How to Deal with Damage from Dirty Fuel (Infographic)
It’s understandable that motorists will seek the lowest price possible for fuelling their vehicles, just as they would for any other good or service. However, while some price discrepancies between fuel stations are consistent, sometimes you might come across a station offering very low prices for fuel. You may look at these prices and think that it’s almost too good to be true. Sometimes, it really is.
It has been known for stations offering notably low prices to stock contaminated fuel which eventually causes costly damage to customers’ vehicles, leaving them short-changed in the long run. Some unscrupulous fuel stations dilute their products with bio and water, which seriously compromises the quality of fuel and leads to severe degradation.
If you notice abnormalities such as the check engine light coming on randomly and the car juddering while accelerating on a motorway, these could indicate that you’ve filled your vehicle with dirty fuel. You might be lucky enough to simply drive it off until you need to refuel, or you could be left with engine trouble that would cost four-figure sums to fix.
If you think that your car has dirty fuel and you can remember where you last stocked up, go back to that filling station and point it out to them, ensuring that you have evidence of the transaction. They might pay you for any damages to your car there and then to close the case, or they could play hardball and deny any wrongdoing. In that event, you might need to get your national consumer watchdog involved.
The infographic below from Woodstock Motors outlines the warning signs of dirty fuel and gives advice on what to do if you’ve unwittingly filled up with dodgy petrol or diesel.
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