My poor little car!!!!

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

I'm just furious right now. I posted the other day that I had a horrific day and was stranded for four hours in the rain.

Turns out the gas I had just purchased (premium, what I always put in the MINI) was heavily contaminated and has infested my poor little car. They are charging $302 plus the cost of the gas to pump out all the contaminated gas and put in clean fuel. I only hope that works. Worst case scenario is replacing the entire fuel system - tanks, lines and the lot.

I am going to take the work invoice and go after this oil company with every fiber of my being. Selling me contaminated gas and injuring my poor little car. DO NOT MESS WITH ME - YOU WILL NOT WIN.

Has anyone ever had this problem?

[DS1]

1. never of it, outside ot putting in diesel

i suspected that some water had gotten into your plugs, to be honest

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

2. I was hoping that was all it was

This happened right after I had gassed up the car. The service guy said he's seen worse cases with actual chunks of stuff in the tank - this is just really cloudy gas. He's going to give me a sample to take to the gas station with me. I just hope this can be fixed. I love my little car. This isn't covered by warranty because it's an external influence.

GET WELL SOON, CHEQUERS!!

[Fenris]

3. Your best bet is to file a complaint with the state organization that inspects the station.

Gasoline contamination most often occurs at the station level, often because the tanks are ill-maintained and therefore cracked. The most likely culprit in your case is water seepage.

The next likely source is the distributor. The major companies have their own distribution divisions (and therefore their own trucks) and are quite rigorous when it comes to fuel purity. But a lot of stations get their gas from smaller distributors which understandably lack the high level of oversight that the big boys have. Any number of things can cause contamination between the refinery and your fuel tank.

(My dad worked for all of his professional life for Texaco/Shell, and therefore I got lectured on gasoline purity and contamination on a regular basis.)

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

4. Actually it was a Texaco station

I get my gas there all the time and have never had a problem. Thanks for the information. I'm hoping this can be taken care of locally, but if I have to pursue it higher up the chain, I will.

The worst part will be telling my husband. I'm not really in the mood for a battle, but he will not let this rest, I'm quite certain.

[Fenris]

5. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's a station problem.

Sorry about your car - it's a beauty!

[Crazy Dave]

6. Pretty much what I was going to say

You see the same tanker trucks (from the same company) at a Chevron station, then down the block see them at the BP station. Probably less distributors in any metro area that you can count even on one hand.