trojanman

In the spirit of Ray Calvo's admission of idiocy (see his recent jacking mishap post), I thought I'd pass along one of my very recent bonehead moves.

I filled up the gas tank on the way home from work today and 10 minutes later I was exiting the freeway at my regular exit (a long sweeping righthand clover-leaf). I was taking the turn at my usual speed, aggressive but not ridiculous...

All of a sudden, I completely lose it... I'm totally freaking out trying to regain control and I'm realizing that something's just not right. I've gone into a severe understeer condition where the front end has lost traction, and as I make my correction and get on the brakes there is suddenly a splash of fluid all over the left side of my windshield. Then I smell it and it hits me... GASOLINE!

I'd been on my cell phone at the gas station and had forgotten to put my gas cap back on. With a full tank, the righthand sweeper had enough g-forces to slosh some gas out of the fill pipe and down onto my my front left tire causing it to break loose.

In the end, I was more embarrassed than scared, but maybe it's a lesson for some of you other morons out there!

ceboyd

doh! hope all is o.k.

I put the gas cap upside down on the wipers so I'd see it if I got in the car without putting it back on staring me through the windshield

chris walrod

That is a great idea!!

Glad to hear no damage!!

2ndof2

Thats why most gasoline pumps have a "no cellphones" sign on them....so you don't lose it through high-G turns right after forgetting your gas-cap!

I also place my gas-cap upside down over the wipers so I don't forget it.

You were damn lucky.....we all live and learn. Glad you and your car made it away unscathed. Bet that got the adrenaline going!!

Robin 993DX

I put my cap in the same place when I fill up, but logically there isn't any othere place that I could think of... it is not like our 993s have the nice cap holder on the gas filler door like them normal cars.

BTW, Jeff, did your CEL come on because you forgot to put the cap back on?

trojanman

Chris, great idea with the windshield thing... I'll keep that in mind.

Robin, no, my CEL did not come on... I thought of that too.

Father of 3

Wow, that is scary. Made me laugh out loud though, which is a major feat given I'm still at the office.

c993k

Been doing the windsheild thing with the cap since the 70's
Chris

Ritter v4.0

Not trying to beat you up, but I thought using a cel phone near a gas pump was also a no-no?

Caveman

Lucky you didn't blow up! ;-)

Mark in Baltimore

Me, three. It's the most convenient area and won't slide off of a slickly waxed finish.

cabrio993

What horror...at today's gas prices?! It's like the F1 drivers wasting all that fine Champagne at the podium...

Bull

Can't pump your own gas here in NJ, but I do watch the attendants very closely.....

andrew911

Often I get out and do it myself anyway (I'm in NJ too)....for some reason, the gas pump kicks off every couple of gallons even if my tank is empty and has a long way to go until full. Never had the issue with my old 911's...it helps if I hold the nozzle sideways.

Glad everything was alright troj.- I bet that was enough excitement for the day!

901aero

Gas cap on the wipers here too -- who said great minds think alike?