As reported in the local press this week, the following occurred at a supermarket in Surrey.
Diesel was delivered into their Unleaded tanks.
Later admitted that \"we did have a problem with the diesel as well.\"
I assume that was Petrol delivered into the Diesel tanks.
\"customers who had diesel put into petrol cars will be fully compensated but if it happened the other way round it is different\"
\"If more than 20 per cent of petrol was filled in to a diesel tank then it would cause damage to the car\"
A customer complained after getting fuel that \"it sounded really weird\" so went to their garage who told her not to drive it.
This was follwed by - without quotes but appears to be from the supermarket press officer.
She said only 13 per cent had been filled which would not cause damage so therefore people would not be reimbursed.
The above appears a bit disjointed but I have tried to post the relevant bits from the report.
The local supermarket staff are getting some stick in the press and the PO reply was \"....and we will be talking to all the staff about it\"
Is 20 per cent the right figure?
Not a hint of goodwill to those just inconvenienced or worried about engine not running correctly.
A bit disappointing from such a large company when dealing in the heart of the stockbroker belt.
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Wow! I would be getting advice from a garage I could trust, and as a precautionary measure I would write a letter saying I would hold them responsible for any damage. Seems like a great way to turn a mistake into a PR disaster. I wonder how many people will now boycott said supermarket?
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As it was in the press, is there any harm in naming the supermarket or perhaps a link to the local rag?
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As I understand it, and depending on the % present, petrol (because of its solvent nature) is likely to cause damage to diesel fuel lines and seals, necessitating their replacement. Not cheap, and hardly convenient. I'll be interested to learn how this issue is resolved.
Oz (as was)
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Even 13% diesel will pollute or even detroy the cat convertor and may damage the head. Should it foul the plugs do not keep cranking the engone and you could hydraulically lock the engine and break someing. Regards Peter
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This sounds like a total disaster being handled in such a hamfisted way as to make it as worse as possible.
Cars are so precisely made now, with such a host of delicate fuel and exhaust components, it seems probable that any departure from the specified fuel is highly likely to cause problems, either immediately or in the future. The days are gone when you could mix any old concoction and the engine might cough and splutter a bit but would get over it.
I think anyone affected by this mix up would be well-advised to get an immediate competent garage opinion and as suggested, write to the store holding them responsible for any necessary work, either repair or precautionary.
As an aside, these mix ups either by tanker drivers or motorists seem to be an inevitable result of mixing up the two fuels at the same set of pumps. Why can't they revert to having separate sections, or at least separate pumps?
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There has been a similar adverse reaction to the new BP bands.
Apparently quite a few people have been going into the filling station, picking up the light blue nozzle thinking its the new diesel and pumping in the new unleaded. Neraly went their myself until the standard check of the price displayed on the pump stopped me going any further.
According to one forecourt staff member it seems BP will be changing the pump nozzle colours. At the moment we have
ULSD diesel = black
Ultimate sulphur free diesel = dark blue
Ultimate Petrol = light blue
hmmm.....
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I think we should be allowed to know the name of the supermarket, as previously mentioned, the information is in the public domain - can anyone give the name of the local paper?
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This link should take you straight to the story and all the relevant information.
www.chobham-online.co.uk/news/article/article_id=2...l
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I'm puzzled the story in the link given by anthony doesn't stack up with what henry posted. Were there two separate incidents or did chobham-online mangle it? There was no mention of petrol in the diesel tanks for instance.
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This link should take you straight to the story and all the relevant information. www.chobham-online.co.uk/news/article/article_id=2...l
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This is NOT the same event or the same paper.
It was in The Esher News & Mail and the the filling station was at Cobham just a few miles from Chobham.
I have not, to date, found the article on line.
I have just looked on said supermarket website and usefully it indicates that:
Jetwash Yes. Carwash Yes
4 types of fuel NO
Dont you just love these web sites.
By car you must drive past the 20 pump filling station to get to the supermarket.
A supermarket with jetwash and car wash but no fuel? Most odd!
Suggest a new years resolution for them?
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Sorry for the mix up. But there was obviously a problem in Chobham too. Perhaps it is more common than we realise. You can check the pump and nozzle colours, but short of squirting the stuff out onto the forecourt and having a sniff, we have to trust that what the pump says, the pump delivers - which it seems we can't.
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I always thought different fuels had different sized nozzles? Leaded always had a larger nozzle so that you couldn't put it in a car with unleaded. Isn't a derv nozzle also larger than an unleaded nozzle?
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The event took place in COBHAM, Surrey. It was reported in my local paper "Esher News & Mail" I have looked online, but can find no reference to the event, but it is reported on page 2 of the 31st December edition and according to the paper involved both DERV and petrol.
The garage in question is part of a large, well-known chain of supermarkets.
Try www.esher.co.uk and see if you have more joy than me.
The company's press officer, sounds very arrogant. I think if I were affected I would go straight to the small claims court.
Personally, I always use Optimax, from the nice Shell filling station on the Portsmouth Road about a mile away. (plug, plug)
Happy New Year
Don drbe
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I always thought different fuels had different sized nozzles? Leaded always had a larger nozzle so that you couldn't put it in a car with unleaded. Isn't a derv nozzle also larger than an unleaded nozzle?
I haven't dared actually try it, but the Derv nozzle looks the same size as the unleaded to me.
Why on earth can't they stick to a standard colour coding for the hoses?
Black = diesel
Green = unleaded
Red = LRP
Blue = super-unleaded
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I have found the LRP/4 star and unleaded nozzles to be different sizes and the Diesel nozzle at the stations I have been to are larger than the unleaded. I am glad it is this way as I once tried putting 4 star in my unleaded car assuming 4-star would be better than unleaded and tried putting it in my car. Being new to the Uk, I have never encountered LRP petrol before and thought "4-star" had the same meaning as it does for hotels, restaurants etc.
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