Strange smelling diesel
Strange smelling diesel
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livinginasia

Original Poster:

966 posts

139 months

Saturday 25th July
quotequote all
After any thoughts on this please.

My sister has an elderly Peugeot Partner- I think it’s 2011, it’s a 1.6 diesel with a DPF but no adblue.

It’s broken down a few times recently giving error codes about low fuel rail pressure and DPF issues.

It’s been back to the garage many times and they keep draining the fuel, and this time I managed to have a look at what came out.

It was quite brown in colour, was more liquid than diesel would normally be, and smelled of turps or white spirit. When we tried to light a capful of it, it was not flammable. There was also no debris, the liquid was completely clear.

The garage are stumped as they have never seen it before and it is now the fourth time this has happened. Sister doesn’t always use the same filling station so it would seem unlikely she has had the same contaminated fuel from 4 different filling stations. The garage have drained it completely four times now.

It’s a WAV conversion so the fuel tank is not original. As the tank sits above the ramp, it’s impossible to remove it and replace it without pulling the whole conversion apart.

Does anyone know if diesel can be converted into this type of liquid somehow and what might be causing this? The only thing the garage can think of is some form of coating in the fuel tank but they have no idea what this might be?

Thanks so much for any words of wisdom.




Doesitdrive

2,036 posts

10 months

Saturday 25th July
quotequote all
How often does she fill it and does she actually fill it?

If you are sure good diesel is going in, then its happening in the tank, could be rusting, could be water getting into the tank, but from what you are saying, tank removal seems to be the first port of call.

Cannot see it being anything else, other than iffy fuel going in.

OldGermanHeaps

5,116 posts

207 months

Saturday 25th July
quotequote all
Vw pd engines had a pump issue where engine oil could contaminate the diesel. Dont know if others have a similar potential failure mode.
Could you cut an access hatch in the ramp where the fuel tank pickup is for a proper look inside? Then weld or bolt it back in?

littleredrooster

6,357 posts

225 months

Saturday 25th July
quotequote all
Has someone in the recent past used a magic potion DPF-cleaning liquid in it perhaps? I have a vague recollection that it smells like turps.

Puddenchucker

5,782 posts

247 months

Saturday 25th July
quotequote all
Some form of microbial contamination?


Doesitdrive

2,036 posts

10 months

Sunday 26th July
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Puddenchucker said:
Some form of microbial contamination?

The description the Op gives suggest the rust I mentioned looking at that.

Where most are plastic now, a conversion may well have a steel made to fit job, with a not very well engineered hole for the sender.

hidetheelephants

35,681 posts

222 months

Sunday 26th July
quotequote all
The smell does suggest diesel bug; dose it with one of the anti-bug potions. It will probably need the filter changed a couple of times. If possible drain the tank to remove any water, it's hard to kill the bug otherwise.

vaud

59,173 posts

184 months

Sunday 26th July
quotequote all
livinginasia said:
When we tried to light a capful of it, it was not flammable.
Can you light a capful of diesel? I thought it didnt produce enough vapour?

TGCOTF-dewey

7,830 posts

84 months

Sunday 26th July
quotequote all
vaud said:
livinginasia said:
When we tried to light a capful of it, it was not flammable.
Can you light a capful of diesel? I thought it didnt produce enough vapour?
No.

Plymo

1,265 posts

118 months

Sunday 26th July
quotequote all
You'd need to soak a rag or something with it, or heat it well above 50°

Though just because it burns doesn't mean it's any use in an engine.
If there's much sediment or anything like that, it could be diesel bug. When they are draining it, how are they doing it? Sometimes the sediment can be quite stuck on, then bits will break off and get sucked in and block the filter. What are the filters like? If it is diesel bug/contamination bad enough to cause running issues the filters will be really nasty.
There may be a separate pre filter/screen where the pipe draws from the tank too, but a blockage there would be easy to diagnose.

Edited by Plymo on Sunday 26th July 07:02

this is my username

425 posts

89 months

Sunday 26th July
quotequote all
There are companies that do fuel analysis, so you could send a sample off and see what they say.

Dog Biscuit

2,557 posts

26 months

Sunday 26th July
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have you asked her if she's been using additives into the fuel?

Its Just Adz

18,791 posts

238 months

Sunday 26th July
quotequote all
vaud said:
Can you light a capful of diesel? I thought it didnt produce enough vapour?
That was my first thought too, diesel doesn't instantly burn like petrol does.

charltjr

474 posts

38 months

Sunday 26th July
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I think that was the point, trying to light it to see if the turps smell was actually turps or some other flammable contaminant. Since it didn’t light, it’s not that sort of contamination.