I recently filled up at a Shell station in my area that I frequent. Had hard starting next day (engine turns over and then acts like it wants to stall for 1-2 seconds before firing up). I was worried about fuel pump, etc. Then I made the mental connection to the gas. After a couple of cycles of letting it get down to 3/4 tank and filling up it started to get better. I finally got it down to half a tank and filled up/put a can of techron in. Finally, after that whole tank of gas, we're back to normal. Something must have seriously been off in that first fill up. What the heck.
Bad Gas, Still Exists for Sure
- Thread starter CapitalTruck
- Start date
I dunno. Could be water contamination.
Definitely still possible to get bad gas. Most bad gas would be from water contamination is my guess. About 5-6 years ago I got bad gas. I paid for regular 87 but the fuel delivery carrier mistakenly dumped diesel and regular 87 in the wrong tanks. That was quite an ordeal getting that vehicle back online.
I’d avoid low volume stations if possible. There is a Chevron near me that I never see anyone pump gas at anymore. It’s turned into a real dump, the station owner doesn’t even illuminate the fuel prices on the sign anymore. I can’t imagine how old his fuel is.
I’d avoid low volume stations if possible. There is a Chevron near me that I never see anyone pump gas at anymore. It’s turned into a real dump, the station owner doesn’t even illuminate the fuel prices on the sign anymore. I can’t imagine how old his fuel is.
I usually try to frequent stations that are as high-volume as possible, and ones that say they have "guaranteed gas" in order to alleviate any worry about this sort of thing (bonus points if they are TT). In the upper midwest, that's usually Kwik Trip, or QT if a bit further south. Holidays are usually solid as well. (Our local Kwik Trip gets a load of Top Tier, "guaranteed gas" every single night, so it's certainly fresh. They have 12 pumps and, usually, at least 8 of them are in use at any given time.)
If I'm on a road trip, I'm probably going to the busiest station in town or off the exit. That might mean Pilot or Love's, or something like a busy Shell, Phillips 66, BP, or Exxon/Mobil. I also will use regional chains like Sheetz, Kum and Go, or Maverik. But I avoid one-off places that are super quiet, because who knows how old the fuel is or how the tanks are maintained.
In the 15,000 or so gallons of gas I've purchased, mostly sticking to the above rules, I can honestly say I've only had one tank of gas that felt even slightly "different" (quite dismal MPG for the car - I suspect that it was over-ethanol-dosed from E10, given that the chain sold several high-ethanol blends). But I've never gotten a tank of "bad" gas (that I knew about).
.Doubt it’s water but as mentioned earlier it could be blended improperly. Mixed with diesel, jet fuel, or a solvent left over In the tanker from a prior run. Have refueled with a tankful of what seemed like a subpar grade of lower octane fuel. Surging and spark knocking until I ran it out. There are supposedly “summer“ and “winter” blends that sometimes is held over in “reserve”by a carrier. This can cause some drivability issues. Buying fuel from high volume stations is definitely smart. Never liked refueling while the tanker is dropping the load of fuel. Stirs up the tank bottom.
You’re more likely to get water contaminated fuel than improperly blended fuel.
Not in North Carolina. Fuel retailers are required to have in-tank water alarms and in-line filters that have a water solvable check ball that stops flow if water is present. That’s all I know...
I learned my lesson with bad gas once traveling out in the boonies. The rusty and falling apart pumps should have deterred me, but other gas was far out of the way. Filled up and then a bit later down the road, my fuel filter clogged up. Had to limp all the way home with less than 1/4 power because it would lean out the fuel mix if the throttle was open too much.
On the plus side, I have since learned my truck can do 100 highway miles after it hits empty on the gauge, so I should be less likely to be forced into buying bad gas out of desperation ever again.
On the plus side, I have since learned my truck can do 100 highway miles after it hits empty on the gauge, so I should be less likely to be forced into buying bad gas out of desperation ever again.
There’s no clear delineation between gasoline and the next slug of whatever going down the pipeline. The stuff in between is called “transmix” and gets rerefined.
I don’t know how it would happen but a little contamination that way maybe?
I don’t know how it would happen but a little contamination that way maybe?
Same here. I recently got 2 bad tanks from the local Exxon station (been using it for years). My car was having a hard time starting up in the morning, thought battery or starter was going bad. I ran the tank to almost empty and then filled up with Quiktrip, and the problem went away. I never went to that station again.
YES! I thought it was my fuel pump losing its prime for real.
Happened to me once after Mount St. Helens blew up in 1982. I had a new Toyota purchased several months before the volcano let loose.
I was travelling from East Washington to California about a month later. Ash still covered everything.
Stopped at a gas station in Oregon to fill up and started down the road. Got about 50 miles down the road and the engine just stalled out.
I had the car towed to a dealer where it was found that the fuel filter was plugged solid with ash. Had to have the fuel tank drained and flushed, new fuel pump and fuel filter.
Sold that car as soon as I returned to Washington.
Old station-new station? (goes to tank age + condition)
Industrial sabotage?
Locking gas cap on your vehicle? (add to that any "lawn sign" friction motivation)
Industrial sabotage?
Locking gas cap on your vehicle? (add to that any "lawn sign" friction motivation)
Yeah it's out there. I was talking to this poor guy in my buildings elevator who got some bad gas.
There is a Mobil station by here that always has water issues with its gas. Its been closed multiple times for it so I completely skip that station.
