Each time you enter and exit your vehicle, a bit of static electricity is built up on your person. This is especially true during the winter months when you wear more layers. The material of your clothing rubs against the fabrics from your car seat and a charge is generated. The spark would occur when you touch the metal on the gas pump or around the tank.
Luckily, there is a way to discharge the static on your body — by grounding yourself first. This process is as simple as touching metal anywhere else before reaching for the gas pump. These might also produce a discharge that will lead to the ignition of combustible gas vapors.
After all, a single one can produce thousands of volts of electricity. So, if the insulation around the plugs were to break down, that electricity could potentially ignite my car. A catalytic converter is responsible for cleaning the exhaust of the engine.
By far the most frequent source of heat that can ignite gasoline at the station comes from smokers. That might not sound like a nice statement if you are one yourself, but I state it for good reason. Most gas stations have warning signs that explicitly forbid smoking while refilling our car. And while most smokers obey this rule, there are those who act carelessly and discard cigarette buds at the station. Even if it were put out, the slightest ember could cause combustion.
Alternatively, smoking in a windy area can cause some hot cigarette ashes to float away. If any of the wandering hot particles end up close to the fuel tank, you can expect the car to burst into flames.
There are a few other potential spark sources in our car. For instance, loose battery terminals, faulty relays, and poorly installed electrical parts can all cause sparking to happen. Of course, the chances of these events causing fires are pretty low when we compare them to cigarette embers and static electricity. Typically, cars have something called a vapor recovery system that keeps these harmful gases from reaching the atmosphere. The dangers of harmful vapors are well-known; they contaminate the air we breathe and congest it.
Though it doesn't happen often, this has occurred in the past, according to the Petroleum Equipment Institute [ PDF ]. In the colder months, it may be tempting to leave your heat on at the gas pump, or wait in the car while you wait for the tank to fill up, but the safest thing to do any time of year is to stand by the pump until you screw the gas cap back on.
Even when your engine is off, normal static electricity caused by movement can be enough to ignite gas station fumes. Re-entering and exiting your vehicle can cause static to build up, especially in the winter when the air is drier and you're wearing more layers of fabric. If you want to be safe, swipe your bare hands against the metal side your car door to ground yourself before pumping gas.
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