Contaminated Fuel: What A Mistake!

If your engine has had hiccups and a mishap in the middle of nowhere in the past due to something to do with contaminated fuel, then I guess you know how frustrating that can be. Fuel contamination is hard to avoid- the causes are completely out of your influence. Whether you inspect your tanks yearly or have a steady service programme, you are sure to run into trouble.

Contamination does not only consume your time and leave you stranded but also causes harm to your engine and the general car performance. It will, in turn, dent your pocket for repair and cleaning up. The best strategy in avoiding the situation is to be on the watch, know what you are looking for and know what appropriate measure to take when you notice something. Below we look at how to identify fuel contamination and the efficient action to take when you identified.

How do you know if fuel is contaminated?

When it comes to identifying fuel contamination, three indicators could alarm you of a problem. Normally, the behaviour of the motor vehicle, the fuel tank, and the appearance of fuel can help you identify a problem with the fuel.

Prevention is better than cure. That applies to fuel contamination. The quicker you identify the symptoms, the more efficiently you can do something about it while keeping the cost of maintenance at the minimal. Ensure your vehicle has a regular maintenance programme that includes fuel and tank checks.

1. Fuel Appearance

Normally, if taken out of the fuel tank, fuel should be clear and bright. Contaminated fuel is usually characterised by a murky and cloudy appearance in the fuel. It is a sign that your fuel has an impurity, water. Water facilitates the development of bugs and bacteria.

When bugs develop, they form a layer of sludge at the bottom of the tank. It is important to take a fuel sample from the bottom to get an effective analysis.

If the fuel has a dark appearance, it could be a sign of asphaltenes which are hard particles that can damage your vehicle’s engine.

2. Eroded Fuel Tank

The fuel tank starts to erode when the contamination level is so high and severe. Whenever you have a suspicion, you must inspect the tank itself.

As contamination levels in the fuel increase so does the bugs that start eating chunks of the fuel tank. The more prominent the erosion, the worse the situation.

It is good to remember that an eroded tank is also an environmental hazard as it could lead to oil leaks that are catastrophic and expensive to clean.

3. Equipment or Engine Problems

You might not notice any unusual thing that could help you suspect contamination until your engine starts having problems if your fuel tank has gone minus inspection for a while and the condition of your fuel goes unchecked.

Your engine will start having mishaps abruptly, and you will experience the following;

• Drastic power loss and change in acceleration
• Unusual difficulty in engine ignition
• Misfiring, backfiring, or spluttering
• Illumination of engine check light

In any case, it is vital to inspect your car when you come across these situations. Check if the filters are blocked and look at your fuel for abnormalities and examine the whole fuel system.

What Do You Do when You Notice Contamination?

There are various steps you can take once you detect signs of contamination. They are simple and are also cheap meaning that you can effectively solve your problem. The secret is to act as soon as you see the signs to avoid further damage.

Once you have noticed the problem, do not start your car. It will cause harm to your engine. Instead, call your garage and ask them to come to your assistance. They are supposed to be able to perform the following;

• Clean the fuel tank. When the situation becomes dire, there needs to be a complete clean up of your tank. It begins by draining the tank completely and then the cleaning that includes removing sludge from the filters.
• Tank replacement. When there has been too much contamination, the contaminants erode the tank. In some extreme instances, you may need a tank change. It is to avoid the tank from leaking. If the corrosion is of a high degree, ensure to act immediately.
• Recommend a good additive. Additives are special compounds that are added to fuel to improve its use. They can protect the tank from corrosion, reduce chances of water in fuel and clean injectors and intake valves.

Does insurance cover contaminated fuel?

Not all insurers cover charges for fuel contamination, so be sure to have a look at your insurance cover. Some fuel stations also cover for damages caused by their fuel. For both situations, whether the insurer or the service stations.

• Collect a sample of fuel and store it correctly
• Ensure to store the receipt of fuel purchase
• Ensure that your car repairer validates the fuel contamination in writing
• Keep the repair invoice
• Record what happened immediately to keep your story intact

Once the repair is done, contact your insurer or service station and informs them of your claim as soon as you can.

Fuel contamination is continuous. It can not be solved once. The only way out is vigilance. Be on the safer side by ensuring that you have regular check-ups of your fuel system.