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dodgy diesel messed up my car

  • 12-04-2012 7:09pm
    #1
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭


    put 20e of diesel into my car last week. drove 40 mile with no problem. then it wouldnt start. mechanic took it away and drained the tank and found that it was dodgy diesel and it messed up the pump. its a 00 rover 75 with nct just up so not gonna put the money into fixing it. i made my gripe known to the garage in question but got nowhere with them. now im without a car that never gave me a days trouble in nearly a year. can i try taking these to small claims court to try recoupe something or do i just take it on the chin and move on?? any advice would be great cheers


Comments

  • #2
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,856 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    You'd need to be able prove your case, and that would be tricky.


  • #3
    ironclaw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭ironclaw


    Henry Ford III wrote: »
    You'd need to be able prove your case, and that would be tricky.

    Pretty much sums it up. Given €20 is about 12 litres (2.6 gallons) and your mpg is about 20 at a guess, you did 40 miles, so thats a decent bit of fuel through the system before something happening. What was the specific damage? Injectors? Fuel pump?
    yeah was thinking that alright. would gettin a sample

    You'd need a sample from the day and from your tank, with a evidence trail. There was a thread here about a month ago with this issue. Personally I'd say it would be impossible to prove.


  • #4
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭purehoor


    yeah was thinking that alright. would gettin a sample and getting them analysed be expensive or should i just ring customs?


  • #5
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭purehoor


    ironclaw wrote: »
    Pretty much sums it up. Given €20 is about 12 litres (2.6 gallons) and your mpg is about 20 at a guess, you did 40 miles, so thats a decent bit of fuel through the system before something happening. What was the specific damage? Injectors? Fuel pump?



    You'd need a sample from the day and from your tank, with a evidence trail. There was a thread here about a month ago with this issue. Personally I'd say it would be impossible to prove.
    yeah it was the fuel pump ironclaw.


  • #6
    Saab Ed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,374 ✭✭✭Saab Ed


    I'd be afraid of my sh!te to drive a diesel these days. Good aul petrol, none of those worries that seem to be so common these days.

    Sorry to hear about your troubles OP. Hope the garage ponies up rather than make an issue that costs them business.


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  • #7
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,473 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    purehoor wrote: »
    yeah was thinking that alright. would gettin a sample and getting them analysed be expensive or should i just ring customs?
    It is not their problem.


  • #8
    johnos1984
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,096 ✭✭✭johnos1984


    OP have you often driven the 75 on less than a quarter of a tank?

    They have a poor fuel tank design which leads to the fuel pump failing. I doubt dodgy diesel is to blame tbh


  • #9
    Marcusm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,628 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    johnos1984 wrote: »
    OP have you often driven the 75 on less than a quarter of a tank?

    They have a poor fuel tank design which leads to the fuel pump failing. I doubt dodgy diesel is to blame tbh

    Another thing for you to keep an eye on; is this another failure in the making?


  • #10
    Damien360
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,782 ✭✭✭Damien360


    Our man in Havana wrote: »
    It is not their problem.

    Not quite true. Customs are only interested in lost revenue. If this is possible washed diesel then it would be very much their problem. Nothing to come of it for the OP other than a sense of satisfaction. If they got named in the papers then it would put a dent in that garages buisness.


  • #11
    johnos1984
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,096 ✭✭✭johnos1984


    Marcusm wrote: »
    johnos1984 wrote: »
    OP have you often driven the 75 on less than a quarter of a tank?

    They have a poor fuel tank design which leads to the fuel pump failing. I doubt dodgy diesel is to blame tbh

    Another thing for you to keep an eye on; is this another failure in the making?
    Hope not. I've taken to filling up when I get half way through a tank


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  • #12
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭purehoor


    im a student so the car never gets anymore than 20e at a time. never had the problem in a year. mechanic confirmed it was ****e diesel. it didnt smell or feel like diesel. i was there when he opened the fuel lines.


  • #13
    johnos1984
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,096 ✭✭✭johnos1984


    purehoor wrote: »
    im a student so the car never gets anymore than 20e at a time. never had the problem in a year. mechanic confirmed it was ****e diesel. it didnt smell or feel like diesel. i was there when he opened the fuel lines.
    It's a common failure in them if you run the car often on a low tank.

    How did it smell and feel?

    I'm still willing to bet the fuel is fine


  • #14
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    purehoor wrote: »
    im a student so the car never gets anymore than 20e at a time. never had the problem in a year. mechanic confirmed it was ****e diesel. it didnt smell or feel like diesel. i was there when he opened the fuel lines.

    Which pump does he reckon is dead, the in tank one or the one under the bonnet?

    If you're constantly running it on €20 fills it's quite likely it's the in tank pump that has died as John mentions.

    Might well be worth filling it with diesel and seeing does it seem to fix it, waste of time if the under bonnet pump is dead too of course but that would depend on the diagnosis that was done.


  • #15
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭purehoor


    johnos1984 wrote: »
    It's a common failure in them if you run the car often on a low tank.

    How did it smell and feel?

    I'm still willing to bet the fuel is fine

    it didnt have the texture of diesel. was too watery. cant really explain the smell tho. nothin like iv smelt before. mechanic assures me its the fuel.


  • #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    purehoor wrote: »
    it didnt have the texture of diesel. was too watery. cant really explain the smell tho. nothin like iv smelt before. mechanic assures me its the fuel.

    What's actually wrong with the pump though? Was the car running fine on this dodgy diesel before it failed to start?


  • #17
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭purehoor


    RoverJames wrote: »
    Which pump does he reckon is dead, the in tank one or the one under the bonnet?

    If you're constantly running it on €20 fills it's quite likely it's the in tank pump that has died as John mentions.

    Might well be worth filling it with diesel and seeing does it seem to fix it, waste of time if the under bonnet pump is dead too of course but that would depend on the diagnosis that was done.[/QUOT
    its the pump under the bonnet. i defo dont have the cash to fill it or fix it im afraid.


  • #18
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭purehoor


    RoverJames wrote: »
    What's actually wrong with the pump though? Was the car running fine on this dodgy diesel before it failed to start?

    he tells me that its fubarred. there was little silver shavings in the fuel too which he claims is something to do with the fuel not being of correct consistancey. i know ****e all about motors TBH but this guy has an excellent reputation.


  • #19
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    If the fuel system is full of swarfy shaving stuff it might well not be this particular €20 of diesel in isolation :)

    12 year old fuel pumps are prone to failing too of course.


  • #20
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭purehoor


    i havent the money to fix it anyway:( would a scrap yard give me a few bob for it?


  • #21
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Might get a few hundred for it if you donedeal.ie it as is, lash it up asking €450 and see is there any interest, might get €300 or a bit more for it.


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  • #22
    porsche boy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,560 ✭✭✭porsche boy


    I might be interested in buying it. Where are you based?


  • #23
    David09
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 541 ✭✭✭David09


    purehoor wrote: »
    it didnt have the texture of diesel. was too watery. cant really explain the smell tho. nothin like iv smelt before. mechanic assures me its the fuel.


    Not trying to be smart, but are you sure that you didn't pick up the wrong pump when fuelling?

    I bought a diesel car last week which was a non runner. I was told the injection pump was dead. When I got the car home I realised the tank was full of petrol.


  • #24
    Wheelnut
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 977 ✭✭✭Wheelnut


    I agree with those who doubt the last fill caused the problem. Apart from the weaknesses of the fuel pumps in this model there's another consideration. Most cars will still have 10 - 15 litres of fuel in the tank when the gauge shows empty, so €20 of dodgy fuel would be diluted 50/50 with what's already in the tank. If that mixture was bad enough to destroy a pump in 40 miles there would be dead cars all over that locality. Some good advice on this thread for the OP, things might not be as bad as they seem.


  • #25
    fasttalkerchat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,652 ✭✭✭fasttalkerchat


    purehoor wrote: »
    it didnt have the texture of diesel. was too watery. cant really explain the smell tho. nothin like iv smelt before. mechanic assures me its the fuel.
    Do you know what Kerosene smells like OP?


  • #26
    Bandara
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,282 ✭✭✭Bandara


    purehoor wrote: »
    johnos1984 wrote: »
    It's a common failure in them if you run the car often on a low tank.

    How did it smell and feel?

    I'm still willing to bet the fuel is fine

    it didnt have the texture of diesel. was too watery. cant really explain the smell tho. nothin like iv smelt before. mechanic assures me its the fuel.

    Mechanics do this all the time, winds me right up. I had an AA mechanic a while ago tell a customer that I'd sold him pure KEROSENE - 70 liters of it, instead of diesel at my pumps. The mechanic (I'm
    not making this up) came to this conclusion by dipping his finger into the fuel into he took from the tank and, wait for it...... TASTING IT.

    Eventually we got a proper mechanic to look at the car, a Range Rover and the problem was a purely mechanical one.

    Tell you what, you ask the mechanic to put don't on headed paper in a report that the damage to your car is 100% as a result of dodgy fuel. See what he says then.

    If you bought the fuel from a large brand name station then it's very unlikely it's washed, of it's from an independent selling cheap fuel it's highly highly likely it is washed

    If you want you can pm me the name snd location of the station and I should be pretty much able to tell you either way.


  • #27
    Gone Drinking
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,811 ✭✭✭Gone Drinking


    I remember when the Apple garage in Celbridge had issues with their diesel. There was cars littered all over the road, broken down.

    Friend of mine worked next door and was just topping up his tank in his company pickup, got 15 minutes down the motorway when it cut out and wouldn't start. He rang his boss, who then bought diesel and went to go collect him. He also cut out down the motorway.

    There had been a leak that allowed water into the diesel tanks. I'd say they paid through their noses for that.


  • #28
    purehoor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭purehoor


    ah david give me some credit please.
    anyway called mechanic earlier and he said he tried to flute about with it again and that he got it started. the only thing is everytime it needs to be started i have to use easy start. he said it might just clear out the pump of the ****e that went thru it but cant gaurantee it. any more advice????


  • #29
    David09
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 541 ✭✭✭David09


    purehoor wrote: »
    ah david give me some credit please.
    anyway called mechanic earlier and he said he tried to flute about with it again and that he got it started. the only thing is everytime it needs to be started i have to use easy start. he said it might just clear out the pump of the ****e that went thru it but cant gaurantee it. any more advice????

    And when it does start up, what is it running like? I could be wrong, but if the pump was knackered I'd doubt it would start at all. Easy start or not.

    If it's not starting by itself, then you're down to stuff like glowplugs, etc..


  • #30
    TonyM.
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 592 ✭✭✭TonyM.


    Saab Ed wrote: »
    I'd be afraid of my sh!te to drive a diesel these days. Good aul petrol, none of those worries that seem to be so common these days.

    Sorry to hear about your troubles OP. Hope the garage ponies up rather than make an issue that costs them business.

    http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/smashed-the-fuel-plant-turning-out-diluted-petrol-14266057.html

    Time to get worried .


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  • #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    purehoor wrote: »
    ah david give me some credit please.
    anyway called mechanic earlier and he said he tried to flute about with it again and that he got it started. the only thing is everytime it needs to be started i have to use easy start. he said it might just clear out the pump of the ****e that went thru it but cant gaurantee it. any more advice????


    I take it you haven't followed my earlier advice yet? That was to fill the car with diesel :)

    If the underbonnet fuel pump was fubbered (as your mechanic put it) the car would cut out a few seconds after easy start was sprayed in, if it would start at all.

    If you don't want to risk wasting a full tank at least half fill the thing.


  • #32
    shawnee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,830 ✭✭✭shawnee


    Yeah , having driven diesel all my life , I have for the moment reverted to petrol. Had two escapades of dodgy diesel one with a merc and then with a Mondeo. Very expensive repairs and this dodgy diesel seems to be on the increase. At present I am happier paying high prices for petrol but at least the car is going and I am not trying to get dodgy diesel out of the tank ;)
    Hope you get sorted.


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