We have had some issues here in the area of 3 gas stations shut down due to the state finding water in their ground tanks. So if you got gas from them and now have a mix of water and gas in your car what can you be looking at damage wise?
It depends on how much water. Typically, nothing, and if your car is running right you need not worry. Worst case, your car will run poorly.
Damage is probably a non issue. Not running is the most common consequence. Draining the tank and filling with fresh gas is the biggest probable expense. A car can deal with varying amounts of moisture in the gas. Around here the stations that have had problems pony up for the repairs. If you think you might be at risk some heet or similar will absorb the water, mix and burn off probably unnoticed. edit ~ MB must type like 120 wpm, I am lucky to hit 35wpm. Your post was not there when I started my response!
News made it sound real bad last night, they didn’t say what the 3 stations were going to do to compensate the customers.
[i] News made it sound real bad [/i] Bad news sells papers.
If you car is running OK, then don't worry. Chances are you don't have a problem. If you have problems starting or if it runs rough, you might want to have it checked. As long as you don't have much water in there you might want to use some dry-gas. It will bond to water and help get it out of your tank.I didn’t go to any of them as they are on the other side of town, just saw the story on the news. I ran a gas station for about 6 years and the higher ups were always worried come winter time of this happening. Word is somehow excessive snow got into the tanks somehow…
There is a cop out, excessive snow in the tanks? I have never seen an open tank that snow could get into. I had a nozzle at the pump filled with snow a couple of weeks ago, a few whacks got rid of it, but that was a first.
I have seen the covers of inground tanks ripped off by snow plows if they are not well marked, but I would have to think it would take a ton of snow for the state to run tests to come up with the amounts of water in teh ground tanks that would cause a total shut down.
They’re ramping up for sweeps. Starts on the 3rd. Oversensationalism is carried to an extreme during sweeps periods.
“It’s hot, it’s huge, and it could kill you! The Sun, at 10”
Ice can dam the melting ice into a pool of water over the well where the fuel is pumped into the tanks and the water sill seep through the cap and into the tank. The tank pick up is above the bottom to allow for some seepage and condensation but if water is above that dead space it will be dispensed into a customer’s car. Also, when filling the tank, the accumulated water and trash on the tank bottom will be stirred up and until that water and trash settles it can be dispensed also. And the water is usually not clean. It is most often full of dirt and rust from the tank. It can damage the fuel system. Most fuel distributors settle claims for damage quickly and with little or no objection.
Would the answers given here be different if the gas used in his car is ethanol?