Beware This Problem That Stops Your Car Cold
That stuff you are putting in your tank may not be all gasoline
Posted: Jan 19, 2012
Gasoline out of the pump to most drivers is like water out of the spigot. They assume that water is water and gas is gas, and that, in both cases, some regulating body has made sure that what is going into our stomachs and in our gas tanks is the right stuff.
Not so fast. Just as we find contaminated water from time to time, we also find contaminated gasoline. And just like bad meal can play havoc on the human digestive system, so too can bad gas cause expensive, unpleasant problems for your vehicle.
WHNT-TV out of Huntsville Alabama recently reported on a Trinity, Ala. couple whose car was acting terribly after gassing up, and then wouldn't start at all the next morning. Celestra Gordon and her husband were told by their mechanic that the fuel injectors were ruined after processing gasoline that had been contaminated with water.
After discovering the vehicle's warranty would not cover the damage, the Gordons contacted the gas station. The station shut down the pumps, and is reimbursing the Gordons for the repairs, reported WHNT.
The Gordons were lucky. It's not easy to prove a case of contaminated gas, as Clarence Davis of Texas found when he faced about $700 in repair bills and related costs.
Davis gassed up his car at a Bedford, Texas Kroger station last year. Afterward, his engine sputtered and died. A mechanic diagnosed it in writing as having water contaminated gasoline. Davis, reported the Dallas Fort Worth Star-Telegram, reported it to the Kroger as well as Texas Department of Agriculture, which regulates gas and gas pumps. The state inspector certified that Kroger's gas met state standards, and the Kroger disputed Davis's claim that it had water in its tanks, asserting that gas is tested multiple times a day and that there is a shutoff built in to the pumps if bad gas tries to circulate.
Going to court
Davis had saved a milk-jug of the gas taken from his vehicle with a notation from his mechanic. But a small claims court ruled in favor of Kroger because Davis's gas sample did not get properly tested by a third party, and also because it did not satisfy the standards of "chain of evidence." Water, in theory, could have been added to the milk-jug. Without the state inspector on Davis's side, it was going to be a tough battle.
The chances of getting bad gas in your car are small, but it does happen. The most likely time it could happen is when the tank at the gas station is near empty. Why? Gasoline is lighter than water. If there is water in the station's tank, it will be collected at the bottom of the tank.
The only thing Davis could have done differently was have his gas tested at a third party lab after it was given to him. That would cost around $300 at most labs. And even then, an opposing lawyer could charge that the gas was not taken from the Kroger pump.
There isn't much to do to guard against this problem. But one thing experts agree on is this--it's better not to fill up from a pump that is attached to a tank that is being filled up by a tanker truck. That was the case when Davis fueled up at the Kroger. It is at this moment that the tank is low, exposing possible water, and also the time that water, if it's in the tank, is sloshing around with the gas before it settles.
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I GOT BAD GAS ONCE THE CAR WENT LESS THAN 1/2 MILE TILL IT STOPPED. WENT RIGHT BACK TO THE STATION, THEY DENIED IT WAS THEIRS. I WAS SOL.
January 22 2012 at 6:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyYou don't want to put leaded gas into a unleaded fuel burning engine either! I ran out of gas on open highway once, and the roadside service operator I called put 5 gallons of leaded stuff into my tank. It started the engine, but stalled out in just a few minutes, and I was lucky enough to coast down a very long inclined road to another service station, where I had the tank drained and refilled with unleaded fuel. No more trouble after that.
January 20 2012 at 6:27 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyLocal NewsLukoil says water tainted gasFriday, April 18, 2008
Dozens of cars broke down on the Garden State Parkway Thursday after filling up with bad gas.
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NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Gas station chain Lukoil on Friday blamed water contamination for bad gas at least seven service stations across New Jersey that left dozens of motorists stranded.
The company was working to reopen stations in North Jersey Friday after reports of stall-outs on roadways across Bergen, Essex and Monmouth counties, said OAO Lukoil spokesman George Wilkins.
"We are working around the clock to test, remove, and replace all affected products," Wilkins said.
The bad gas was sold to motorists during the Thursday night rush hour. Wilkins said the distributor believes the problem was caused by "excessive concentrations of water in storage tanks" at a distribution terminal.
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More than 60 cars stalled along the Garden State Parkway Thursday evening after filling up at stations in Fort Lee, Bloomfield and along the parkway, said Parkway spokesman Joe Orlando. Police also reported at least 11 stalled cars in Wall Township.
Orlando said the incidents didn't affect traffic, but that there was a shortage of tow-trucks to deal with the large volume of stranded motorists.
"It's just not a scenario we deal with regularly," he said.
Wilkins said Lukoil would assist motorists with repairs and reimburse them for rental cars if needed. The company set up a hot line for assistance where motorists could leave a message.
Water can cause a car to stall because it is heavier than gas.
"The gas is always sucked from the bottom, so if you put water in the tank, all you will do is pump water," said Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline C-store Automotive Association.
Risalvato said that while water won't usually ruin a car engine, it can be a costly repair - on average $500 to $1,000 per car - because the gas lines must be completely drained and cleaned.
Wilkins said the incident happened just as distributors were switching from winter-blends of gas to summer gas - a federal requirement to help stem pollution. The switchover often requires the cleaning of gas storage tanks.
Lukoil station owner Goldy Dhesi of Highland Park said although his station did not receive the bad gas, the incident seemed to be affecting Lukoil's distribution Friday. He had been scheduled for a Friday morning delivery of regular gas and had run out of inventory.
"I don't know what happened, they stopped the deliveries," he said. "I was supposed to get it this morning, I'm still waiting."
(Copyright ©2012 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
cow milk being cut with goat milk in kansas makes 1 % taste like whole
January 20 2012 at 5:44 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply2 yrs ago a station in Oxford Al. had to reimburse several people for auto repairs because the idiot driving the fuel tanker dumped a load of DIESEL FUEL into gasoline storage tanks.....
January 20 2012 at 5:11 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyKroger Texas what do you expect....
January 20 2012 at 4:28 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyTesting for water would cost around $300 at most labs.??????? What,? Gas and water won't mix and water can be VISUALLY SEEN at the bottom of any container. Just separate the clear looking water from the colored looking gasoline and try lighting it with a match. Any fool "even a Judge or Lawyer could then see from this simple test that the pump was discharging water along with the gas. Why do they make simple common sense solutions so complicated? Want the answer to that question?........Its because every scam artist in America has a testing lab that over charges for their services. And in most cases those lab services are totally unnecessary. A $300 dollar charge to test for water in the gasoline is proof positive to back up my claim.
January 20 2012 at 4:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyPlease I need the author's email address:David Kiley. As operator/franchisee of Arco gas station, I have been complaining to Arco regarding problem that everytime during the delivery, all pumps immediately stopped or run
penny by penny.Because of my so many complaint, Arco hired Tank cleaning Company to clean all 4 tanks.
the result was shocking to see how much dirty sludge inside those tank. In 2007 they performed not once but
4 X tank cleaning.Next week, Arco already scheduled for Tank Cleaning # 5 with different Company.
Beside this dirty fuel I have also some issue regarding over delivery at pump causing me lost thousand
of $ since 1996 until now. I have all the evidence pictures and video,letter etc that I would like to expose to the public. David Kiley , or anybody with similar situaton please help.can't afford now to hire a Lawyer
Dihydrogen monoxide contamination is widespread. It could even be in what you eat!!!!!!!!!!!
January 20 2012 at 3:37 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI had a somewhat similar problem in a 1995 Ford F350 Diesel Mason Dump truck. The idiot attended came up and asked what i wanted...told him "$30 diesel, pulled up to the diesel pump, had the attendant pump it, and i left....but i didnt make it to my destination that was less than a mile away. The jerk off put Supper-Unleaded gas in the truck. They ended up paying for all damages...$3700 paid by the Hess Northern NJ District Manager. And the dude got fired...cuz it does say DIESEL ONLY right above the cap...
January 20 2012 at 3:06 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyModel Spotlight
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