# Dirty diesel



## Xsue (6 Sep 2007)

Last week I went into a fuel station in Castlebar where I filled my tank with €60 of diesel. I got 25 or so miles down the road when my car stopped dead. The garage had to come and tow it away and after emptying the tank of the dirty diesel cleaning the fuel lines and replacing the fuel filter I am not an extra €510 out of pocket. The fuel station do not want to know about it. The garage where my car was repaired say they've had a lot of dirty diesel coming in....has anyone else had this happen to them or has anyone any advice on what I should do. It should have been a reputable filling station.....


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## bonzos (6 Sep 2007)

Had same problem with diesel i got from a depot in the docks area of sligo, it might have cost a few cent/L cheaper but cost me dearly in the long run. I have heard since that a lot of taxi driver's had similiar problems.Only problem is that its hard to prove.


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## Caveat (7 Sep 2007)

In my experience, the term 'dirty diesel' or 'dirty petrol' is usually an unfounded excuse for the garage who supplied the car to blame someone else for a problematic car - not saying it's the case on this occasion...


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## gebbel (7 Sep 2007)

Xsue said:


> ...should have been a reputable filling station.....


 
Maybe they are reputable....the problem could have arisen at a previous filling station. The problem is proof.


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## xt40 (7 Sep 2007)

"60€ of diesel"  - letting your tank run down very low can dislodge the sediment that builds up naturally over time and "dirty" your  fuel. i would have thought a diesel filter would then catch this. if so, i dont know how the bill for this could be 510 euro  as the part costs about 20 euro and the only tool you need to change it is a rag.


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## Xsue (7 Sep 2007)

I have had the car since it was three months old (it's nearly four now) it is regularily serviced by the same garage and had been serviced less than three months ago. The fuel station is a Statoil and I have kept a sample from the tank - its got a layer of gunge in the bottom. Well, I'll see how I get on with my complaint


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## xt40 (7 Sep 2007)

servicing has nothing to do with it. every tank has a certain amount of dirt in the bottom of it. im sure the garage will tell you the same.


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## z109 (7 Sep 2007)

Xsue said:


> I have had the car since it was three months old (it's nearly four now) it is regularily serviced by the same garage and had been serviced less than three months ago. The fuel station is a Statoil and I have kept a sample from the tank - its got a layer of gunge in the bottom. Well, I'll see how I get on with my complaint


Would it be possible that the garage tank was at or near the bottom? Or just filled from a low level so the sediment in it was disturbed?


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## ein (8 Sep 2007)

xt40 said:


> "60€ of diesel" - letting your tank run down very low can dislodge the sediment that builds up naturally over time and "dirty" your fuel. i would have thought a diesel filter would then catch this. if so, i dont know how the bill for this could be 510 euro as the part costs about 20 euro and the only tool you need to change it is a rag.


 
I would assume the towing of the car was the expensive item on the bill?


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## slamdunkin (10 Sep 2007)

bonzos said:


> Had same problem with diesel i got from a depot in the docks area of sligo, it might have cost a few cent/L cheaper but cost me dearly in the long run. I have heard since that a lot of taxi driver's had similiar problems.Only problem is that its hard to prove.


 
two drivers from "all the fours" told me the same story - they saved about 30 in total but it cost them a lot more in the long run


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## Mr2 (10 Sep 2007)

Dirty fuel like Caveat says is the wrong term but what we mean by it is correct. The quality is poor usually, older type diesels especially can drive ok if it got a bad fill of fuel but newer type (anything from '00) will not. 

Moisture in the metal tanks the station holds it's fuel in, is a big problem!
The dirt and gunge that you get from there tanks when there near empty is not good, you also have dirt in your fuel tank, you should never let you fuel go below 1/4 of a tank you will get all sorts of problems.

You can burn out lambda probes/ cats early, coils. 

The standard of fuel in the country is very poor in this country. Change your filter regulary and keep it at least 1/4 full and that about all you can do as the owner of your car, stay away from age old filling stations, as if the station is that old, wonder how old there tanks are?! How much dirt has built up over time in them. If they tell you they clean them a lot, wonder how they get every bit of the cleaner they use out.

The answer is they don't, it goes into your car!


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## surfmaster (1 Oct 2007)

Hi Xsue,

I got Diesel in Clare in August.  Turns out that the Diesel was contaminated with water i.e. 250 parts per ml.... Had to replace 4 injectors in a BMW, fuel pump etc..long story short it cost over €4k to fix, €600 for the accessor and not sure what it is going cost in legal fees but I have to go to court to get my money back....not good at all.


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## Tom McGarry (27 Jul 2017)

Hi ,
Have just read your post and realise it was 2007 however I am experiencing the same problem and taking the garage outlet to court, I was wondering how you fared out?? Any advice would be appreciated.


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