View Poll Results: Leave your car running while refueling?
Yes
4
6.78%
No
55
93.22%
Voters: 59. You may not vote on this poll
Do you leave your car running when refueling?
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,065
Likes: 105
From: Southeastern PA
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,177
Likes: 529
From: Knoxville, TN
One thing I just realized, I'd NEVER fill my boat up running. Especially my old one that was a POS which had all kinds of fuel related problems.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,487
Likes: 386
From: ON/NY
That would have happened with the car if it was on or off regardless. Whether the car is running or not it doesn't matter, those fuel vapors are there.
One thing I just realized, I'd NEVER fill my boat up running. Especially my old one that was a POS which had all kinds of fuel related problems.
One thing I just realized, I'd NEVER fill my boat up running. Especially my old one that was a POS which had all kinds of fuel related problems.
you could tell that jeep was running. Impressive. Dark time of day with no lights on the vehicle say otherwise. Whether it was running or not is irrelevant, static was the ignition source
Last edited by 4TehNguyen; Dec 18, 2022 at 10:33 AM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,826
Likes: 4,103
From: Maryland
That would have happened with the car if it was on or off regardless. Whether the car is running or not it doesn't matter, those fuel vapors are there.
One thing I just realized, I'd NEVER fill my boat up running. Especially my old one that was a POS which had all kinds of fuel related problems.
One thing I just realized, I'd NEVER fill my boat up running. Especially my old one that was a POS which had all kinds of fuel related problems.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,368
Likes: 1,801
From: Ohio
depending on the motor the gas tank is right above the hot engine and exhaust, if you spill any gas it can catch on fire, like gassing up a lawnmower on these stupid gas can nozzles that are more dangerous than the old ones.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 11,276
Likes: 1,611
From: FL
The motor is usually under a hooded cover and requires starting the blower motor to exhaust all gas vapors before starting engine(not sure how they do it on the newest boats).
If this step is skipped you can get a fire very easy if you are lucky or a BOOM as worse case.
Went to buy a 25' with cudy cabin and the guy demo-ing the boat was a rookie but I assumed he knew what he was doing, my mistake.
He lifted the engine hood to show me the engine and then he reached over and turned the key and WOOF the whole engine engulfed in flames faster than I could step back on the dock.
He didn't run the blower!
We just pushed it off the dock and let it burn until the fire went out but thankfully no explosion.
I excused myself and said goodbye at that point.
He called me a few hours later with a "deal" to take it "as is" but as you can imagine I declined that offer and wished them well lol
*Note- inboard engine with coil and distributor style ignition.
Last edited by Margate330; Dec 18, 2022 at 11:20 AM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,368
Likes: 1,801
From: Ohio
Inboards aren't idiot proof, for sure.
The motor is usually under a hooded cover and requires starting the blower motor to exhaust all gas vapors before starting engine(not sure how they do it on the newest boats).
If this step is skipped you can get a fire very easy if you are lucky or a BOOM as worse case.
Went to buy a 25' with cudy cabin and the guy demo-ing the boat was a rookie but I assumed he knew what he was doing, my mistake.
He lifted the engine hood to show me the engine and then he reached over and turned the key and WOOF the whole engine engulfed in flames faster than I could step back on the dock.
He didn't run the blower!
We just pushed it off the dock and let it burn until the fire went out but thankfully no explosion.
I excused myself and said goodbye at that point.
He called me a few hours later with a "deal" to take it "as is" but as you can imagine I declined that offer and wished them well lol
*Note- inboard engine with coil and distributor style ignition.
The motor is usually under a hooded cover and requires starting the blower motor to exhaust all gas vapors before starting engine(not sure how they do it on the newest boats).
If this step is skipped you can get a fire very easy if you are lucky or a BOOM as worse case.
Went to buy a 25' with cudy cabin and the guy demo-ing the boat was a rookie but I assumed he knew what he was doing, my mistake.
He lifted the engine hood to show me the engine and then he reached over and turned the key and WOOF the whole engine engulfed in flames faster than I could step back on the dock.
He didn't run the blower!
We just pushed it off the dock and let it burn until the fire went out but thankfully no explosion.
I excused myself and said goodbye at that point.
He called me a few hours later with a "deal" to take it "as is" but as you can imagine I declined that offer and wished them well lol
*Note- inboard engine with coil and distributor style ignition.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 11,276
Likes: 1,611
From: FL
Boat was toast!
I saw the thick black smoke plume in the sky all the way back to my house cuz after the fire it just smoldered. Yikes!
Not really sure why they thought I would still want it for a "deal".
PS- guessing in hindsight they may have thought it was windy enough to rid the fuel vapors by raising the engine cover but there must've been some lingering.
PS- and if anyone was wondering why we didn't grab a fire extinguisher, there was no time. Girls with us screaming and happened so fast there was no time except to bail.
PS- last one, unlike cars that have air circulation around the engine, the inboard motor is under a cover so it traps gas vapors, for anyone who is unfamiliar.(may not apply to newer boats so not sure).
Last edited by Margate330; Dec 18, 2022 at 11:58 AM.
