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Contaminated Petrol


Heatsink

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Following an engine management light appearing on the dashboard, we heard from the local garage that the oxygen sensor in one of our cars needs to be replaced and we're looking at a bill of near £300. This is one that we fill up at Morrisons (not my favourite beasty 2.0L '95 Laguna)

The local garage has already had 20 identical issues, and everywhere I look the Supermarkets are denying that there was any contamination, although Tescos has taken out full page adverts in the national press and promising to pay for repairs.

Anyone else had any probs possibily linked with this recent "Contaminated Petrol" issue?

Steve

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Dunno if anyone saw an old version of Fifth Gear where they put petrol in a diesel car and vice versa? Anyway, they drove some old cars until the engine spluttered, then drained the fuel and replaced it with the right stuff. Then they carried on driving. They reckoned that old cars weren't damaged by the wrong fuel, whereas new ones would need a full engine drainage (£££).

My point being that perhaps this petrol issue happens more on newer cars?

Anyway, hope you get some money back for this Steve.

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I put diesel in from tesco's a while ago before all the problems with the fuel came out. And my car's worked ever since. Filled up at BP though tonight just to be sure

sorry i've not been paying full attention to the news, but is it petrol, diesel or both?

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petrol mat :P i think its only on more modern cars (that have oxygen sensors) i know my golf (1989) does'nt have one but my seat (1999) has, have you looked into changing the sensor yourself steve, i bet it would only be a days work, and would save you a fair bit of money.

EDIT:

Oxygn_Sensor.jpg

its only a matter of screwing one out and plugging back in, must be more than just replacing the sensor for it to cost £300

Edited by wad
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I put diesel in from tesco's a while ago before all the problems with the fuel came out. And my car's worked ever since. Filled up at BP though tonight just to be sure

sorry i've not been paying full attention to the news, but is it petrol, diesel or both?

Just unleaded I believe. I suspect the local garage may be overcharging at £300, thinking the bills will be footed by Morrisons. Work involves siphoning out the petrol and changing the sensor. Garage seem clued up on gathering evidence such as holding onto the petrol for analysis. I definately don't have any time to attempt any work like this myself.

Plenty more info on the web about this case in some regions of the UK, with initial denials of contamination to Tescos saying on their site that they've traced the source of the bad batch and pledging to pay for repairs. Morrisons and Tescos are supplied by the same company and Cambridgeshire is one of the regions with this issue. Then again the issue could be unrelated to any genuine petrol problems, but the anecdotal evidence is strong.

Morrison's have shown themselves not to lag behind Tescos in how they're reacting to claims. Tescos to their credit seem to be going all out to sort problems out whilst Morrisons are still in denial.

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My engine management light has been on. Im waiting for my diagnostic software to come through to find out whats going on...

I have no reciept for the petrol so I doubt I will get anything out of tesco (if it is their fault)

I don't have any receipts but the petrol purchases will all be on the bank statements (Y) Tescos seem to be very keen to right any wrongs, see below:

http://www.tesco.com/petrol/

Morrisons aren't so forthcoming, neither giving actual details on the problem experienced (just that fuel has been replaced) or pledging any support, see below:

http://www.morrisons.co.uk/2016.asp

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My sister filled her moped up with petrol from Morrisons, 2 days later the engine seized. Completely nakered the piston. We tipped the petrol into a glass jar, and it didnt look like ordinary petrol, looked more greeny and felt oilyer.

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I filled up from a morrisons with known dodgy petrol, however i think i've been lucky and managed to get a decent batch. I've avoided tesco and morrisons petrol for the past few weeks after the initial signs of the problem.

I'm pretty sure that the evidence thats around about the problem will mean that morrisons will have to foot the bill for the repairs. They basically sold you faulty goods that caused damage to your property when used in the intended manner, and so they are liable. They'll probably try to slope out of it, but i'd be confident a court would side with all the consumers considering how public the blunder is.

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Some of you will know that I work at a seat/kia dealership down this way. Lately, we've had around 10-15 complaints regarding the oxy sensors. All coming from drivers up north, no drivers down our way have suffered any engine damage/oxy sensor failure.

We(as a dealership), are acting on the impression that there is a trace of 'silicone' in the fuel, affecting unleaded, and super unleaded fuel types only. The main garage to avoid is Morrisons, as they have the highest amount of complaints currently.

The bottom line is, should of bought a diesel ;)

EDIT: FAO 'Wad', I wouldn't recommend that buddy. A bloke came in yesterday, thinking he was rather 'It', and had tried to replace it himself. "only a half hour job" he boasted. His complaints of loss of power however, meant he had a bill of £670 to fit the proper o2 sensor needed for this model. After he had totally ballsed up on his own attempt.

Edited by deanie-b
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I'm glad this recent topic in the news has come up on TF, i've been researching the problem on the net for a while and havn't got many firm answers.

I filled up at Morrisons in Southampton (not sure if the contaminated fuel got that way) days before the very first incident arose on the news. My cars been great since i bought it, then put £25 petrol into a new empty tank, went to pay then started the car and it wouldn't spark. Engine cranks over but no spark. Took 7-8 attempts to start. Has been irratic ever since, some days starts first time, others takes 2-3 attempts.

Have changed spark plugs before complaints came onto the news, but havn't called a garage to sort the problem as the car does start fine on occasions so wasn't urgent. I think i will get it properly sorted now though, worried if i keep driving its gonna properly feck the car up.

It's a Renault Clio 1.2 V reg (2000) Once shes started its fine, no problem with power loss. It's only starting thats irratic.

Since the problem i've topped up at BP twice, so was hoping any bad fuel was out of the system.

Can anyone shed any light? Thanks for starting the topic Heatsink (Y)

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I'm glad this recent topic in the news has come up on TF, i've been researching the problem on the net for a while and havn't got many firm answers.

I filled up at Morrisons in Southampton (not sure if the contaminated fuel got that way) days before the very first incident arose on the news. My cars been great since i bought it, then put £25 petrol into a new empty tank, went to pay then started the car and it wouldn't spark. Engine cranks over but no spark. Took 7-8 attempts to start. Has been irratic ever since, some days starts first time, others takes 2-3 attempts.

Have changed spark plugs before complaints came onto the news, but havn't called a garage to sort the problem as the car does start fine on occasions so wasn't urgent. I think i will get it properly sorted now though, worried if i keep driving its gonna properly feck the car up.

It's a Renault Clio 1.2 V reg (2000) Once shes started its fine, no problem with power loss. It's only starting thats irratic.

Since the problem i've topped up at BP twice, so was hoping any bad fuel was out of the system.

Can anyone shed any light? Thanks for starting the topic Heatsink (Y)

the thing is, what you said would surely suggest a problem with your car before the petrol. as you paid for your petrol, then the car wouldnt start straight away. at that time, it would still have had the same original fuel in the lines, so the fuel wouldnt be an issue until it had made its way into the engine, then back out to the lambda!

still

this whole fuel thing seems decidedly odd to me!

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the thing is, what you said would surely suggest a problem with your car before the petrol. as you paid for your petrol, then the car wouldnt start straight away. at that time, it would still have had the same original fuel in the lines, so the fuel wouldnt be an issue until it had made its way into the engine, then back out to the lambda!

still

this whole fuel thing seems decidedly odd to me!

When i filled up the tank was nearing totally empty, from putting 30litres of petrol in would it just sit in the tank or filter through the lines in the time i went to pay?? Just seems a huge coincidence that my problem begins from filling up at Morrisons on a near empty tank at the exact time this petrol crisis started.

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Another excuse to justify to myself the benifits of owning a hugely thirsty car that will only run on V-Power...

If I say it to myself enough, I start to believe it...

My cars £15-£20 a day habit however, becomes so worth it when I cruise past someone trying to race me in his Audi A3... mentioning no names nick vaughan.

Andy P

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When i filled up the tank was nearing totally empty, from putting 30litres of petrol in would it just sit in the tank or filter through the lines in the time i went to pay?? Just seems a huge coincidence that my problem begins from filling up at Morrisons on a near empty tank at the exact time this petrol crisis started.

nope, the petrol wouldnt get anywhere near the engine for some minutes really! think, before the engine, its got to leave the tank, go through the fuel pump, through a fuel filter, both of which are typically under the car, then it has to be pumped UP the bulkhead to the injection system at the top of the head. its then got to go through the engine, be combusted, and come out into the exhaust before it even reaches the lambda sensor! which is the faulty component in the case of contaminated petrol. chances are it would be a good few minutes before any of the fault fuel got anywhere near your exhaust, no matter how low you were!

Another excuse to justify to myself the benifits of owning a hugely thirsty car that will only run on V-Power...

If I say it to myself enough, I start to believe it...

My cars £15-£20 a day habit however, becomes so worth it when I cruise past someone trying to race me in his Audi A3... mentioning no names nick vaughan.

Andy P

its still a fecking volvo though isnt it grandad?

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