Water in diesel fuel

Cbb52

Has anyone exeprienced problems with diesel fuel contaminated with water?  I recently had to have my fuel tank drained, flushed out and new fuel filter and the water/fuel sensor replaced.  The garage told me that my fuel was 50% water and that the only way that it could be like that was from the fuel I put in to the tank.  They said that they get a number of these each month.  The garage I used is denying any liability for the problem which has cost me in excess of £500.  Has anyone else had such a problem and if so what did you do about it?

Flight3287462

Unless you can find more people who have suffered the same problem from that filling station then not a lot you can do.  Start searching social media and/or post it on a local Facebook page and see if anything comes back.

Keep your receipt.

Until then hard to prove.

caprikid1

I had a defender 110 with a split fuel tank vent pipe that sucked in water in heavy rain, costs £1000's before the garage identified how water was getting into the fuel.

oldagetraveller1

50% water, really? Or is that due to the new phenomenon of obsorbtion?

Grey_Critic

Not unknown for fuel tanks at filling stations to be contaminated - about 30 years ago a Morrison filling station had a Petrol Tank filled with Diesel - lots of broken down vehicles and it cost Morrisons.

I have also known water contamination - a fleet of Menzies Transits had filled up from that one. The tanks were filled via a manhole on the forecourt and someone forgot to put the cap back on. Heavy rain flooded the manhole and got into the tank.

Contact the Local Authority who licence filling stations or Trading standards

Bigwheels1111

I’ve done over a million miles in diesel cars, 250,000 in hgv 1 in the last 25 years.
Never had a single issue with water in the fuel.

ElefantEd

Bigwheels1111 said:

I’ve done over a million miles in diesel cars, 250,000 in hgv 1 in the last 25 years.
Never had a single issue with water in the fuel.

That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that it is perhaps unlikely. I've never been hit by lightning, but a few people are each year. My experience doesn't invalidate theirs.

Bigwheels1111

ElefantEd said:

Bigwheels1111 said:

I’ve done over a million miles in diesel cars, 250,000 in hgv 1 in the last 25 years.
Never had a single issue with water in the fuel.

That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that it is perhaps unlikely. I've never been hit by lightning, but a few people are each year. My experience doesn't invalidate theirs.

Did I say it does not happen. No
Bit unlikely. Plus fuel filter should warn you before any damage.
Tesco fuel damaged cars a few months back.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/tesco-compensates-drivers-after-accidently-24792083

Any thing can happen.
As for lighting Ive been in a plane and 2 cars that have been hit.

scrappy_returns

Grey_Critic said:

Not unknown for fuel tanks at filling stations to be contaminated - about 30 years ago a Morrison filling station had a Petrol Tank filled with Diesel - lots of broken down vehicles and it cost Morrisons.

I have also known water contamination - a fleet of Menzies Transits had filled up from that one. The tanks were filled via a manhole on the forecourt and someone forgot to put the cap back on. Heavy rain flooded the manhole and got into the tank.

Contact the Local Authority who licence filling stations or Trading standards

There was a time on here you'd have been flamed for suggesting fuel stations don't always have anything but perfect fuel in them.

Grey_Critic

Not that I will but can name several that in the past sold contminated fuel.

Cbb52

Thanks for the comments.  I don't know how many cars actually have water/fuel sensors fitted.  My car is only 6 years old so I doubt a split pipe is the problem.  Because of the fuel sensor warning I addressed the problem quickly but still had to have 3/4 tank of diesel drained, the tank flushed out, a new fuel filter and a new sensor.  I had filled the tank with diesel from an Asda filling station in High Wycombe.  Anyone else had problems there?