Dodgy Fuel on Autoroute - 2 cars critical, one stable...
Discussion
Just wondering if anyone else on here filled their car up at the Avia Aire des Haras filling station on the A28 yesterday? There were some pretty tasty motors filling up (and some highly tuned machines) - and we had some terrible trouble, which we can only put down to dodgy fuel.
Our party included 3 highly-remapped turbo hot-hatches, and one standard turbo. We all filled up with 98 octane unleaded at about 11.15 yesterday - and then the fun began. The first car (focus ST) was spluttering and not pulling within 10 miles, so we pulled off the autoroute and (luckily!) borrowed a jack from a nearby tractor dealer, thinking a hose had popped off the turbo. After an hour and a half of dismantling and reassembly, we found no problem, so had to carry on, with the car (a focus ST) coughing and smoking like a chimney. As a consequence, we were late for the ferry and had a 2 hour wait at calais.
When we docked in dover, we had even more trouble - the focus was still rough, but to add to our problems, one of the VXRs would not pull more than 2500rpm or 30mph... We then deduced that these couldn't be a coincidence and was likely to be bad fuel - and the remapped cars were less tolerant of it, so limped along and brimmed all the (now about 1/3 full) tanks with BP ultimate (the nearest decent fuel!) , thinking the dilution might solve the problem... We made it along to the big shell station just outside Dover (at about 30mph - sorry if we caused you a delay, they just couldn't go any quicker!) - and decided to add a fuel cleaner to each car too...
We then limped home (a further 200 miles at between 40-60mph) topping the tanks up whenever possible to further dilute the rubbish, but with little improvement they had gone into limp mode, and the second VXR with us had a few coughs too!) - finally getting home at 2.30am.
The cars are being sorted by our resident mechanic today (with fuel samples being taken, that I will analyse - I'm a fuels & lubes chemist). I just wondered if anyone else had filled up there yesterday and had problems - I suspect that they either use no super for the rest of the year - so had a dirty tank, or had a badly contaminated batch of fuel (with either water, diesel or both in there, from the amount of smoke being produced).
If anyone did fill up there and had trouble or an unexplained lack of power/ increase in smoke - please let me know, I will be sorting out a full complaint when I've got to the bottom of the cause - if there are other cars affected it might be worth at the very least diluting down the rubbish with as much decent stuff as you can fit in ASAP!
Our party included 3 highly-remapped turbo hot-hatches, and one standard turbo. We all filled up with 98 octane unleaded at about 11.15 yesterday - and then the fun began. The first car (focus ST) was spluttering and not pulling within 10 miles, so we pulled off the autoroute and (luckily!) borrowed a jack from a nearby tractor dealer, thinking a hose had popped off the turbo. After an hour and a half of dismantling and reassembly, we found no problem, so had to carry on, with the car (a focus ST) coughing and smoking like a chimney. As a consequence, we were late for the ferry and had a 2 hour wait at calais.
When we docked in dover, we had even more trouble - the focus was still rough, but to add to our problems, one of the VXRs would not pull more than 2500rpm or 30mph... We then deduced that these couldn't be a coincidence and was likely to be bad fuel - and the remapped cars were less tolerant of it, so limped along and brimmed all the (now about 1/3 full) tanks with BP ultimate (the nearest decent fuel!) , thinking the dilution might solve the problem... We made it along to the big shell station just outside Dover (at about 30mph - sorry if we caused you a delay, they just couldn't go any quicker!) - and decided to add a fuel cleaner to each car too...
We then limped home (a further 200 miles at between 40-60mph) topping the tanks up whenever possible to further dilute the rubbish, but with little improvement they had gone into limp mode, and the second VXR with us had a few coughs too!) - finally getting home at 2.30am.
The cars are being sorted by our resident mechanic today (with fuel samples being taken, that I will analyse - I'm a fuels & lubes chemist). I just wondered if anyone else had filled up there yesterday and had problems - I suspect that they either use no super for the rest of the year - so had a dirty tank, or had a badly contaminated batch of fuel (with either water, diesel or both in there, from the amount of smoke being produced).
If anyone did fill up there and had trouble or an unexplained lack of power/ increase in smoke - please let me know, I will be sorting out a full complaint when I've got to the bottom of the cause - if there are other cars affected it might be worth at the very least diluting down the rubbish with as much decent stuff as you can fit in ASAP!
Funny you should mention this but my car was doing some strange things shortly after putting fuel in one of the stops yesterday. I drive an Integra Type R and I ALWAYS put in at least 98 RON. The car started idling funny when sitting in traffic and just didnt feel as strong as it should. It has never done anything like that before.
I filled up on the autoroute yesterday, can't remember the name of the services. My car had a phase of coughing and spluttering, I put it down to the rain at the time. Luckily my car consumes fuel at such a rate that I had to fill up again before I got home and it has seemed OK since.
Edited by JulesV on Tuesday 16th June 17:57
Browno - this happened to three friends cars in France a couple of years back - a Ferrari and two TVR's. The costs to repair the former exceeded £5k in terms of engine and electrical work, independent chemists to check fuel, travel there and back etc. Upshot - one of them is attempting to take the multinational garage chain to court having proven water had accessed the fuel tank (but is having to resort to doing this in France as the UK business of said company were in no way interested in assisting). Still no result - simply a lot of costs and hassle.
Given that I seemed to stop at most of the services along the route, I'm amazed and relieved to say nothing untoward on my car.
This stuff does happen and they have insurance and contingencies against it - just make sure you have some record of the time/date (I'm sure a CC bill would be just as good as a receipt).
This stuff does happen and they have insurance and contingencies against it - just make sure you have some record of the time/date (I'm sure a CC bill would be just as good as a receipt).
My 993 did indeed start missing and fluffed this morning on startup for the first time ever needed a good footfull when warm to clear plus on the way to the office this morning stalled twice at the lights again first time ever,TBH ijust put it down to the massive amounts of water on the road will have a dig in our workshops any more news will advise
good luck
G
good luck
G
Think we saw your lot in that very services Browno, 2 Astra VXRs, a Vectra VXR estate and a Focus ST?
We were in the shiny Bambulance parked next to you round the side. We filled up there and had no problems (well, not with the engine, same can't be said for the clutch, gearbox, ball joints, driveshafts...) but that was with diesel.
We were in the shiny Bambulance parked next to you round the side. We filled up there and had no problems (well, not with the engine, same can't be said for the clutch, gearbox, ball joints, driveshafts...) but that was with diesel.
I filled my e46 up on the A28 at the carrefour service station and not long after the MIL lamp was illuimunated. I pulled over, read the code which turned out to be a o2 sensor. Car dint run as smooth as usual and i used 15 litres more fuel for the return journey than the out going journey. I filled up 75 euro's as well!
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