A SIMPLE mistake turned into complicated repairs for several drivers who fueled up at the same station.
A truck deployed to help those affected after refueling rescued almost 300 cars over a weekend.
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Drivers in Longview, Texas who fueled up at a Murphy gas station off of Loop 281 experienced troubling symptoms in common after their tanks were full.
Shortly after pulling away, several cars began to sputter, stall, die while in motion, or refuse to start.
After getting to a mechanic, they were all told the same thing: they filled their tanks with the wrong type of fuel.
Those with gas cars were full of diesel, while diesel-powered cars were filled with gasoline.
One driver, Tonya, said she was forced to rely on others after her car was filled with the wrong fuel.
“I’m not a happy camper right now,” she told FOX affiliate KETK.
“Because I have no vehicle, and it’s basically like I’m hitchhiking.”
As Tonya pulled away from the station, she noticed something was wrong right away.
“It wasn’t giving a lot of gas, you had to kind of force it to give it gas, I was like, ‘My car is going to cut off,'” she recalled.
“That was not a good experience.”
Typically diesel pumps are a different color and clearly labeled to prevent this exact mistake.
However, this mixup wasn’t the fault of the drivers.
Jason Brown, a real estate agent in Harleton, said his car had trouble running.
“It was spitting and sputtering, it just didn’t want to stay running,” he said.
While he waited for help, he ran into a tow truck driver who had already towed several cars as a result of the mixup.
“Well the people who have already had their vehicles diagnosed, the ones that were gas their tanks are full of diesel, and the ones that were diesel their tanks are filled with gas,” he said.
“The tow truck driver that was here today to help people, the driver told me his number was 268 that was documented.”
What happens if you put the wrong fuel in your tank?
Dwanye Saunders, the owner of Genuine Automotive & Diesel in Austin, Texas, said the common mix up isn’t as dire as people think.
He told The U.S. Sun in an exclusive interview there are things drivers should look out for at the pumps to avoid putting the wrong fuel in your tank, and what to do if it happens.
The first thing he noted is that most gas stations make it very difficult to fill a gas-powered car with diesel. At the pumps, size does matter.
“The nozzle for the diesel pump is usually much bigger than a gasoline pump,” he said.
“So, it’s pretty hard to put diesel in a gas tank, it’s actually easier to accidentally put gasoline in a diesel engine.”
If the wrong fuel type is used, drivers will know right away, as the engine will run incredibly rough before shutting off. When that happens, it’s important to not try and start the vehicle again, as it pushes the fuel further into the system. Forcing the wrong fuel through an ill-equipped engine can cost thousands in repairs, or even merit an engine replacement.
Instead, it’s best to have your vehicle towed to a trusted mechanic, where they’ll begin repairs.
“A good mechanic would drain the fuel tank and flush the lines with fresh gasoline, maybe run some fuel system cleaner through it and it’s usually not detrimental,” said Saunders.
Read more here.
There’s a Facebook group of drivers who accidentally fueled up with the wrong fuel, with 241 members after being created on September 3.
Gary Stewart, a technician at Donnybrook Automotive, said drivers who accidentally fill their tanks with the wrong fuel type are looking at a substantial repair bill.
“Thousands. Thousands of dollars,” said Stewart.
He said if your car starts running poorly or refuses to start after fueling up, don’t try to force the wrong fuel through a system that isn’t equipped to handle it.
“Don’t drive it down the road until it bursts into flames, don’t try to pump gas into it, don’t pour anything into the tank, don’t try to fix it.”
The best thing drivers can do is get it towed to a reliable mechanic and have it properly diagnosed to be able to submit the document to your insurance company for compensation.
The form can also be used to file a complaint against Murphy.
