Refuelling disaster!

[lpgjag]

All
We recently refuelled our X Type at a well known supermarket with 58Ls of Diesel. (Travelling next day to a family occasion in N Yorks). After approx 35 miles, a slight juddering was felt, with a noted difference in water temp on the gauge. Thereafter things seemed to settle and drove for another 6-7 miles. A false sense of security, almost immediately more juddering, and Engine management light appeared- with total loss of power. Fortunately we were able to roll into a lay-by safely, especially having 4 passengers! (Prior to this we had no problems with the car having covered 115000 miles and being serviced regularly).

After recovery by the AA we were towed to safety to independent Jag specialist in Stockton. After full diagnosis, the fuel system was found to be totally wrecked, Fuel Pump, Injectors, with contaminated tank, fuel lines etc.

Total renwal of fuel system was required and a wallet burning £2400! Currently sending samples of fuel off for independent analysis, as we feel that despite many supermarket filliups, we have been duly caught out by a reduction in fuel quality, lets see. Anyone else been caught by a similar situation?

[GreenyX]

i always felt its a good idea to use a tank of expensive fuel every 3 just to clean everything through.
Tbh all 3 of my cars (2scimitars and an X type) use super unleaded. My wife on the other hand just sees cheep fuel and puts supermarket fuel in her cars.

[robv12]

what was the fuel contaminated with??, seems odd that a whole fuel system needed replacing if diesel had been used in the fillup, and the car in fact ran afterwards, 58 litres is almost a full tank in an X Type,

I'm no expert in these things, but what on earth would wreck the whole system??

fuel experts, chime in here please with some thoughts

[J44EAG]

There comes a point where components wear to an extent that they become completely inoperable. Wear often manifests itself in components that can be working one moment and failed the next. I regard component wear on an exponential basis. A part works effectively until it perhaps gives some indication of impending failure, followed shortly after by complete failure. That perhaps may occur at low mileage or at large mileage. Often when replacing one failed unit, one often finds other parts in a system also near time expired. Many variables conspire to make hard and fast comparisons between similar vehicles difficult due to each vehicle being operated in different ways and serviced and maintained to varying standards.

I find it difficult to agree that one tank of fuel could be responsive for a total fuel system breakdown over such a small mileage. It is more likely to be a cumulative mileage issue. I would suggest that high mileage and repeated use of badly contaminated fuel could cause components to become clogged, corroded, eroded or suffer seal, diaphragm or other component degradation or delapidation. Repeated use of fuel with a high water content in a diesel engine would for instance cause erosion of injector nozzles and tips. Corrosion within fuel lines and pump units is also undesirable. Regular checks on fuel cap sealing against rain water ingress is desirable as is the occasional use of a "dry fuel" additive. "Wet fuel" will cause diesel fired heater units to coke quickly leading to high carbon deposits and black exhaust smoke.

Fuel tanks should be checked for water content which will lay on the base of the tank with the diesel fuel floating on top of the water. "Diesel bug" can be an issue where bacteria grow within the warm, wet interface between water and the fuel. The bacteria live in this environment and when they expire their remains as micro husks drop to the tank floor and are sucked by the fuel pump into the filter where they block filter elements. Bacteria husks look like fleas when wet and are often brown when dried out. Typically the fuel bowl in a Lucas 296 or Crosland 522 filter found in a Land Rover/ small boat/ crane etc will show traces of a rust like contaminate. This may be due to a metal tank having contained metal contaminate due to drilling or cutting fall out. This swarf breaks down to iron oxide particles which can again be extremely destructive over even a very short time and contribute to multiple mechanical component wear and subsequent failures.

Regular fuel filter changes together with fuel examination and use of additives will go a long way towards ensuring fuel system cleanliness and help towards ensuring long term reliability.

Several well known fuel suppliers have recently had claims against them for selling suspect fuel. Some centre around high silicon content found at some outlets. A Tesco fuel station at Branksome recently had to be closed owing to contaminated fuel. Often fuel storage facilities at fuel outlets can cause fuel to become locally contaminated. How often do you see garage forecourt fuel tanks being dug up for extraction and disposal? Probably not often. I would suggest buying fuel from recently opened new garages might go some considerable way to ensuring good quality fuel supply. A fuel station selling fuel with a quick turn over is less likely to supply dodgy fuel than a village garage which may have its fuel kicking around in old tanks for a long period of time.

Local fuel supply can also be an issue where a supply depot may have storage of contamination issue. Historically the high sulphur fuel supplied from certain depots in the North East of the UK was held as being responsible for the failure of Nikasil lined engines. Reports of failures of similarly lined engines in the South was apparently significantly less than the number of engines failed in the North of the country. So local issues can cause problems also.

Major well known retail fuel chains often receive there supplies and marked or unmarked road tankers. The same unmarked units may supply several differing fuel chain outlets from a central local depot such as Avonmouth for the South West of the country or Fawley for the South. Quality of fuel may vary from one part of the country to another. Storage or manufacturing differences may be evident if samples of fuel from different depots are analysed. However each batch supplied must conform to a minimum standard which although reached may not be totally devoid of contaminates which could lead to eventual component failures.

From an end users perspective there is little really that we can do ourselves as regards pump fuel quality other than to buy from fast moving modern outlets with new tankage and to ensure that we help ourselves by regularly using fuel system cleaners, drier or anti-bacteriological additives, take the odd fuel sample and keep our fuel filtering up to and exceeding our car manufacturers directives for servicing.

It is also important to realise that components do wear out and may need to be replaced even before we consider that should be the case. Not long ago we would tend to think a car was time expired at 100k miles. Now we expect a car to achieve at least three times that mileage before being scrapped. That being the case one would also expect to have to replace a great many components perhaps several times to allow that to occur. Fuel system components are not excluded from the scenario.

Mike K

[Zennan101]

Mike,

Thank you for taking the time to post such a detailed and well reasoned response. The thread is interesting as we all need fuel and there are lessons for everyone in your reply.
At up to 20p a litre off offers from the big supermarket outlets it's hard not to take advantage and fill up. I do and have not had any problems but I do fill up every third or fourth tank with quality fuel expecially if a long journey is in prospect.

Rod