# Diesel Problem



## bulawayolass (Jul 27, 2010)

This was put up by a friend on facebook not sure if anyone has commented on it before sorry if a double post.

Caro 

The car broke down apparently down to contaminated diesel, he had a very good insurance policy otherwise the damage would have been £2000+ The RAC expect thousands of similar incidents this winter due to diesel contamination, possibly with a bio diesel content to high (diesel has to be minimum 7% bio according to the government) 

That amount or higher can damage your injectors and other fiddly bits. Maybe its time for us all to keep every fuel receipt and note the mileage and location of the fuel station for help with claims.

.........................................................

This was a private anonymous reply to him. it was a private message anon reply to his question about his car...

I used to work for Shell Fuels Research back in the day, in the dark shadow of Stanlow Refinery. 
A lot of the work we were contracted to do was on combining Methyl Esters, specifically POME, ('Biodiesel') with regular diesel and measuring the effects upon engines. The stuff burns just fine and is actually a fantastic, clean diesel substitute, and we were testing up to 80% blends even back in 2005 no problems.

Unfortunately the problems you refer to come from storage and handling. ME's are highly hygroscopic - meaning they attract water like a magnet. They like to form a gel when mixed with the water. Modern high pressure diesel systems are precision bits of kit and really don't get on well with either. We knew all this back in the day, and shell basically canceled all its plans to voluntarily add Biodiesel to the forecourt fuel. Basically because they knew that the warranty claims would be insane.

Then along come the government and said everyone has to do it anyway... now every slightly leaky tank in the country is gonna be crocking engines, the reason its worse in the winter is just cos of the sheer volume of rain.

Generally branded or unbranded diesel uses the same additives but in different amounts, so tesco diesel will meet a minimum spec, but shell stuff will be well above it
don't bother with the vpower stuff unless you're taking it on a track day, but the penny per liter extra from a proper garage is usually worth it in my opinion, especially for diesel

There's lots of views out on the Internet about that one, but I've been up on the gantries putting the right dose in the tanks so I can promise you it's true!


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

Here in Ireland (north and south) especially near the border there are considerable issues with 'laundered' fuel and lots of engines damaged by buying at unofficial sites and even quite a few 'proper' garages who knowingly buy the dodgy stuff to either enhance their margins or simply save them selves from going under.

There are major problems with revenue avoidance, paramilitary involvement and toxic waste indiscriminately dumped.

My point is that that I rarely buy fuel anywhere other at one outlet so I have traceability. The supplier of choice (nearest and cheapest) is ASDA. My reasoning being that it is unlikely that they will be involved in any criminal acts (apart from their prices).

This reassurance more than makes up for the old debate that branded fuel is better, which I do not subscribe to anyway.

Interestingly the laundered fuel does even make its way across the Irish sea to Great Britain. 

Davy


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

I had a problem 2 years ago when one of my cars threw a wobbly and went into limp mode immediately after filling the tank with diesel from a Coop/Shell station. Luckily I got away with just having the tank drained and the injectors professionaly cleaned . Although the garage denied there was anything wrong with the fuel the diesel specialist I used was convinced the fuel was at fault

There's loads of complaints out there about this subject if you look.


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## duxdeluxe (Sep 2, 2007)

The PM in the OP is more or less on the money...... There is a problem with potential gel formation but it is not common (otherwise, with 7% max bio in the vehicles, they would be all littering the hard shoulder) and usually simply clogs the fuel filter. RAC reported on it recently so they have seen a few. 

Not a nice problem to have - a bit like bugs in the fuel; a pain.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Perhaps we aught to refer back to the old days, where we used to do an oil and all filters every 6 months on taxis and every 12 months on private vehicles.
Or just maybe change the fuel filter more often.
Some people never change them at all.
cabby


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