No, not from eating @Taco Bell. C'mon guys, focus.

My 4Runner has been running on the rough side the past few days. It started immediately after a fill-up (it was a Valero), and am wondering if I got some bad gasoline. My mechanic hooked it up to an engine analyzer, and told me it was all in spec, didn't even need a tune-up.

I'm going to run the tank empty and fill up from a different station to see if the problem persists. If it does, then I suppose a few bottles of injector cleaner is in order.

At any rate, have any of you ever dealt with a bad fuel issue? Has never happened to me before.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kkina,

Yes, there’s a station here that has fuel storage tanks that get water in them during prolonged rainy spells. I know several people who have had bad gas from there, like I’ve had.

Id probably top it up with 91/93 and go for a long drive.

Personally never gotten any but have seen it happen around here several times numerous cars suffered enough damage that the engine had to be rebuilt or replaced due to tainted gas....Several times the stations made good on the repair cost and some required court action..... If you ever see a tanker delivery truck making a delivery at a refueling station do not stop because the delivery will stir up the bottom of the tank spreading contaminants upwards that will be picked up and spread until given time for contaminants to settle to the bottom of the tank. ..................... drill sgt.

I would run a bottle of dry gas through it.

If there's a chance of water in the fuel, go get a couple of red bottles of ISO Heat and pour into the tank.

Try adding some HEET water remover or a bit of high ethanol gasoline if you suspect bad fuel.

quote:

Ever Get Bad Gas?

Yep, one time in my earlier years I ate a can of baked beans for lunch, I was putting out so much bad gas that I decided to try to light them, instant Brazilian

It's not running so bad I can't drive it, so I'm just going to run out the tank then fill it at a different station. If it's still bad, I'll try some actual fixes.

At this point I just want to know if there's a specific gas station I need to avoid.

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:

quote:

Ever Get Bad Gas?

Yep, one time in my earlier years I ate a can of baked beans for lunch, I was putting out so much bad gas that I decided to try to light them, instant Brazilian

There's always at least one.

A very long time ago I got some bad gas with water, and found out later that the gas station was caught adding water to their underground tanks to make more "profit". My guess however is that there is normally some amount of water in the bottom of all gas tanks, but more in old tanks that may have an amount of corrosion that may allowing groundwater to seep in, or improper air handling to increase and otherwise normal mount of condensation. But I'm just guessing, I don't know bad of a problem it is, but I have not had issues since. I avoid really run down crappy stations, preferring top tier newer stations, and specifically top Shell gas. And all no-name gas from no-name independent gas/convenience retailers.

From the research I've done about the Heet products with various alcohols, it doesn't actually work. In theory it seems like it would work since alcohol and water mix well, but that doesn't happen in the gas tank, the water still remains in phase separation inside the tank.

I don't know how to fix it except to burn it down if you can, or siphon the remaining out if you can get all the water out from the lowest section of the tank where the water sits.

I saw an experiment between heet and "Ethanol Shield". The Heet lost and the latter passed the "scientific" test. It seems though to actually work in 4 cycle mowers in foresetalling phase separation in tanks of E10 gas inside tanks in lawn tractors and ATV etc., and greatly delay formation of sludge and corrosion in fuel systems.

Instead of Heet, get a gallon of Ethanol Shield, and then call them for best recommendation using for your car to clear your tank and fuel system from contamination and sludge caused by the water in your tank. If your car is a HP or expensive late model, I'd be more careful, unless those guys can advise you properly. I've called them a few times and they seem to have very good knowledge without any snake oil mixed into their product or language.

If your engine is rough for another reason, like you have never cleaned your fuel system, your problem may be cured with one or two bottles of a real fuel cleaner containing significant amount of PEA, which you can't get from Walmart or your local Advance Auto. I've had lots of success many times with multiple cars over the years using this technique. If you avoid cheap gas and run a bottle with each oil change, your engine should settle down unless the problem is unrelated to dirty injectors and dirty non-GDI valves.

Once. About a month later I was driving by and they were digging up the tanks to replace them.
Ran rough but no damage.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Yes, there’s a station here that has fuel storage tanks that get water in them during prolonged rainy spells. I know several people who have had bad gas from there, like I’ve had.

no caps on the tanks?


when I was at Kroger, I would get a call once in a while claiming bad gas,

easy to see, just go pump a gallon in a clear container or bucket, and look,

last time (granted, been gone from them 10yrs) I pumped a couple gallons of diesel into a clear container, not a drop of water or contaminant, and then opened the fuel filler and poured the fuel back in the tank)

made sure the lid was down, locked, and cap placed back on the hole in the ground,

thing is, unless it is a very old station, most have a Veeder Root or similar system controlling the pumps and deliveries,

all tanks, as in 100%, have water in the bottom of them,

the Veeder Root and similar systems have a probe that reads it, a float to calculate amount of fuel in the tank,
the pickups are usually well above the floor, (for sediment etc too) and the VR systems are set to cut off at a certian level,
in other words, the store may be out of fuel, but betting there is 2-400 gallons in the bottom of that tank, under the pickup, or at teh low level set by the company bosses that program the VR system


delivery drivers go old school, and use the water paste on a long ruler, (think 1/2 or 3/4 inch square ruler that is 16 foot long) and will note that on the delivery invoices,

I ran 3 stores with fuel centers attached, and worked in a 4th, and only filed one insurance claim for bad fuel, and that was denied , as in we were not at fault,

we did however, also keep our tanks locked, with the lids down, and they would not leak if the rain was so bad the holes filled up

I haven't myself, but have seen it in my former work a few times. But only one that I can recall got bad gas - so water-laden that it wouldn't ignite, period, also ruining the in-tank fuel pump - straight from the pump. The others had contaminants introduced from an outside source, or wrong fuel altogether.

Yea once, way back in High School, 1967-69 time frame. But they posted a notice on the door about it... Store closed. Seems ground water seeping in old leaking tanks. They tore down the building... A lot of polluted soil had to be removed and replaced. Then they rebuilt back all new. Took a year or more IIRC. Bottle of STP gas treatment and topped up with fresh gas solved my issues.

I only buy gas from the name brand stations, not the others.

Around here most of the name brands are branded Conoco/Phillips 66.

Best wishes to you.
.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
It's not running so bad I can't drive it, so I'm just going to run out the tank then fill it at a different station.

I think you'd be better off filling the tank to full with good gas, diluting whatever is in there that is bad. Maybe run it down to half and fill it up again with good gas. Rinse and repeat.

^I was thinking of doing it that way. I'll see how it goes.

Gasoline is refined to a legal standard, then distributed through pipelines to regional markets. As such, it is of uniform quality, until it is further processed at terminals to specific brands.

Fuel at gasoline stations is potentially adulterated by storage tank conditions.

So, if a car has “bad gas” it is likely a caused by a specific station, not the name brand of that station.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
It's not running so bad I can't drive it, so I'm just going to run out the tank then fill it at a different station. If it's still bad, I'll try some actual fixes.

At this point I just want to know if there's a specific gas station I need to avoid.

I'd start with avoiding the gas station you purchased bad gas from and I would let them know they have bad gas. With that said in reality any station can have bad gas. I normally avoid off brand gas stations and purchase gas from top tier stations.