nitram38
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 10:41 PM |
|
|
Fuel contamination scare
Anyone been affected by dodgy fuel?
According to the News, it is rife up and down the country.
 
|
|
|
|
|
mookaloid
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 10:44 PM |
|
|
Nope - mind you I drive a diesel
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 10:48 PM |
|
|
It would appear that so far only BP ultimate is guaranteed as unaffected.
|
|
|
stevec
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 10:55 PM |
|
|
Makes you wonder who started the scare then dosn't it?
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 11:00 PM |
|
|
It would appear that a ship carrying ethanol did not clean the tanks out before carrying petrol.
The extra ethanol has been damaging lambda sensors. Apparently there is going to be a shortage of those too !!!
|
|
|
iank
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 11:01 PM |
|
|
Guy at work claims to have had a tankful of dodgy fuel.
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
|
|
|
Catpuss
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 11:11 PM |
|
|
SWMBO pooped her self when I told her, as she had just filled up at Tesco. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be bad round here as yet.
|
|
|
JoelP
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 11:14 PM |
|
|
i was listening on the radio, suddenly though, my lil ax started misfiring worse last week, but that was filled at an asda. Theres deffo no lambda
sensor to break! 
|
|
|
Gaz 1977
|
| posted on 28/2/07 at 11:27 PM |
|
|
I was driving up the A1 in the A2 last week and had an emmision warning light come on and had to pull over. Audi said that the computer was reading a
misfire.
It could be linked.
|
|
|
Humbug
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 06:51 AM |
|
|
Yes, I've had it
Symptoms: feels like driving with the handbrake slightly on, i.e. for any given speed, have to accelerate more and/or be in a lower gear.
Latest: going along the motorway with a steady throttle pedal, it will suddenly slow down a bit (say 5mph) for 5-20 seconds, then speed back up again.
I usually use Tesco as it's down the road. Now, I'm not sure what to do - fill up with a tank from Sainsbury and drive it for a while to
see if it clears, or let the garage investigate at £££ per hour. Thoughts?
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=61283
|
|
|
G.Man
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 06:53 AM |
|
|
Surely there is a liability from the suppliers for the repairs after this?
Don't they have some rule about goods being "fit for purpose" and "of merchantable quality"????
Opinions are like backsides..
Everyone has one, nobody wants to hear it and only other peoples stink!
|
|
|
russbost
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 08:05 AM |
|
|
"Now, I'm not sure what to do - fill up with a tank from Sainsbury and drive it for a while to see if it clears, or let the garage
investigate at £££ per hour. Thoughts? "
Unfortunately, if it's caused by a lambda sensor coated by contaminated fuel (same as if you put leaded in) it won't get better. Your best
bet is to ask a decent independant garage to do a diagnostic code read on it (should cost around £40-50)to give an indication of the cause. There is a
liability on the fuel supplier, keep evidence of purchase & repairs (if they are fuel related). At present both Tesco & Morrisons are saying
their fuel has been checked & is ok.
I no longer run Furore Products or Furore Cars Ltd, but would still highly recommend them for Acewell dashes, projector headlights, dominator
headlights, indicators, mirrors etc, best prices in the UK! Take a look at http://www.furoreproducts.co.uk/ or find more parts on Ebay, user names
furoreltd & furoreproducts, discounts available for LCB users.
Don't forget Stainless Steel Braided brake hoses, made to your exact requirements in any of around 16 colours.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/furoreproducts/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1
|
NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
|
britishtrident
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 08:07 AM |
|
|
On three or four occaisions in the past I have bought fuel questionable of questionable quality from Sainsbury in the past, earlier this week the
Rover was badly down on power after a half tank from Morrisions.
As for burning out Lambda sensors Lambda sensor elements are pretty tough and ethanol burns a lot cooler the petrol. I suspect what is really
happening is that garages have been changing lambda sensor in a effort to track down the problem.
|
|
|
britishtrident
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 08:13 AM |
|
|
Lead contamination of lambda sensors is entirely different lead additives were design to leave a deposit on engine internal surfaces, all that ethanol
produces on combustion is CO2 and H2O.
The main effect of ethanol would be to weaken the mixture.
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 08:14 AM |
|
|
One guy on TV this morning was charged over £1000 for 2 sensors to be swapped. It sounds like a major rip off to me. Perhaps garrages have been
changing sensors as a revenue generating measure.
I thought that most engines were able to run on a petrol ethanol mix? Certainly on a mix that you could call "contamination"
|
|
|
mcerd1
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 08:31 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by nitram38
It would appear that so far only BP ultimate is guaranteed as unaffected.
I can't see why - it apparently comes out the same tanks at the refinery as the shell and tesco premium stuff (don't know what extra they
add to it later though)
not that this bothers me - I've still got a carb
|
|
|
02GF74
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 08:35 AM |
|
|
linky
hmmm, filled up to the brim at Tescos yesterday, got home and back into work ok, fingers crossed eh?
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 08:36 AM |
|
|
Apparenently (according to news at 10) lambda sensors are being destroyed.
Quentin Wilson said that you are covered by the sale of goods act for the fuel and any damage to your car, but if you have any out of pocket expenses
e.g. you have to use a taxi to get to work, then if the garage does not cough up, it will mean you taking them through the county court.
He also warned of a lambda shortage caused by this problem.
It would also appear that most garages are affected except BP ultimate.
|
|
|
iank
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 09:36 AM |
|
|
From the BBC - sounds like some frantic bottom covering to me.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6406801.stm
quote:
Independent oil company Greenergy said tests on the fuel it supplied to Tesco and Morrisons showed it met industry standards.
A spokeswoman said the fuel contained up to 5% bio-ethanol, which was within permitted limits, and investigations were continuing.
Trading standards said its officials were also testing a number of samples but had not yet had the results.
Most amusing is the fine they will get for supplying bad fuel.
quote:
The penalty for supplying fuel which does not meet industry standards is a £5,000 fine.
Wonder if that is per company, per filling station or per car...
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
|
|
|
Browser
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 09:54 AM |
|
|
If anybody needs a new Lambda sensor, these are quite a good price
|
|
|
MG David
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 10:31 AM |
|
|
May be sand or water
There is an article on the FT website today that, in effect, says it does not matter how much ethanol is in petrol as it would not do any lasting
damage to the lambda sensor. They say the problem is more likly to sand or water.
IIRC the potential issues with ethanol are old hoses and seals that it may attack if they are not made of suitable material.
Myself, I can't see that water would cause lasting damage either.
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 10:47 AM |
|
|
I've have thought that sand would damage many things, if not filtered out, before attacking the lambda sensor.
|
|
|
zxrlocost
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 11:03 AM |
|
|
good old carb engines
|
PLEASE NOTE: This user is a trader who has not signed up for the LocostBuilders registration scheme. If this post is advertising a commercial product or service, please report it by clicking here.
|
westcost1
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 01:30 PM |
|
|
There seemed to be a lot of broken down cars on the m3 on my way to Portsmouth this morning at one point there was one on each side of the motorway
opposite each other.
Seems strange that the supermarkets are claming its nothing to do with fuel mmm!
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 1/3/07 at 01:41 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by westcost1
There seemed to be a lot of broken down cars on the m3 on my way to Portsmouth this morning at one point there was one on each side of the motorway
opposite each other.
Seems strange that the supermarkets are claming its nothing to do with fuel mmm!
Hmm, Lots of different cars start to break down at the same time with the same fault. It makes you think that there is a common cause which is the
result of a sudden change. What do all cars use? Air and Fuel. Has the air changed?
If the fuel at the depot, pre shipping, was tested and is OK, perhaps the fuel was tampered with en route to the filling stations. Curious then that
samples taken from affected cars haven't been found to be faulty. Unless the contaminant is in some way volatile.
|
|
|
