5 Things You Should Not Do When Filling Up Fuel

Filling up fuel has become a routine for vehicle owners. However, even though it has become a routine, there are still those who do it incorrectly, one of which is by violating the rules set by the Public Fuel Filling Station (SPBU). For example, not turning off the car engine, although it seems trivial, many still ignore this rule and do not understand the dangers that can occur. From minor injuries to serious injuries, drivers can experience if they continue to make these 5 mistakes while filling up fuel:

1. Not turning off the engine while filling the fuel tank

It has become a common rule that vehicle users must turn off the engine before refueling. This prohibition is not without reason. Quoted from Viva.co.id, when the engine is running, there are many electrical currents inside the vehicle. Starting from the current from the battery to the coil, then the current that passes through the spark plug wires, making it very dangerous if the engine is on while refueling.

In addition, filling fuel with the engine running also has the potential to trigger a fire because gasoline evaporates very easily. The area at the SPBU is quite surrounded by gasoline vapor, so even a small spark can potentially cause a fire.

2. Smoking in the SPBU area

Never smoke or light a match around the SPBU, this is a very dangerous behavior due to the risk of ignition and fire. A small spark can potentially cause a fire, and this happens again because the area around the SPBU is already surrounded by gasoline vapor, not to mention gasoline spills on the floor of the SPBU due to overfilling. Even the exhaust can be a source of fire because it also emits hot vapor.

3. Using a mobile phone

The reason you are advised not to use a mobile phone at the SPBU is that phones are known to cause sparks that can ignite gasoline vapor. Although not everyone believes this advice, it is hard to deny the fact that using a mobile phone while filling up fuel can distract you and cause other dangers, such as being unaware of what is happening around the vehicle.

4. Charging a mobile phone in the car

Charging the battery in the car is very dangerous because the power output comes from the lighter. Meanwhile, the electrical voltage from the car is often unstable due to the fluctuating engine speed. In addition, electricity is also more allocated for car lighting, AC, and audio. This condition often triggers mobile phone explosions that can eventually spread to other parts of the car that are prone to sparks or other heat sources.

5. Overfilling the fuel

It turns out that overfilling the fuel is also dangerous, not only because its drips can trigger fires but also because filling the tank to the brim can potentially damage the car. Quoted from Kaskus, the habit of filling the fuel tank to the top is as dangerous as driving a car or motorcycle with an empty fuel tank. This is because fuel needs air to avoid settling; it is recommended to stop filling after the first "Plop" sound from the SPBU machine and to leave some space between the gasoline and the neck of the tank.

The fuel tank needs space for the gasoline to expand. Every vehicle's fuel tank is always equipped with a vent hole. This hole serves to reduce the pressure generated by the fuel when it is in the fuel tank. If the entire tank space is filled with gasoline, then the gas produced from the expansion of the fuel will escape from the tank through the hose, causing fuel to be wasted. This gas vapor is very dangerous to health.