As a parent, watching your teenage kid begin to drive can be a nerve-wracking experience. While we’re concerned about their driving abilities and safety, we tend to focus our discussions mainly on those topics.
However, we may forget to cover certain technical details such as changing a tire or even how to pump gas, leaving our kids ill-prepared for these situations. Unfortunately, many teenagers learn the hard way that they lack the necessary knowledge to perform these tasks, which can lead to getting stranded at the worst possible moment.
We’ve all seen those funny videos or memes. So let’s ensure our teens don’t end up like this poor girl in the video below:
Does Your Teenager Know How to Pump Gas?
It’s essential for teenagers who drive to know how to pump gas, as it’s a basic skill that will come in handy during road trips or emergencies. However, not all teenagers are taught this skill, and some may feel intimidated by the process.
It’s worth taking the time to teach your teenager how to pump gas and go over basic safety precautions to ensure they’re prepared for any situation.
👍 Suggested reading Driving Games For Teens To Learn How To Drive
5 Steps Your Teen Needs To Know When Pumping Gas
1. Know Where The Gas Tank Is
For some reason, the gas tank is not always on the driver’s side.
So you need to ask your teen to check on which side of the car the gas tank is located.
Did you know that there is a gas tank indicator arrow on your vehicle’s dashboard?
The arrow will point to the side of the car where the gas tank is located.
Your teen should also practice pulling up close enough so that the nozzle will reach their car to pump gas.
2. Know How To Pay For Gas
Your teen should not only practice filling up the car but also how to pay.
It’s always a good idea to have a credit or debit card when filling up your tank.
For security reasons, certain pay-at-the-pump systems may have a limit of $100 on credit card transactions. However, if you pay with cash, you can avoid this limitation.
But what if you don’t have enough money for a full tank?
Show your teen that they can put in full dollars at a time.
Remember that they will have to go inside and pay the clerk first before they can pump gas.
🤓 Suggested reading: Can A 13 Year Old Have A Debit Card?
3. Know The Different Types Of Gas
Your teen should know if they’re driving a car that requires diesel or gas.
Most cars will use gas, but there are different grades as well to choose from.
Explain the difference between these and also show them which nozzles are for which, so that they don’t accidentally use the wrong one.
And we’re assuming they’re not driving an electric car, but if they are, then that obviously brings a whole new set of questions to answer.
4. Know How To Use The Nozzle
The first time filling up the car can be a bit scary, but they only need to practice once to know how to use the nozzle.
Let them practice filling up a full tank, where the nozzle will automatically shut off when the tank is full.
And also show them how to just pump small amounts of gas at a time.
5. Don’t Forget To Put The Gas Cap Back On
It’s such an easy thing to forget, but pretty important. So remind your teen to always put the gas cap back on.
A loose or broken gas cap can dramatically reduce fuel efficiency and increase emissions.
In some vehicles, the “check engine” light will come on if the gas cap has been left off.
Your teen should know that if they see this light come on, it could be that they’ve forgotten to screw the gas cap back on.
Key Takeaways:
- There’s an arrow near the dashboard gas gauge that shows what side the gas tank is on.
- Your teen should learn which grade of fuel is appropriate for your vehicle.
- When done, it is easy to forget to screw the gas cap back on.
- Note that in New Jersey, some counties in Oregon, as well as in scattered municipalities across the country, particularly in Massachusetts, self-service pumps are still prohibited.
Here’s a great video to watch with your teen before going to practice for themselves.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Pump Gas?
