Is It Legal In Massachusetts To Pump Gas When Your Engine Is Running?

Listeners of "Slater & Marjo In The Morning" may often hear us talk about being lazy at the gas pump.

I don't mind the heat, but I certainly don't love it and I wanna stay cool whenever I can, you know, like when I'm pumping gas!

So, I broke the ultimate gas station rule the other day and filled my tank while the engine was running and I felt pretty guilty about it.

IS THERE REAL HARM IN PUMPING GAS WHILE YOUR ENGINE IS RUNNING?

While it's technically not arrestable; however absolutely finable, you really should never pump gas when your engine is running.

HERE'S WHY...

Static electricity.

While there is a minimal chance of a fire occurring, leaving the engine running increases the chance of gas vapors igniting if they come in contact with static electricity. -familyhandyman.com

We all know never to smoke near the pumps; however, the jury is still out on the cell phone argument.

Filling up while your engine is on will probably not hurt your vehicle besides tripping the check engine light, but you can seriously hurt yourself if the gas vapors ignite.

THERE IS THIS, THOUGH, TOO...

When the car is running, every part of it is hot and so, there is an increased chance of ignition.

If a single drop of gasoline spills on the ground, some components of the car might catch fire. Some of these components are exhaust pipe, catalytic converter, and the engine. -whenitruns.com

It is safe to say, I will not be doing this again no matter how hot it is outside.

I hope you found this post informative.