Dead Battery at a Wichita Gas Station? Here's What to Do

If your car dies at a gas pump in Wichita, finish or stop fueling, hang up the nozzle and close the gas cap. Then tell the clerk your car won't start. If it's safe, roll the car off the pump island to a parking spot with a helper. Don't jump it right next to the pump. A battery can give off a flammable gas, and so can gasoline. Once you're clear of the pumps, a jump start is usually simple.

Why is a dead battery at the pump different?

You pull into a station on Kellogg on a cold morning. You fill up, get back in and turn the key. Click. Nothing.

Now you have two problems. The first is the battery. The second is where you are. Your car is blocking a pump that other drivers need. Cars are lining up behind you. Some are pulling around you close and fast.

A parking lot breakdown gives you room to wait. A pump island doesn't. And it's the one place at a station where you want the fewest sparks. So the order matters: get safe, get clear of the pump, then get the jump.

What should you do the second the car won't start?

1. If fuel is still flowing, stop it and hang up the nozzle. Close the gas cap and the fuel door.
2. Turn the key off. Turn off the lights, radio, fan and phone chargers.
3. Put your flashers on so drivers behind you know the car is stuck, not just slow.
4. Walk inside and tell the clerk. Ask where they want the car moved.
5. Don't light a cigarette while you wait. Not at the pump, not near it.

Listen to what the car did when you turned the key. A slow crank or fast clicking points to a weak battery. A strong crank that never catches is a different problem, and a jump won't fix it.

Is it safe to jump a car right at the gas pump?

It's better not to. Two official safety guides explain why.

The Maryland Department of the Environment says gasoline vapors are heavier than air. They can travel along the ground to anything that sparks. That's why its refueling guide says to turn your engine off and never smoke or use a lighter while fueling.

The Oregon Department of Transportation says a car battery gives off flammable hydrogen gas while it's charging. A spark from any source can ignite that gas and make the battery explode. It also says a running car is charging its battery, not just a battery charger.

A jump start means clamps, a running engine and a dead battery taking a charge, all a few feet from a pump. Put those facts together and the answer is easy. Move the car away from the pumps first, then jump it.

How do you get a dead car off the pump island?

Most cars can be rolled a short way. Here's how to do it without getting hurt:

• Get at least one helper. One person steers, one or two push. Never push alone.
• Turn the key to the spot that unlocks the steering wheel, but don't crank it.
• Shift to neutral with your foot on the brake.
• Know that power steering and power brakes get heavy with the engine off. Steer early and brake hard.
• Push from the back of the car, not the doorframe, and watch for cars pulling in.
• Roll it to a parking spot, not the air pump or the car wash line.

Some cars won't move. The parking brake may be stuck, or the car won't come out of park with no power. If that happens, leave it where it is. Keep the flashers on and tell the clerk you're getting help. Your driver can deal with it when they arrive.

Can the station have your car towed?

A gas station lot is private property. The City of Wichita says private lot owners can limit parking to customers or set a time limit. They can have a car towed if the signs that city code Section 11.99.030 requires are posted. So don't walk off and leave your car there. Tell the staff, read the signs and stay close.

Why do batteries quit at Wichita gas stations?

A fuel stop is when you find out your battery is weak. The car was running fine on the way there. You shut it off, and now it has to restart from scratch.

Wichita weather makes that restart harder. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Wichita count about 103 nights a year at or below freezing. The federal fuel economy site says battery performance drops in the cold, and the alternator has a harder time keeping it charged.

Summer does damage too. The same NOAA data counts about 65 days a year at 90 degrees or hotter. A battery that got worn down in July often quits on the first cold morning in fall. That's the week the pump island gets crowded with dead cars.

How do you jump a car once it's away from the pumps?

If a friend or a stranger with cables offers a jump, use these steps from the Oregon DOT battery guide:

1. Turn off everything electrical in both cars. A load on the battery can cause a spark.
2. Make sure both batteries are the same voltage.
3. Red clamp to the plus post of the good battery. Other red clamp to the plus post of the dead one.
4. Black clamp to the minus post of the good battery.
5. Last black clamp to clean, bare metal on the dead car's engine, away from the battery.
6. Start the good car, then try the dead one.

Don't set tools on top of the battery. Stop if the battery is cracked, leaking or smells like rotten eggs. If anything feels wrong, step back and call for help instead.

What if it's not the battery at all?

Stuff goes wrong at a fuel stop that has nothing to do with a dead battery:

• You locked the keys inside while you were pumping. That's a car lockout, not a jump.
• The low tire light came on and the air pump won't save it. Your driver can do a flat tire change if you have a spare.
• The car takes a jump but dies again before you leave the lot. That points to the alternator or a bad battery. A tow to a repair shop makes more sense.
• You ran dry a block before the station. That's fuel delivery. If you fill a gas can at the pump, set it on the ground first, never in your trunk or pickup bed.

What if a fire starts at the pump?

It's rare, but know the steps. Maryland's guide says to leave the nozzle in the car and back away. Tell the attendant right away so they can shut off the pumps with the emergency controls. If no one is working, use the emergency intercom and the emergency shutdown button. Then call 911.

The same guide says to stay out of your car while fuel is pumping. Getting in and out, mostly on cool, dry days, can build up static that sparks at the nozzle. If you do get back in, touch metal on the outside of the car, away from the fill spot, before you grab the nozzle.

Who do you call from a Wichita gas station?

If anyone is hurt or there's a fire, call 911 first. If you stopped at a highway exit and need the Kansas Highway Patrol, dial *47. On the Kansas Turnpike, dial *582.

For the jump itself, tell the dispatcher three things. Give the station's cross streets, like Kellogg and Rock Road, Broadway near downtown, or Webb Road by K-96. Say whether the car is still at a pump or parked. And say what it did when you turned the key.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We text you your price first, and that price is locked before anyone is sent. You get your driver's name, photo and truck by text, so you know who's pulling up next to the pumps. You can track your truck on a map, and we check on you by text until help arrives. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. Learn more about a jump start or see our Wichita towing page for the roads and towns we cover.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Wichita Gas Station Battery Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: Maryland Dept. of the Environment: Dos and Don'ts at the Gas Pump, Oregon DOT: The Hazards of Battery Charging, City of Wichita parking FAQ, Kansas Highway Patrol, NOAA climate normals, Wichita, FuelEconomy.gov: cold weather.