Dodgy Diesel

[Neil n Pat]

Hi... Thought I would pass on this stressful moment.
With the knowledge of no services after Granada until you get to the coast I decided to get topped up with diesel even though we had half a tank. After filling up I started to notice the occasional spurt on the accelerator. I thought it was me touching the peddle with no load on the engine going downhill etc. We stayed in a campsite 100Km or so north of Granada. In the morning the MH wouldn't start which resulted in white smoke coughing out of the exhaust. Stress levels going up at this point. After much trying I decided to just keep running the starter motor hoping it will blast it way out. Then she started belching white exhaust all across the campsite. I then drove it round the campsite pretending I was completing a mosquito eradication program. She started to improve but still unwell. I couldn't take it on to the autovia like that. The conclusion I came to was the diesel fill the day before was either contaminated with water or it was that new Bio diesel which complains when it goes through the fuel filters. Morrison's had this issue supplying Bio diesel a few years ago . Renault had to do a recall to change all the filters. I couldn't siphon off the old stuff which had mixed with the good stuff so we drove up and down a 10Km side road to burn off as much as possible and get the good and bad mix blended together. Then the executive decision to get on to the motorway. She ran pretty well with me really pressing hard on the engine to burn off as much as possible. We got to Caletta near Torred del Mar which brought the fuel gauge below half way. I then fueled up at Repsol with good stuff and she started and ran fine the following morning. Phew... big scare. Maybe it was water as the diesel will settle above the water with the injector intake taken from the bottom of the tank I assume.
Anyone else had issues like this ? The old adage buy cheap pay dear doesn't apply as the fuel was 1.35 Euro in comnparison to Repsol 1.28 Euro per litre.
atb Neil

 

[chaser]

For anyone coming to Ieper there's a filling station round from the Menon gate at 137 euros

 

[pappajohn]

Water in your diesel does the injectors no favours whatsoever. It can actually score them and on older engines with a mechanical injector pump it can destroy it.

 

[tacr2man]

If you do a drain on your filters , waters at the bottom , most now have a sedimentor function , and even water contamination warning lights .

 

[Richard n Ann]

My 2008 transit work van once flashed up "water in fuel" after filling up on the A52. Had to take it in to the dealership but it ran ok.

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[Pausim]

In 2014 Tesco had to compensate a large number of motorists who bought dodgy diesel from their Branksome filling station. I don’t think they ever admitted exactly how many and how much they had to pay out but it was possibly more than 100 customers and £5,000 repair bills were being waved around. The filling station was closed for months and the piles of concrete suggest they had to dig out the tanks to drain and clean them. I don’t recall any suggestion that the contamination was to do with bio diesel. The tanker driver was accused of removing diesel and replacing it with non road fuel, however he was found not guilty when it went to Court.

If you think the problem was dodgy fuel from a particular forecourt it might be worth trawling the media and internet to see if it was more than an isolated incident. Perhaps also worth contacting them to see what they have to say, if there has been a problem they might be trying to keep a lid on it by quietly sorting out the problem with individual customers.

 

[pappajohn]

The tanker driver was accused of removing diesel and replacing it with non road fuel,

I find that doubtful.... Its exactly the same stuff except non road fuel has a red indelible dye added to identify it to customs and excise.

 

[SomeoneElse]

Was that dodgy diesel actually petrol?

 

[Pausim]

I find that doubtful.... Its exactly the same stuff except non road fuel has a red indelible dye added.

They didn’t say the non road fuel was red diesel, indeed as you say that would not cause a problem. There are many types of non road fuels. However no one seems to have argued that the fuel was not contaminated, the defence was that the driver did not have the opportunity. To me this suggests they know full well what got into the fuel but not who put it there.

Was that dodgy diesel actually petrol?

No the press reports said diesel.

 

[Pausim]

EA7VPG Sorry, I forget to say I hope you have no more problems and that the rest of your travels are less stressful.

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