Moylan arrow on 2019, 2020, 2021 models

[chico]

Probably not many people would notice this, or even care.

In the gauges, there is usually an arrow next to the fuel icon, indication the left/right position of the fuel tank. It's called a Moylan arrow. Usually if the fuel tank is on the left, there is a left pointing arrow on the left of the icon (Picture 1); if the fuel tank is on the right, there is a right pointing arrow on the right of the icon.

I just noticed my 2020 CX-5 has a right pointing arrow on the left (Picture 2). It's not very clear to me that my tank is on the left from this design.

I’m a usability and interface designer, and I've always liked Mazda's simple and intuitive design (except for the infotainment system). But I wonder what’s behind their thinking when they designed this. Was I the only person that find this design confusing?

--

Adding a note: What I didn't notice before was that there is a conventional looking Moylan arrow (left pointing arrow on the left) next to the fuel gauge. What I was looking at was not the fuel gauge, but the milage count down. Mystery solved.

 

[onerpm]

Now I have to look! (I always wondered, in my days of frequent car rentals, why all manufacturers didn't put in that arrow.)

 

[yrwei52]

Probably not many people would notice this, or even care.

In the gauges, there is usually an arrow next to the fuel icon, indication the left/right position of the fuel tank. It's called a Moylan arrow. Usually if the fuel tank is on the left, there is a left pointing arrow on the left of the icon (Picture 1); if the fuel tank is on the right, there is a right pointing arrow on the right of the icon.

I just noticed my 2020 CX-5 has a right pointing arrow on the left (Picture 2). It's not very clear to me that my tank is on the left from this design.

I’m a usability and interface designer, and I've always liked Mazda's simple and intuitive design (except for the infotainment system). But I wonder what’s behind their thinking when they designed this. Was I the only person that find this design confusing?

On both gen-1 and gen-2 CX-5, the direction of the arrow, pointing to the left, next to the fuel gauge icon indicates that the fuel-filler lid is on the left side of the vehicle.

And the picture of yours is not the fuel gauge, but the Distance to Empty display. The shape of the arrow on the icon is a little different, which indicates after displayed miles you’d need to be “heading to” the gas station, the gas pump icon.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Probably not many people would notice this, or even care.

In the gauges, there is usually an arrow next to the fuel icon, indication the left/right position of the fuel tank. It's called a Moylan arrow. Usually if the fuel tank is on the left, there is a left pointing arrow on the left of the icon (Picture 1); if the fuel tank is on the right, there is a right pointing arrow on the right of the icon.

I just noticed my 2020 CX-5 has a right pointing arrow on the left (Picture 2). It's not very clear to me that my tank is on the left from this design.

I’m a usability and interface designer, and I've always liked Mazda's simple and intuitive design (except for the infotainment system). But I wonder what’s behind their thinking when they designed this. Was I the only person that find this design confusing?

I learned something today, thanks! I knew about that arrow and that it was meant to indicate which side of the car has the fuel filler. What I didn't know is that it's called a Moylan arrow.

I had to look that up to see where it came from. Jim Moylan was a Ford engineer and he came up with this little gem of an idea, or did he?

The Inventor Of The Little Arrow That Tells You What Side The Fuel Filler Is On Has Finally Been Found - Jalopnik

I bet most of our regular readers have, at some point, blown the mind of one of their non-gearhead friends by pointing out the little arrow in almost every modern fuel gauge that shows what side the fuel filler is on. It’s a fantastic and simple bit of human-machine interface design, which makes...

jalopnik.com

 

[Mazdiod2]

I guess cars made for right-hand drive markets move the fuel door to the opposite side.

 

[yrwei52]

I guess cars made for right-hand drive markets move the fuel door to the opposite side.

Almost all European car makers, especially those from right-hand drive countries, such as VW、Audi、BMW、Mercedes Benz, have always been having the fuel door on the opposite side (passenger side) to the driver. I believe the fuel door designed on the driver side mostly from Japan and the left-hand drive countries. There original intention is to make the fuel door on the opposite side to the driver for domestic market. But it costs too much to move the fuel door to the other side for right-hand drive markets.

 

[yrwei52]

I learned something today, thanks! I knew about that arrow and that it was meant to indicate which side of the car has the fuel filler. What I didn't know is that it's called a Moylan arrow.

I had to look that up to see where it came from. Jim Moylan was a Ford engineer and he came up with this little gem of an idea, or did he?

The Inventor Of The Little Arrow That Tells You What Side The Fuel Filler Is On Has Finally Been Found - Jalopnik

I bet most of our regular readers have, at some point, blown the mind of one of their non-gearhead friends by pointing out the little arrow in almost every modern fuel gauge that shows what side the fuel filler is on. It’s a fantastic and simple bit of human-machine interface design, which makes...

jalopnik.com

I noticed the “Moylan arrow” next to the fuel gauge icon at first on Japanese cars many years ago. Eventually everybody else follows. Honestly I’m not sure if it’s originally from Ford as I always thought it’s invented by some Japanese car company.

I wonder what direction the “Moylan arrow” should be pointed to on my previous 1974 Chevrolet Impala, as the fuel door is the rear license plate, and right in the middle of the rear end? At the time I thought it’s an excellent idea from the design point of view, no ugly fuel door cut into the body panel!

 

[Sig cx-5]

I noticed the “Moylan arrow” next to the fuel gauge icon at first on Japanese cars many years ago. Eventually everybody else follows. Honestly I’m not sure if it’s originally from Ford as I always thought it’s invented by some Japanese car company.

I wonder what direction the “Moylan arrow” should be pointed to on my previous 1974 Chevrolet Impala, as the fuel door is the rear license plate, and right in the middle of the rear end? At the time I thought it’s an excellent idea from the design point of view, no ugly fuel door cut into the body panel!

Yeah, my '69 Buick Wildcat and two '70's Trans-Am's had it there, too. My '73 Mustang had a big round cap dead center in the rear. This all changed after the government stepped in during the early 80's and started requiring stricter safety measures for rear-end collisions. Remember the Pinto?

 

[markjenn]

The Euro nameplates occasionally like to crow about how the right-side fuel filler location is safer, citing statistics about how left-side sideswipe collisions are more common. This situation reverses, of course, for right-hand drive markets, but these markets are the minority.

I’d love it if for once in my driving career every car I owned was consistent in this regard but it’s never happened. (The inconsistency that bugs me more is which direction the wiper stalk moves to control wiper speed.)

- Mark

 

[yrwei52]

I had to look that up to see where it came from. Jim Moylan was a Ford engineer and he came up with this little gem of an idea, or did he?

The Inventor Of The Little Arrow That Tells You What Side The Fuel Filler Is On Has Finally Been Found - Jalopnik

I bet most of our regular readers have, at some point, blown the mind of one of their non-gearhead friends by pointing out the little arrow in almost every modern fuel gauge that shows what side the fuel filler is on. It’s a fantastic and simple bit of human-machine interface design, which makes...

jalopnik.com

The article says “The bosses saw the value in the (pleasingly cheap-to-implement) idea, and in 1989, the Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer became the first cars to have the little fuel filler-location arrow.”

In 1989, Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer were the second generation of Ford's "world car" originally designed as Ford of Europe. The 2nd generation Escort / Tracer was based on Mazda-designed Ford Laser sold in Asia, sharing a platform and powertrain with the Mazda 323. That’s why I still believe this “Moylan arrow” is actually from some Japanese car manufacture, possibly even from Mazda! Of course the very first could be from Mercedes Benz W123 like the article mentioned.

 

[Mazdiod2]

I forgot about the old cars with the license plate location.
I had to lift the front hood on my '66 bug, even worse than the Ford Model A, which had the filler in the front cowl.

 

[bsaman]

I just noticed my 2020 CX-5 has a right pointing arrow on the left (Picture 2). It's not very clear to me that my tank is on the left from this design.

I think their aim was to differentiate fuel "level" from fuel "distance remaining", with the arrow in the second picture attempting to convey distance rather than pointing to a specific side of the vehicle.
I see what you mean, though.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

And what of electric vehicles? As I've never been inside of a EV I don't know.

Anyone here have an EV? Do they have the Moylan arrow?

 

[yrwei52]

And what of electric vehicles? As I've never been inside of a EV I don't know.

Anyone here have an EV? Do they have the Moylan arrow?

Have driven Chevy Bolt EV a couple of times. Since there’s no fuel gauge, there’s no place for Moylan arrow. And there’s no suitable place in instrument cluster and center screen to show which side the charging port is either.

 

[Mazdiod2]

If you ask me they should use the little pictogram they use to show doors ajar.

One thing I don't like about cars is how they scatter those little warning lights all over in various parts of the dash.
Maybe they could have a little picture of an engine and show engine warning lights there.
I guess the TPMS might not be able to show which tire, depending on the TPMS system used.

 

[DwightFrye]

That's good trivia that the name of that fuel filler directional marker is called a Moylan Arrow. I'll add that to my arsenal of useless automotive knowledge like what Botts Dots are and what the origin of a Sig Alert is.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Have driven Chevy Bolt EV a couple of times. Since there’s no fuel gauge, there’s no place for Moylan arrow. And there’s no suitable place in instrument cluster and center screen to show which side the charging port is either.

I know that an EV wouldn't have a fuel gauge but don't they have some sort of indicator as to the state of charge of the batteries? That's where the arrow should be.

How in the world will anyone find the charging port on their EVs without the Moylan? lol

 

[Mazdiod2]

Have driven Chevy Bolt EV a couple of times. Since there’s no fuel gauge, there’s no place for Moylan arrow. And there’s no suitable place in instrument cluster and center screen to show which side the charging port is either.

Doesn't it have some kind of range indicator? My Chevy has a 'miles to empty 'readout in miles in the DIC (driver info center).

 

[bsaman]

I have a Ford Focus EV. No Moylan arrow indicating the side of the charge port. Maybe because, unlike a fuel stop where you expect to roll up to a pump, fil up, and move on as quickly as possible, charging is much more of a daily task (especially on a short-range vehicle).

The more important point tends to be "is the charging port in the front or the back" so you'll know whether to back in or not.

 

[markjenn]

I’m dating myself here, but I worked at a gas station during the late-60s and 70s and the locations of the fuel fillers were often quite obscure, typically behind license plates, but sometimes hidden under secret hatch doors involving tail lights, trim, fins, etc. No Moylan arrows either! All rear facing fuel fillers were outlawed in the 70’s by safety regs for obvious reasons.

Those were the days of attendants who always cleaned the glass, offered to check fluids and tire pressure, credit card forms with carbon copies, and promotional free steak knives. Quite a different world.

- Mark