PSA: Stop Shaking Your Car To Get 'More' Petrol In. It's Useless & You Look Like A Fool
Wanna shake shake, shake in bed lah.
You've seen the videos, you've watched them shake, bounce, and tilt their cars to "save" money
For years, people have been spotted at petrol stations tilting or shaking their cars while being refuelled, believing that by doing so, they can fill their tanks to 100% capacity.
It tends to happen quite often in Johor Bahru, especially among our friends who come over from Singapore.
Image via 你想知道的秘密 Secret (Facebook)
Can't fully blame them, though, as petrol prices across the Causeway are pretty steep in comparison to Malaysia.
The belief is that rocking your vehicle will cause the air bubbles or foam to dissipate, leaving the tank with extra 'room' to fill up.
But is it just a myth or does all the shaking really work?
Apparently, no, it doesn't. Or at least, the negative repercussions far outweigh the benefits.
For one, overfilling your car can cause liquid to enter your charcoal canister (or carbon filter), which can damage it and other parts of the car. This could eventually cost you more in repair fees in the long run.
Image via Yusof Mat Isa/Malay Mail
Vincent Emmanuel Lee, director of Mister Garage, told The Online Citizen that you should instead wait for the foam to dissipate in order to pump more petrol into the tank, as shaking the car does not make the foam dissipate faster.
He likened it to pouring a fizzy drink into a glass. By waiting, the bubbles will eventually go down, creating more space in the cup.
However, it's important to note that shaking or tilting your vehicle isn't the issue. Overfilling your tank is the problem.
So, once you hear a click in the nozzle, that's an indication that your car is full. No reason to continue force-feeding it to the brim with crafty 'hacks' or it just might lead to more issues.
All in all, saving a few dollars on petrol is nothing compared to having to cough up a lot more later on to repair a ruined engine or your car's system as a result of overfilling.
Check out these other myths about pumping and saving petrol:
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