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Has anyone had any luck fighting a gas station for selling bad fuel? I filled up Friday morning where i normally get my diesel, then about 50 miles into a trip, the “low fuel pressure” warning came on along with a slight power drop on hills while towing my 5th wheel. I dropped the truck off at the dealer this morning and this is what they found in the bottom of my tank. Looks like rusty water to me. I stopped by the gas station this morning and the manager said the diesel wasn’t low Friday and they’ve had no other complaints. The diesel tech at the dealer said there’s no way that built up over time (2017 truck with 8900 miles), there’s so much it would have happened like it did right after filling up. Not to mention, the tank was replaced in December 2018 and 2000 miles ago for the TSB. I only got the low fuel pressure warning, no water in fuel warning.
At a minimum, I’m out around $630 now, the best case scenario. They won’t know for sure until they flush the system and change the filters. Any tips for pushing this with the gas station?
The station will likely continue to deny there is an issue. Getting someone to test their tanks would a way to resolve the blame.
Don't lose your receipt for the fillup. I log all my visits to the gas station and keep at least the last 10 receipts. My tank is filled when it's well below 1/4 tank, so if there is a problem with the fuel, it has to be from the most recent fillup.
My hundred gallon tank developed a crack awhile back and didn't notice it. It had been raining heavy and I was refueling myself while out on the road. Top off the truck tank and started driving. Almost instantly the water light came on. I pulled over and drained, I must have done that 10 times in the course of two hours. The water separator did its job never had a problem with the truck. To this day I still don't know how many gallons of water I pumped in with the diesel, but it was alot. By the end of the day in a broken completely off
They were the stock filters, only 8900 miles on them. the manual says 30k normal, 15k severe duty, so I wasn’t going to change them until 15k. The truck was just serviced 2000 miles ago and they said they drained the filter and found no water.
Go back to the station you bought your fuel from and ask them for a printout from there tank monitoring panel.
It should look similar to what i have posted. Notice on this printout it shows .97" of water in the dyed diesel tank, not good.
Keep in mind, most gas station have the fuel pump about 5" to 6" off the tank bottom and the tank monitoring panel is "usually" programmed to disable fuel pumping at 2" of water.
If you are still suspicious or they refuse to give you a printout, have them check the tank with water finding paste on a tank stick with you watching.
If they won't do this, call the county weights and measures and explain what happened. They will be on it asap.
If the station is clean, i would get a locking fill cap for your truck.
Not that it makes much difference, but that could be the algae like growth that often lives in diesel storage tanks. All it needs is a smidge of water to live on at the bottom of a tank until it gets stirred up just right and into your truck tank it goes.
I use a half gallon jar to sample fuel before filling my tank. I've only driven away from 2 stations (both nationwide brands), but I like to think it's been worth the minimal hassle. Don't do it for my gas cars because their fuel system costs much less and they don't pull my fiver all over the U.S.
The diesel tech at the dealer said there’s no way that built up over time (2017 truck with 8900 miles), Not to mention, the tank was replaced in December 2018 and 2000 miles ago for the TSB.
Fuel tanks are big. Having to have a lot of them on hand to fulfill a TSB takes up a lot of room. I remember when Ford had to replace faulty fuel tanks back in 2006-7. After the local Ford parts department filled up the attic space above the parts warehouse, the fuel tanks had to be stored outside...rain or shine... there just wasn't any room for these ungainly occupants of a lot of cubic feet of space. Do we know what may have gotten into the tank while it was stored? Do we know that the installing tech, working under the hustle of flat rate, took the time to thoroughly inspect and clean the inside of the fuel tank prior to installation? Is it even possible to reach the end walls of an oblong midship tank from the conditioning module / sending unit hole? These questions may or may not apply to this particular situation, but the idea that the tank was replaced can actually raise more questions than it resolves.
I use a half gallon jar to sample fuel before filling my tank. I've only driven away from 2 stations (both nationwide brands), but I like to think it's been worth the minimal hassle. Don't do it for my gas cars because their fuel system costs much less and they don't pull my fiver all over the U.S.
What do you do with the fuel that is dispensed into the half gallon jar? I have a jar that I use to catch the fuel coming out of the drain valve. The jar isn't very clean, I would never dump the fuel in the jar back into the tank.
These questions may or may not apply to this particular situation, but the idea that the tank was replaced can actually raise more questions than it resolves.
What do you do with the fuel that is dispensed into the half gallon jar? I have a jar that I use to catch the fuel coming out of the drain valve. The jar isn't very clean, I would never dump the fuel in the jar back into the tank.
Clean fuel goes into the truck. The two times it was dirty or water logged it went into a can at home...usually to get wood fire started. Two times over the eight years I've had the truck. Jars (2 of them) get cleaned if they sit a long time but usually look clean inside.
Go back to the station you bought your fuel from and ask them for a printout from there tank monitoring panel.
It should look similar to what i have posted. Notice on this printout it shows .97" of water in the dyed diesel tank, not good.
Keep in mind, most gas station have the fuel pump about 5" to 6" off the tank bottom and the tank monitoring panel is "usually" programmed to disable fuel pumping at 2" of water.
If you are still suspicious or they refuse to give you a printout, have them check the tank with water finding paste on a tank stick with you watching.
If they won't do this, call the county weights and measures and explain what happened. They will be on it asap.
If the station is clean, i would get a locking fill cap for your truck.
wow...that would be great if any of the fuel stations in NYC would even know what I was talking about if I asked for such a print out. most if not all of the fuel stations in NYC are combo mini deli's and fuel stations.
I doubt any of the employees at these stations would know how to activate the fire extinguishers.
