Drivers were confused when their cars grinded to a halt shortly after filling their car with fuel, only to realise they had been using ‘contaminated’ fuel from BP
Some drivers were left furious after they claim their car broke down due to faulty petrol.
The petrol in question came from a BP garage located in in Rayleigh, Essex. Customers have fumed that their cars come to a complete halt shortly after filling them up. Not understanding why, the customers complained to bosses, who quickly took action. BP officials investigated and have since confirmed that the contaminated pump, at the garage in London Road. It has since been closed.
The “affected tank” has been isolated with the site now open again and operational. Following this, BP are continuing to assess the situation to ensure that doesn’t happen again.
Across the UK, the chain has 1,200 stations, however it is only thought the one in Essex had a problem. Others seem to be working just fine.
A BP spokesman said: “We have identified an issue at the site with a potentially contaminated tank, which is currently under investigation.
“The affected tank in question has been isolated and the site is now open and operational. We are taking steps to assess the potential impact and determine the number of people who may be affected.
“Any customers with concerns should contact our careline for support careline@bp.com.”
BP are also looking into how many people were affected to help resolve their issue. This appears to be a growing issue, with recovery company, Fuel Out, saying they have been called to 30 incidents recently of cars giving out shortly after being filled up.
Owner Lee Pretlove said this is one off his busiest periods due to contaminated fuel. Speaking to the Daily Gazette, he said: “We never see this many at all, the technicians pass jobs on to us and we have had loads of calls, we have been inundated.”
He added it is mostly due to water contamination in fuel. While it is reversible, it requires a complete drain and, in many cases, a new spark plug.
There are several signs to look out for, including checking out your engine. The engine may be harder to start than usual, or could misfire, ping, backfire, or stall frequently.
The engine may also overheat, lose power, or experience involuntary speed changes. Experts also say keep an eye on your dash, as the engine light is likely to turn on.
Adding to this, the exhaust fumes may smell sickly sweet. With bio-content in today’s diesel, fuel in storage tanks often contains small, but problematic water levels that sink to the bottom.
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