The little arrow next to the fuel gauge is a simple but very useful feature: it shows which side of the car the fuel filler door is on.
When you look at your dashboard’s fuel gauge:
- If the arrow points left, the fuel door is on the left side of the vehicle.
- If it points right, the fuel door is on the right side.
It’s especially helpful when driving a rental car or a vehicle you don’t normally use. Instead of getting out to check or pulling up to the wrong side of the fuel pump, you can glance at the dashboard.
The symbol became common on many vehicles in the late 1990s and 2000s, but not every car has it. Some older vehicles and some newer models may use other indicators or simply place the fuel door on a consistent side.
