Singaporeans shake car vigorously to get more petrol into the tank – this may cause more harm than good

It is no secret that Singaporeans pay less for fuel in Malaysia after factoring in the foreign exchange rate. For this group of individuals (possibly a family), getting as much of that “cheap” fuel as possible warranted a group effort to “shake” their vehicle with much vigour at a petrol station in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru.

The humorous incident was captured in a video that has since been shared widely on social media. In it, a woman is seen pumping fuel while three of her companions, including an elderly woman, push the Singapore-registered car up and down. At least they appear to be filling up on RON 97, which, while unsubsidised here at RM3.35 per litre following the latest fuel price update, is still far cheaper than RON 95 in Singapore – it is currently averaging around SGD2.70 (RM8.85) per litre there.

Such a sight is not uncommon, and there are even instances where Singaporean drivers would tilt their cars to get as much fuel in. However, overfilling your vehicle’s fuel tank outweigh the perceived benefits of getting that extra drop to gain that extra kilometre on the road.

The action can damage car as it can overwhelm the Evaporative Emission System (EVAP) that is designed to store and dispose of fuel vapours before they are released into the atmosphere. Overfilling can cause liquid fuel to enter the charcoal canister (or carbon filter) of the EVAP, which is designed only for vapour, damaging it and potentially other parts of the system, requiring what would likely be an expensive fix.

If you hear the click from the fuel nozzle, you’re done refuelling and there’s no need to continue forcing more fuel into a tank that has a limited capacity.