Gasoline in fuel!!! ...WTF!?!?!

[no-red 6 0]

My reciept shows I took on 17.9 gallons durring that fuel-up, meaning there was still about 11.1 gallons of diesel in the tank (about 62% of 'potential' gasoline to 38% diesel)
I took four samples of fuels in four separate glass jars.
Sample #1 was known straight 87 octane gasoline
Sample #2 was known straight on-road diesel (from a known good source)
Sample #3 was a sample from the drain on my truck's fuel/water separator
Sample #4 was a near 50/50 mix of the known gasoline and known diesel


if i read/understand this correctly - you took 4 samples....?
I am thinking you meant to say you had 4 of each of these styles of fuel....(i have gray hair and get confused often)

#3 is the one from the truck-did you let it drain for awhile or just enough to fill the jar? cause you just may have had drained 'crudler' from the seperator and not a true 'sample' of the fuel that is in the lines/tank.... i will ask again if you have got anything you can 'dip' into the tank and pull it out and smell & or see if you can 'catch' fuel with?

i would go back to the station and phyisically see/speak to the person/persons working - explain the situation, see if they will test your fuel, pay for your fix(s)/issues....maybe hard to do now that much time has passed.

OR have you already solved this issue?-popcorn-popcorn

 

[Eubee]

...if i read/understand this correctly - you took 4 samples....?
I am thinking you meant to say you had 4 of each of these styles of fuel....(i have gray hair and get confused often)

Nope, four sapmles total. One sample of each of the fuels.

...
#3 is the one from the truck-did you let it drain for awhile or just enough to fill the jar? cause you just may have had drained 'crudler' from the seperator and not a true 'sample' of the fuel that is in the lines/tank.... i will ask again if you have got anything you can 'dip' into the tank and pull it out and smell & or see if you can 'catch' fuel with?

I drained only about a half of a gallon out of it total so far.
I am going to borrow a siphon pump, that my dad uses for transfering fuel between his tractors, and get a better sample.

I have let my samples sit for a few days now, and it looks like #3 might be gelling on me. It has a wierd 'cloud' in the middle on the bottom. Looks similar in consistency as algae in water (different color of course). This would be odd because it does not seem that it has been cold enough to cause gelling. I guess it could be some other contaminent or reaction between different fuel brands and additives.

...
OR have you already solved this issue?-popcorn-popcorn

Nope, she still sits in my driveway.

 

[BIG JOE]

One other thing to consider would be.. If you happened to buy the fuel shortly after the station took a delivery ? You could have gotten a tank full with some Crappola in it, from the storage/service tank sediments and water (if any) being stirred up... From the delivery.

It Happens.

Joe

 

[iracemine]

One other thing to consider would be.. If you happened to buy the fuel shortly after the station took a delivery ? You could have gotten a tank full with some Crappola in it, from the storage/service tank sediments and water (if any) being stirred up... From the delivery.

It Happens.

Joe

im glad someone brought this up. I heard (asked the gas station owner) about this and he stated that there is built in baffles in the tanks that do not allow this to happen. if this was true, this would happen way more often. any thoughts?

 

[BIG JOE]

im glad someone brought this up. I heard (asked the gas station owner) about this and he stated that there is built in baffles in the tanks that do not allow this to happen. if this was true, this would happen way more often. any thoughts?

Thoughts..based on 25 years in the fuel bidness. Diesel Fuel(s), inherently, have micro-sediments and entrained water in them. In time, they settle out (stratify) on the tank bottoms, because they are heavier, during storage, unless we were moving alot of product. A given.

But some [Newer] tanks have baffles that control [some] of the mixing/stirring, during delivery. Some have a tapered bottom with a Sump at the opposite end of the fill port, and "Strip the Bottoms" regularly. Some have a "J" at the bottom of the fill pipe. Some pre-filter Diesel, before the Pump. But, >Some< is a big word, and how New is New, and do they Really, periodicly, strip the bottoms ?

The Key is, to buy #2 at a reputably named, local station that You Know.. has a good turn-over of diesel fuel (= Fresh fuel). On the Road ? Get it at reputably named, Newer looking, Stations or a Truck Stop, with lotsa trucks.... if at all possible.

Hmmmm...Just my Thoughts on it

 

[Eubee]

...The Key is, to buy #2 at a reputably named, local station that You Know.. has a good turn-over of diesel fuel (= Fresh fuel). On the Road ? Get it at reputably named, Newer looking, Stations or a Truck Stop, with lotsa trucks.... if at all possible.

Hmmmm...Just my Thoughts on it

I got the scan tool to connect today finally, it claims there is nothing wrong during a KOEO test. I can not get the truck to start now, so therefore can not due a KOER test. I am draining the fuel as I type this, so I will let ya'll know what comes out of my tank.

Again, thanks for all the help and suggestions

--Jess

 

[Eubee]

Update:

Ended up dropping fuel tank because the siphon-pump-through-fuel-fill-hose method was not cooperating. Got the tank drained out as much as possible; I can hear a little more sloshing (does not sound like much), but the pump will not pick anymore up. Put the tank back in. Hooked all hoses, fittings, and electrical plugs back up, changed both fuel filters, and now it will not start. The first time after getting it back together, it started, but was barely idling like it did before I drained the tank. It was running smooth, just very low RPMs. Shut it off to go get the scan tool, when I came back, it would not start up. Cranks over great, just sounds like it is not getting enough fuel/no ignition. As you are cranking it, it will puff a little smoke out the tail, so it has to be getting some fuel/fire, just apparently not enough. Checked the fuel bowl, empty; filter was wet though. Left the filter open just a tad and let the fuel pump run until fuel came out the bowl. Tightend lid back down, still no start. Repeated the purge air from bowl numerous times, as well as trying to start it. Tried enough (in 10-15 sec bursts) that I needed to put the batteries on the charger overnight to juice them back up. Scan tool does not report any codes related to starting the engine.

Any other suggestions?

Thnx

 

[DaveBen]

Bama, a moderator here, had the same problem with the filter bowl. He took off the top and filled the bowl and replaced the top and she fired. The scan tool probably will not show a code for being out of fuel. Fill your bowl with fuel and give her a try.

Dave

 

[Eubee]

When I crack the lid open and let the fuel pump run, it does fill it up. But it does not start, and when you check the bowl it is empty.

 

[BIG JOE]

When I crack the lid open and let the fuel pump run, it does fill it up. But it does not start, and when you check the bowl it is empty.

Put some pressure on the Fuel Tank with a Shop Vac while you Crank it over... until it primes and purges the air out ?

Joe