #39
Let's put it this way.... JohnnyRingo Yesterday #40
I try and get gas from Costco when I can MichMan Yesterday #44
Wait! I've never been to Costco. JohnnyRingo Yesterday #45
Gas station lot is one way only MichMan Yesterday #46
My Jensen Healey had the filler in the center Old Crank Yesterday #41
It's funny you mentioned that this week. He just died on Dec 11th. JohnnyRingo Yesterday #34
I picked it up from Hacker News. usonian Yesterday #52
Like a case of being famous only after he dies. JohnnyRingo 23 hrs ago #54
The arrow was named for him, but only auto nuts knew or cared to search. usonian 22 hrs ago #55
I have two cars and one side the tanks on the left the other the right side kimbutgar Yesterday #47
for work markie Yesterday #51
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