Fuel Suspect Quality Check/Test

Adzski

Hi All.

Recently had an issue with our 99 Passat......

Topped up with 35 litres of petrol from virtually empty (petrol cap had been jammed for a few days ) Car ran for about 20 miles before it began dying at low revs (turning at corners, stopping to reverse etc.)

Limped it home and when the mechanic arrived, he initially thought I'd added diesel by mistake.

He'd only serviced the car a month previously, including replacing the plugs, which he removed and were now completely black...choked with dirt. Smelt the fuel and said it smelt more like paint brush cleaner (which it did).

Got some new plugs fitted...ran the engine for 5 minutes of coughing and spluttering. Removed and they were black again.

Completely drained the fuel (cleaned the plugs) and stuck 20 litres in from another garage.....started and ran perfectly.

I've since found out that the garage we bought this from, has a reputation for poor quality diesel, (not heard anything about petrol).

Spoke to them today and they are not interested in investigating, although I was entertained by the creative arguments they put forward. (One was that their fuel was tested 1.5 months ago and was ok)

I now have nearly thirty litres of suspect petrol in my garage, that I would like to get checked, if only for my own sanity

I don't want the garage to 'get away' with this and was looking for any advice anyone can offer, with regards to the correct approach. Revenue? Claim court?

Cheers,

Adam

slimjimmc

If you filled a virtually empty tank with such bad fuel how on earth did you manage to drive 20 miles problem free?
Surely any problems would have been fairly immediate, especially considering the engine wouldn't run smoothly for 5 mins with new plugs? The new fuel would have mixed with the old fuel during filling and all the sloshing about while on the road would have kept them mixed.
Doesn't make sense.

Have you or your mechanic heard any reports of other cars with the same problem suddenly appearing?

corkgsxr

Its a hard one to argue.

By draining the tank you could have taken out any water and crud that was at the bottom of your tank.

If you normally don't go so low there could have been a buildup that you didn't realise

Days 298

Sludge at the bottom of the tank?

kona

I wouldn't be leaving 30 litres of god knows what in my garage waiting for a spark for a start.

Why don't you send it off for analysis yourself. Dou you have a receipt ? Can you prove it's their petrol? If your 100% hire a solicitor and sue them. If not , forget about it and get rid of that stuff in your shed properly.

visual

Days 298 wrote: »

Sludge at the bottom of the tank?

I be inclined to think sludge in tank too

Bandara

If you want to pm me the name of the station I can most likely advise you if it's selling washed fuel or not.

One things jumps out, your mechanic saying it smells like something else etc is complete horse sh1t

Mechanics always do this it's 'dirty fuel' nonsense.

Adzski

Thanks for the replies.

To try and answer some questions so far:
I put the petrol in and drove 2 miles home on a 100KmH limit road, didn't notice anything.
Wife drove into town on (20ish mile round trip) and said it was sluggish/lurching and then stalling, which I noticed when I left it idling.

Certainly don't normally let the tank run so low, as I know this can cause problems. Sort of ruled this out though with the plug swap still=poor running and then immediate improvement with fresh fuel. We checked the plugs after another 5 mins idling and they looked normal, with no deposit build up. Hard to disagree with mechanics prognosis after seeing that.

Drained substance safely stored in metal jerry cans, but thanks for the concern

Would like to send it off for analysis.....where?

I can notice a difference in smell between the drained and the fresh.
Fresh was A LOT stronger, catch in the back of your throat/eye watering type and slightly lighter colouring.
Drained certainly not as pungent, but did appear to have a smell of spirit/brush cleaner and was more yellow in appearance.

Cheers Bandara....will do.

Wheelnut

Adzski wrote: »

... and was more yellow in appearance.

That sounds like the fuel was "going off" due to being stored too long.

Adzski

Never did find out if the fuel was poor.

Never went back to the garage either though and had no problems since :-)

In case anyone is interested, I found a place that checks fuel, located in Waterford:

JHG Analytical Services Limited
Unit 2 Airside,
Gulf Stream Avenue,
Airport Business Park,
Killowen,
Waterford.

Tel: +353-51-364103