Two weeks ago Friday, I filled my tank up from 1/2. I drove on it all weekend, and filled up a 1/2 again on Monday. Thursday evening the truck starts running rough at idle, but very slight, figured the truck was just cold.

Friday morning a little worse, drove it to work and back, then out to a buddies house. Saturday when I started it up, I drove it for a few blocks, and it was really rough at idle, almost dying out at street lights. I parked it for the day there, and came back to get it Sunday. Finally Sunday my check engine light comes on, but my programmer won't read any codes.

Monday morning I drop it at the dealer before work and tell them to have a look at it. They call me back Thursday with the damage....Long story short, 3 fuel injectors had to be replaced as they were stuck open, my entire full tank of fuel had to be drained, everything cleaned out, and they saved a sample of my fuel.

**They are telling me that they've never seen it before, but it must be bad fuel from a station** Here's the kicker, if it is bad fuel from a station, the station doesn't have to admit to it (and neither station is)

The damage was $600 and some change for them to do all the work, and they somehow got my injectors covered under warranty even though it strictly states "can not cover due to bad fuel" on the warranty.

I will get a pic of the sample up soon, but it's not water floating on top of the fuel, instead some type of clear gel-ish liquid that sinks to the bottom of the container. It's not real thick, but moves a little slower then the fuel along with it.

Anyone have any ideas what the heck this could be?? Think insurance would cover it as vandalism? Something someone put in my tank? Think it is really bad fuel even though neither station is admitting to it?

Any help here would be great. Thanks everyone.

 

gas stations also arent responsible for any damages, if you dont have a receipt proving when you bought gas, and how much. To me it sounds more like bad gas then vanadlism, but you never know. i heard there was some kind of vavle that doesnt open inside the filler neck unless the gas pump is actually inside the filler neck
-Patrick

 

If it was vandalism there should be some evidence left under the gas cap, grains of sugar, or whatever they used.

 

I have seen that problem occur around here a few a few times, and at least in MN the gas station is responsible. If it was one of the gas staions, there will more than likely be several more vehicles with problems similar to yours, and they will have no choice but to fix them.

If yours is the only vehicle that filled up at the stations that is having these problems, my vote is vandalism.

 

But here's the deal from the side of the gas stations. These are my opinions and tidbits of knowledge ... take them for what they're worth. Can't hold me to anything!

A) Bad gas is rare. It usually involves water seaping into the tanks.

B) Bad gas usually hits you within a few hundred yards of the gas station ... not days later.

C) If a station had bad gas, it would look like a parking lot of abandoned cars within a one mile radius.

Just my $0.02 and a year's experience working for a (gas) company that owns/operates convenience stores selling gas.

 

There's no valve just the fuel filter and sometimes a screen to prevent syphoning. The gel was thin enough to get past the fuel filters on the pumps and in your truck. Are you sure you didn't add anything like octane booster/injector cleaner to the tank that might of been bad? Kinda hard to say where it came from but most likely one of the stations since that's were suff normally goes into the tank.

I wonder if that station recent had tank maintenance or changed from desiel to unleaded. Best of luck tracking that down.

 

I believe water is heavier than gasoline so it would fall to bottom. Water = 8 lbs a gallion, gas 6 lbs a gallion. Sounds like water to me.
I had that happen to me while pulling a travel trailer but not as bad. I stopped right away and got 2 bottles dry gas and 2 injector cleaner and slowly got better.

 

I dunno about sabotage, but sticking/faulty injectors on an '05+ 5.4 3V isn't anything unusual.

 

Thanks to all so far. I do have the receipt with how much, the date, and the type of gas that was purchased. Both gas stations say they had no previous issues. No, have not added any type of anything to my tank. Truck only has 13000 miles on, so no need to!
Looking forward to more answers...
Thanks.

 

Lots of thoughts on this. I pumped gas for awhile, managed several stations, and then owned a station.
I’ve seen employees roll back the meters on the pump, pocket the sales receipts, then run a few hundred gallons of water into the ground tank to cover the missing volume.

Bad gas is not common, but not unheard of.

Truck drivers are supposed to flush the tanks on their rigs if they change fuel types. Guess what? Many don't.

Truck driving was once a middle class on up profession. Due to law changes and lots of new regulations most truck drivers are from the working poor class today.
You get what you pay for.

A little JP4, diesel, heating oil etc. left in the tank after another run and you can have lots of fun with your fuel.

Water can be added by the top of the ground tank not being secured, sealed or greased when it rains.

Once water gets into the turbine pump it gets mixed nicely and dumped into your tank. A little later it settles on the bottom of your tank.
To suddenly stop your truck you would have to be putting in almost pure water. A 1-10% mix will not show up till later.
The gas pickup in your tank is designed to 'miss' water by not picking up the very bottom layer of liquid in the tank.

So you get water and it settles below the pickup. Then a week later you take a bad bounce from a speed bump and Voila' water in the fuel system.

I've had a serious dose of water semi- incapacitate a Nissan 120 miles after I fueled up.
And two hours after a bad bump through the water up into the pickup.

Water in gas looks oily, and tends to settle to the bottom after about an hour or three. Put a sample of the gas in a clean glass container and let it sit. By the next day you can tell if it was water because there will be drops of clear 'oil' at the bottom of the jar. Don't disturb it while you are waiting and don't use a jar you just washed with water...

If it is heating oil, JP4 etc. any analysis place can prove it. You can also get a small container of fuel from each of the two places you suspect and have that analyzed. The results would be proof that would stand up in court.
Then you could sue them for damages as well as repair costs. Most people don't bother.


All that said, I will tell you the number one cause of fuel contamination is kids.
Not vandals, not delinquents, not just neighborhood kids.
Your own kids.
Kids love to run water into tanks, put sand into tanks, put objects into tanks. They love to play gas station with just about every kind of liquid.


So think about who may have had access to your tank before you bother with chasing the stations.
Chris

 

I thought that's what they were there for! Keeping foreign matter out of the engine from the fuel tank. Wouldn't the filter have plugged first? I had a 1990 F150 with twin tanks. The intank fuel pumps "seized" about 4 months apart with 115,000 miles on them. Cost $500 to replace each one. It's funny they both siezed about 15-20 mins after filling up at a service station in Carson City, NV. The kicker is one of the replacement pumps (both were new FORD pumps) seized 13 months later! Yep, also with full tank of gas from same station about 15-20 mins after leaving. At least I could run on the second tank and nothing got into the engine. Ford wouldn't make good on the new $300 pump because it had been over 12 months since I bought it. Yep ,finally quit buying gas at that station.

 

Uhh just a thought and why I have locking gas cap. Enviro freaks really think that if you drive anything bigger than a prius you should die in flaming fire. So they have, do, and continue to sabotage larger vehicles. No you do not need to see grains of sugar at the cap. Ever heard of sugar water? Uh muratic acid is a liquid. Hell ten guys pissing is liquid. These fluids will get into the tank, if put into the filler neck, and they will damage or destroy your engine.
Trust me folks there are people like that just waiting to find a nice ripe truck like yours to destroy.

 

I just got bad gas tonight, I think.

Truck started running horrible right after filling up at Race Trac, rough idle, shaking, all after driving WOT a few times. Slowed down as soon as it started shaking, I thought it was the transmission. Soon as I started giving it less gas it was getting better until nothing. I guess its a good thing I only put $20 in there.

 

ever watch that show myth busters? they proved sugar in the gas tank does not do anything to the engine. the myth in their words was "busted"

 

I try to only fill up at gas stations that are the top brand names such as texaco, amico, bp, shell. I do this because they are less likely to have bad gas. It may cost more, but at the cheaper gas stations...you are more likely to find they sometimes put water in the tanks to sell less actual gas so that they can sell it cheaper. Also, there suppliers are cheaper and not as good..hence the cheaper prices. It may cost a dollar or two more per fill up but i dont have to worry about my engine having problems and paying $$$$$ to get it fixed.

Its like eating at mcDonalds compared to subway. at mcdonalds...you are putting more junk in your arteries.