Dirty Fuel :(

**Firebug** · 11-03-2006, 11:18 PM

Beware of crappy fuel people. My SS has been running very sluggish and cranky now for months, with many good people trying to help me find the problem with no success. Even our trusty friends at Holden didn’t fix it. A job for my tuner Dr Sonny…

With some investigation and a fuel sample, it was apparent that I have been filling up with dirty fuel. I usually fill up at my local station for convenience and price. That seems a little ironic now.

The fuel system from front to back was full of rust, a watery substance, and something black that couldn’t be identified. I was asked if I had fuelled up with sea water as the fuel pump looked like it had been dropped in the ocean. So the tank was removed and cleaned out; pump and filter replaced; swirl tank cleaned out; lines flushed out and treated with anti corrosion; fuel rails and 8 injectors replaced. A very expensive exercise.

A few pics of the disaster below:

**Danger731** · 11-04-2006, 04:06 AM

I take it you will get a sample and sue for your loss.

**shady milkman** · 11-04-2006, 05:50 AM

man i'm sorry to hear that. that shit looks like minerials from poorly refined petro..which oviously from your posts makes sense..also dont alot of companies water down their gas..i remember hearing that shell did alot..so now i only fill up with BP. so i would imagine that the company that you get your "dirty" gas from probbally has a refinery close to the atlantic and maybe they use ocean water for watering down the gas. man i would deff sue them for losses and a lil more..i bet you could find a reason.

**ss~zoso~ss** · 11-04-2006, 06:41 AM

or the tanks were rusting at the gas station, which if so u can get them closed down becaue they only have a certian time period that they can use the same tanks

**Firebug** · 11-04-2006, 09:44 AM

Yeah, most the underground tanks here are going plastic now, but the servo I get mine from is older and still has the old metal ones. They wont be getting my or my girl's business anymore...

We have a reasonably new BP a little further up the road on the highway, think I'll start using that.

Also My tuner said to change my fuel filter every 20000 km or every 12 months. Cheap insurance...

**Sarge** · 11-04-2006, 01:39 PM

Get a baseball bat and beat the shit out of the owner. Texas Justice.
And roundhouse kick the guy (probably named Mukerjee) behind the counter on the way out.

**Firebug** · 11-04-2006, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge

Get a baseball bat and beat the shit out of the owner. Texas Justice.
And roundhouse kick the guy (probably named Mukerjee) behind the counter on the way out.

If only I had the energy!

I'm thinkin come christmas, we'll turn up wiv Santa on our big red truck and give em some water treatment of our own! 1500kpa will easily punch holes through walls...

**INMY01TA** · 11-04-2006, 02:45 PM

No such thing as "watered down gas". Gas and water don't mix. Water's heavier and will sit at the bottom of the tank.

**Y2KPewterSS** · 11-04-2006, 04:45 PM

Don't take this as being negative on your part, I know it was poor gas that was your problem, but how often do you change your fuel filter?

**Firebug** · 11-04-2006, 09:09 PM

heh funny you ask, I don't know. According to my tuner, really good. Him and his wife are using it to cruise around for the weekend. I don't get it back until tomorrow arvo.

**koolaid_kid** · 11-07-2006, 10:43 AM

One thing to watch out for:
When the station gets fuel from a tanker, it stirs up all the sludge at the bottom of the tank. If you get gas there within 24 hours, you run the risk of getting crud in your tank.

**Firebug** · 11-07-2006, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by Y2KPewterSS

Don't take this as being negative on your part, I know it was poor gas that was your problem, but how often do you change your fuel filter?

I've only had this car since January 06 and have only had one service since then, so I don't know the history of the fuel filter, although the service book is stamped as being serviced on time every time. This doesn't necessarily mean the filter has been changed.

That aside, the guys that fixed her said they emptied about a shovel load of rusty flakes from the tank. The smaller particals can still make it past the filter in droves. This then causes the further rust in the lines and rails...

**Firebug** · 11-07-2006, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by koolaid_kid

One thing to watch out for:
When the station gets fuel from a tanker, it stirs up all the sludge at the bottom of the tank. If you get gas there within 24 hours, you run the risk of getting crud in your tank.

Good point

**Wesman** · 11-07-2006, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by INMY01TA

No such thing as "watered down gas". Gas and water don't mix. Water's heavier and will sit at the bottom of the tank.

True, but they don't need to use actual water to dilute the fuel. Gasoline can be "watered down" with any number of things, none of which are beneficial to your car or your wallet.

**Firebug** · 11-07-2006, 08:52 PM

I'm thinking more along the lines of the underground tanks being old and rusty due to condensation and/or leaks. Water and fuel will separate with the water being heavier than the fuel. If the bowser pickup is the older type that just sucks from the bottom, then you will get a higher percentage of water in your mix.

I was told that newer servos have plastic or poly tanks and the fuel pickup floats close to the surface to reduce pumping water or solid particals...

**Y2KPewterSS** · 11-08-2006, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Firebug

I've only had this car since January 06 and have only had one service since then, so I don't know the history of the fuel filter, although the service book is stamped as being serviced on time every time. This doesn't necessarily mean the filter has been changed.

That aside, the guys that fixed her said they emptied about a shovel load of rusty flakes from the tank. The smaller particals can still make it past the filter in droves. This then causes the further rust in the lines and rails...

I hope all is fixed and you are up and running very smoothly again. Truly am sorry to hear about all the misfortune you have been through

**Firebug** · 11-08-2006, 08:50 AM

Cheers mate, she's back running better than ever...

Fuel consumption now very very good!

**Firebug** · 11-08-2006, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by KageSS

Stop using kangaroo piss for petro.

Kangaroo piss makes a good marinade for Wombat steaks...

**ndforspd** · 11-10-2006, 01:49 PM

lol, i always love to see how gas companies are robbing/fuckin us with high as hell gas prices....and on top of that, the gas quality isnt improving, if anything its probably worse than 10 years ago! the thing is so many comps in cars have gotten better, gas quality can afford to suffer(obviously not this much!). i use sunoco for my gtp and shell for my WS6.....lol, im almost startin to get worried myself!~ On a side note, I changed my fuel filter once every 30k KMS(20k mi) on the GTP(sunoco for this one) and u wouldnt believe how dirty it is, almost like mud(brown and cloudy) on the tank end of the filter, i didnt see the filter come out of the TA when it was changed but.......i better do it AGAIN next summer!

**dbuie** · 11-15-2006, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by koolaid_kid

One thing to watch out for:
When the station gets fuel from a tanker, it stirs up all the sludge at the bottom of the tank. If you get gas there within 24 hours, you run the risk of getting crud in your tank.

Bingo. If you use the same station regularly, then simply ask them when they fill their tanks up. If they have a set schedule, I would avoid that place until the following day at the earliest. Good luck pursuing this and I hope that you get some type of restitution.