Have you ever had a fuel issue from a gas station?

[ZZman]

I have noticed in the news lately a lot of fuel mix ups at gas stations that have caused problems with people's vehicles because of mixed up fuel.

Have you ever gotten mixed up fuel or bad gas from a gas station?

I personally don't think that I have had that happen.

 

[SShooterZ]

In my car, no, in my snowmobile, yes. In fact, 3 of us all started getting misfires and boggy performance after filling up at the same station. Had to syphon most of it out, take some cans to a different station, refill and then continue riding. Even then, we took it easy until we were confident the old fuel was out. Lucky we didn't torch a piston. This was 4 or 5 years ago if I remember correctly.

 

[Trav]

Twice that I can remember, once in an Audi that got a load of water and caused a bunch of problems with the K jetronic and once in my GTI that needed premium and got a full tank of very low octane swill that had to be drained.

 

[64bawagon]

Twice I have gotten bad diesel with water in it. Once in my hometown that I didnt figure out until I was 50 miles into a trip and once at a Speedway in Cincinnati on I-75 that left me on the wrecker the day after I got home and it froze up in 5 degree weather.

 

[carviewsonic]

Only once that I recall. Buick 3800 idled rough and check engine light came on immediately after a fill up, I was guessing water contaminated fuel. Filled up at 1/2 tank a couple days later and the problems cleared up. I have avoided that gas station in the twenty years since.

 

[buster]

I've had instances (very rare) where I would notice a drop off in performance. I would attribute it to gas because it always went away on next fill.

 

[4wd]

I buy mostly Exxon/Mobil with Shell as alternate - so no …

 

[oldcodger]

Yes, after Hurricane Camille. Water contaminated fuel.

 

[sopususer]

Just saw this from earlier in the week. Seems to happen too often...

https://www.wral.com/consumer/5onyourside/speedway-gas-mix-up-wake-forest-june-2026/

 

[gonefishin]

Not a fuel issue but a customer issue. I had a gentleman about my age ask for gas money while I was putting gas in my '04 Trailblazer. I looked at his newer Lincoln Navigator and politely said, "No thanks, not today". He starts to turn ugly and complains about me being the bad guy. I point out the age difference in our cars (and probably mileage) and said I should be asking him for gas money. In closing I told him he has excellent collection skills and could easier get a collection job to pay for his own gas.

 

[4wd]

RD Mercer’s son Raymond got some bad gas …
Want to know more? Google is your friend …

 

[PMT133]

Only on the water... coincidentally above ground tanks too.

 

[_Will_]

Yes, in a Yamaha FZ1; got gas in NC and shortly after leaving the station started having trouble maintaining engine speed unless I practically pinned it. Turned back towards town as I was headed into a very rural area and rev bombed it the whole way to keep going, passed the bad station and went to a known quantity who didn't have a siphon to clean the tank. Got lucky some guys next door at a shop were working late and one pulled out an empty gas can and a pump, cleaned out my tank and we both sniffed the "gas" and were surprised the bike ran because it appeared to have no fumes so it was mostly water. Poor bike must have been squeaking by on hopes and whatever was in the pump. Handed the guy a 20 for his trouble and pushed the bike across the parking lot to the good station, filled up and bike ran fine.

 

[Kestas]

Back 50 years ago I got water from gas stations many times. After a while I got pretty good at repairing the vehicles. It chiefly involved dropping the gas tank and drying it out thoroughly.

 

[opus1]

I buy mostly Exxon/Mobil with Shell as alternate - so no …

Less likely, but it can happen too. It's been a while but I remember that the BP refinery in Whiting, IN, had a problem with gas that had "polymeric residue" in it that caused problems for people who filled up at local BP stations.

I found this out *after* I got gas for Mom's car, but didn't notice any problems. Either that BP station was spared or, since I don't let the gas get below a half-tank, there may have been enough good gas left to compensate.

 

[BHopkins]

It has been decades since I have got bad gas. Water in gas used to be a common risk, before regulations on underground tanks. It was very common to recommend a bottle of gas drier to a friend or co-worker.

 

[fdcg27]

We've never had a tank of bad gas or diesel (when we had diesels) in more than fifty years of driving.
It does happen, as with the Illinois Speedway which had its E10 tank filled with diesel recently.
It would really suck to get a bad tank when far from home and that thought does sometimes cross my mind.
Minor water contamination is probably a thing of the past since almost all fuel is blended with at least 10% ethanol and that absorbs the water.

 

[Zee09]

Twice I have gotten bad diesel with water in it. Once in my hometown that I didnt figure out until I was 50 miles into a trip and once at a Speedway in Cincinnati on I-75 that left me on the wrecker the day after I got home and it froze up in 5 degree weather.

Same here way back when...

 

[K2K2]

Years ago on a carbureted vehicle I had a lot of water in the gas and it would not run. Two cans of dry gas in the gas tank and letting it sit for about four days took care of it.

A couple of weeks later, they were replacing the tanks.

 

[AuthorEditor]

A couple of years ago I had to walk daily by a station replacing its tanks and I noticed they needed pumps working continuously to keep the holes drained of water. We're talking feet of water when the holes were empty. I would be very wary of ever filling up there knowing the tanks would likely be under water at some point. Frankly, I'm surprised tanks are allowed to be placed like that.