sebspring

iTrader: (3)

i won't name and names but....

let's say...


you put 20 quid of fuel in your car from a VERY WELL KNOWN, HUGE brand name petrol station and the tank was nearly empty, and you got some proper shiity fuel from the bottom of the tank and it is now causing your car to run like poo. missfiring etc under load.

where do you stand?????????


the petrol station in question has 18 pumps.all the pumps sell 98+ron petrol. 16 were locked off and 2 weren't.

the queue was HUGE and you can't see the other pumps. you get to a pump thats working stick your fuel in. while filling up you notice that the other pumps are all locked off

so i stopped filling at 20 quids worth.


i paid for the fuel and 3 miles down the road the car is now running like it has sand in the tank


what do i do? where do i stand???

mechanic28

iTrader: (5)

did you get a receipt for said fuel?

if so you need to drain and keep a sample of the fuel!you might even need to take her to a garage to get a professional opinion to back up your claim!

Have you contacted the station?

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

Speak to the garage. Speak to someone who can test the fuel for you. I'd also speak to the local paper, quite likely its not just you that is affected!

S1rst

How do you know for sure that its down to the fuel though? Its very likely that it is but id assume youd have a hard time proving something like this, who knows.

sebspring

iTrader: (3)

got the receipt.

spoke to the duty manager

checked everything else on the car. so problem has been narrowed down to this as the only option already

i am going to drop the tank and drain all the fuel and remove the pump and bag as well.



i did some research on the net and there is some interesting stuff out there


i will post what happens...

P_is_for_Paul

There's been all sorts of shit found in petrol tanks after filling, including feathers

boothy

iTrader: (14)

Station near me tanks were fucked rusted,letting water in my mates engine was fucked because of this cant remember the outcome

They are twats we pay top money for it,should be spot on......

wirralphil

I'll let you know that petrol stations have 4 tanks (more if they are new)

Just cos the pump is off is either a problem with the pump or the garage has shut them off.

A minimum amount for BP Ultimate in the garage i work in is 3000 litres. Normal Unleaded does not go below 7000 litres. (derv is the same)

Only way for cross contamination is the fillers error (unlikey as the attendent and driver have to check and sign)

Best thing to do tho is take a sample of the fuel and get in touch with the petrol supplier.

Rs Cosworth 1

Mate was nearly empty how empty as u could have dragged shit through outta your own tank TBH it has happened but as doug said get a sample of fuel and keep contact garage

sebspring

iTrader: (3)

looks like the pumps have been locked off for over a week on the 98+ at this place and they are RIGHT down in the tanks as these 2 pumps have been going stong for all that time


it is tesco by the way......

P_is_for_Paul

When I worked at Ford a guy brought his mondeo diesel in as it cut out. All the time he was asked he denied putting petrol in as per the norm. He even had his receipt which confirmed he used the diesel pump. After stripping down the tech took a sample of the fuel. Found petrol mixed with the diesel! We had to write a report on our findings as he was putting in a claim for the repairs. The petrol station.............Tesco!!!

Never did hear what happened with his claim though.

Rs Cosworth 1

Tesco every little help's........

mcst

I stick to proper petrol companies. Primarily Shell, i've 2 that don't take me out of my way to use. I always avoid supermarket fuel if i can help it but if im really short i'll put a tenner in until i get to a better place. The worst fuel i have used is BP for some reason. Not only is it dearer than all the others my car runs rough on it. Everything else is spot on and the fuel is the only thing i changed, but the car was really sluggish, 3rd gear corners were now 2nd gear corners. Last week it was shite after just Ł10 of the stuff. Ran like it for about 3 days. After a fill up of the normal shell and its running a treat.

Any links to some of the sites you found most useful? I'm interested to see if other people have similiar problems with fuel.

wirralphil

Diesel, Unleaded, Super Unleaded, Super Diesel are in the same tanks. (1 tank for each)

Yuo naver heard because if the driver had put petrol in a derv tank he would of cross contaminated.

For example a driver told me he cross contaminated a station near Manchester Airport. He put Unleaded into a diesel tank (400 litres of unleaded into 12,000 diesel) The whole tank had to be drained then filled to the brim.

The driver HAD to say as the Ulleges (remaining space in tank would of mixed)

Petrol stations have to keep record on Quantity and Ullages to see if Cross conatamination(ie water leaking to tank)

kosman

why were the other pumps locked off? our local tesco didnt have any fuel lastnight and ferrybridge services on m62 havent had any for a few days,wonder if theres something going on,shit meself when i noticed ferrybridge didnt have any,i was on fumes,made it to whitwood truckstop by skin of me teeth,dont think people on m62 woulda been chuffed if i blocked lane off by running out of fuel

TurboShed

Tesco petrol isn't even cheap anymore, at least not the 99 I buy.

gramsey

tesco is shite! We have had some dodgey fuel in our local tescos 3 or 4 times now. i just stick to shell. you know what your getting

S1

Last year on the way to a show I filled up my Focus RS with BP Ultimate, as soon as I left the garage I noticed something wrong but thought it might clear. For the whole tank the car ran like crap, missfiring as soon as it started to boost. I used the tank up as much as possible on the way home and stuck a tenner in from a supermarket to top it up. As soon as I left the petrol station again it started to clear and by the time I was home it ran perfectly so I would say definitaly down to petrol. I contacted the garage and got details of BP customer services. All I ever got back was a letter saying they had no reports from anyone else that day and so it was not their fault. As I didnt have a sample of fuel I was unable to take it any further. If it happens again I will defo take a sample.

The DIVA

iTrader: (3)

I had loads of trouble with Tesco

My fuel sample was 22% contaminated with water when it was tested

mechanic28

iTrader: (5)

slight chance of subject but is that tescos 99 ron better then shell super unleaded?would be good to hear some opinions from people who have used both!i have only used shell and bp super,my cossie used to hate the bp stuff!

tabetha

Would be useful to stick a notice on the notice board of a local newsagent asking other sufferers of this to phone you, have a much better chance as a group than individual.
tabetha

sebspring

iTrader: (3)

what happened after you found this out did you make a claim?

looks like this is gonna be kicking off my end now




well tesco have rung me back and made it VERY clear they are up for a fight. they have admitted they have had trading standards in for 2 days of this week and claim there is nothing wrong NOW. ie that there was. and i believe they taped the telephone call as well

which tells me they are hiding something and they are expecting a fight.

really can't be doing with all this hassle but i am not gonna get fuuked over by them just because they are so big.


i am onto trading standards next week and also in the search of more local people with issues


any other advice or previous experience form anyone on here is much appreciated. i'm not really looking forward to taking on one of the countries biggest companies

sebspring

iTrader: (3)

right i have taken some fuel from the tank.


you tell me what YOU think.....

sebspring

iTrader: (3)

it is that thick i can't see through it.

sebspring

iTrader: (3)

no one got an opinion on the fuel?

tabetha

To be fair you can't see from the picture, as bottle could, have been contaminated with a tiny bit of oil ?
It certainly to me does look too yellow.
A thing that often works is to place your car strategically so it can be seen by people entering tesco's, with a sign saying bad fuel sold here, then write on apiece of A4 paper the problems etc and place this in your window, for all to read, word soon gets round.
So long as what you have put is factually correct nothing mr tesco can do, or the police for that matter, as it's a civil matter, make sure you're not parked on yellows etc.
Write a note to the manager with your phone number on it, they will ring you.
If THEY wish to do anything it causes them money(which is no problem) but also a bit of bad advertising, local papers etc will be onto the story, make sure you put on the A4 paper about tradings stds having been there, like I say factually correct there's no problem.
I have done this outside a argos in a shopping mall for a Ł7 toy that wore out in 2 months as they wouldn't replace or refund, ok it took 3 hours with boards on my front and back wandering around the shopping mall, me mates disowned me!!
tabetha

AGAR-COSWORTH

Seems very discoloured - although how are you sure its not just a build up of crap in your tank over the years? Not that im doubting you, but just considering all possibilities here.

James

I'd say it looks more like murky diesel tbh.

The best test is to get a piece of a4 paper and pour some on it, if after ten mins it's evaporated with no trace it's ok, if it has diesel in it it'll leave a greasy imprint on the paper!

Re: tesco though, i've only ever used tesco as it's the only station in my town apart from texeco and never had no trouble in ten years of being here, and if possible will always goto tesco when i'm away from home, again with no problems.

However, i have noticed with texeco fuel my vr6 don't run aswell, just little running issues only the driver would notice if you know what i mean. And it's not just the local texeco either which suggests to me texeco as a fuel altogether don't agree with my car as opposed to water/corrosion in the tanks etc.

Also i think it depends on the car alot too, my fiesta (1.7 crosflow) runs shit loads better on shell fuel from the next town compared to tesco. yet in my vr6 theres no difference in the 2!

Random thought, but maybe cars with knock sensers cope with poor quality fuel better and mask the running problems by retarding the timing slightly?

There is also a fuel station over the road from the beach near me, everyone i know avoids it and claims they're cars run badly on fuel from there!!!!

bevernbridge

I think I put some contaminated petrol in my 10 year old Fiesta on Saturday. Car is now running rough (was perfect, service two weeks ago), and low powered.

Does the tank need emptying, or is filling up often with premium unleaded adequate ?

Thanks for any advice.

furry

I used to use tesco's 99 ron all the time with my M3 as it would detonate on optimax and bp ultimate.

JK99

Something wasn't right with your M3 then!

I've had some issues with a Shell garage in Aberdeen before but got nowhere. Not worth the hassle unless it's caused massive damage. Jus t drain, change the filter and fill up with some V-Power and move on.

Graham88

As previously mentioned but I thought I would back it up, I used to work in a Sainsburys Petrol Station and alarms bells would ring once the tanks got to 4000 litres but were silenceable at this level. One it hit 2500 litres you couldn't turn them off unless the pumps themselves were turned off, hence pumps being shut off. There isn't one big tank we had about 4 Unleaded tanks, 4 Diesel tanks and 2 Super Unleaded tanks I think it was.

But I now use Shell, mainly for the points admittedly! I only use 95ron in mine so the Optimax/Super Unleaded argument to what's better doesn't apply to me

wirralphil

Graham must be different in every garage forecourt as we have 4 tanks.

wirralphil

Shell supplies Tesco, BP supplies Sainsbury's, and they are all from the same pot based in Stanlow

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Thats the first think I thought when reading the post as well.

markcoznottz

Arent cars fitted with fuel filters ........

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Yes, 20 years ago when new these cars we all play about with were indeed fitted with fuel filters, and yet ive still seen them come to a hault from rubbish in the tank getting dragged up, hence my comment.

SiZT

Allegedly it's down to new legislation requiring there to be a 5% mix of ethanol in the petrol which can take the lining off the tanks in the forecourt. We have a petrol station on our premises and it happened to us a week before christmas, 10 mins after the delivery cars started breaking down (some not even getting off the forecourt). Some of the petrol that was taken out of the cars looked alot worse than yours so you should be happy. Note ours was with normal unleaded not super, I know that super has had an ethanol mix for over a year so this may not apply in your case.

furry

A few mates with M3's had the same problem, my old escos and saph were always run on optimax with no problems what so ever.