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Just thought it might help to get people opinion on where the water came from in the gastank of the guy's FJ that wouldnt start. A locking gas cap would have helped with 3 out of 4 possibilities. My Fj Won't Start!
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Hello chewey46 it appears that you have not posted on our forums in several weeks, why not take a few moments to ask a question, help provide a solution or just engage in a conversation with another member in any one of our forums?
First of all this didn't really need a new thread, but here's my $0.02.
I don't know why everyone is so quick to give the benefit of the doubt to the gas station. Let's put it this way, your friendly local gas station is just as affected by the gas crunch as we are. I know everyone likes to think that they are in league with the oil companies and are getting the gas at extremely cheap prices and raking in the profits, but that's not the case at all. The gas is just as expensive for them as it is for us, and they've got to make a profit or otherwise we won't have gas stations anymore.
Here's a little formula that happens every year:
Rising gas prices + rising demand + stiff competition + unscrupulous owner = unethical ways of making more profit.
I'm going to go out on a short limb and say the guy probably went to one of the cheapest joe blow gas stations in the area. After all, aren't we all guilty of this? Even so that doesn't always stop an owner from doing something illegal to boost his profits or artificially lower his prices, particularly if they have an exclusive truck they can "hush up" with a little extra money, or who's a friend (most gas stations are served by their own delivery truck). They get the truck to short deliver, "accidentally" throw some water in the tank and wham higher profits. Normally they just mix octanes or put a lower (cheaper) octane in the premium tank, but someone desperate might go as far as mixing with water. This happens every summer in nearly every town. We have a station here in town who would do that in a heart beat if they knew they could get away with it. In fact, they probably have done it before. They just play the game hoping that the person will just run the whole tank and never notice they aren't getting the full power.
So yeah, it's easy to blame Toyota or vandals, but I could bet money it's just a shady gas station owner.
- LC
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"The Freak driving the H2 with perrier water in the vehicle"????
Or
"Soccer mom drivin the G500 with spare bottle water from Soccer practice"
first one gets my vote
Whoops- sorry forgot about those. I guess they could fall under the garden hose catagory. Wish I had time to draw some graphics for each of the options. Or get some models to pose for pictures- so many ideas so little time.
I have a hard time believing there could be that much moisture from condensation. We have vehicles that sit on a car lot a lot longer than that with no similar problems. I really suspect that vandalism/"fuel cutting" was involved here. I would make a locking gas cap a top priority.
I have a Yukon customer who recently was losing about a 1/4 tank of gas each week while parked at work. Some theiving dog co-worker was stealin her fuel. Times are hard for some people with gasoline prices as they are now.
it's a good time to be a locking gas cap distributor. im going to sell mine on ebay for $150.
if you have wheel locks you also need a gas cap lock - goes with the neighborhoods and those gawddam kidz these days!!!! well,...and also you're slimy neighbor who sunbathes in a speedo - NASTY.
Actually I doubt a service station would purposely add water to their underground tank. It accumulates over time [rain on the driveway leaks down the fill lines (small issue), condensation from tank breathing as humid air fills the space vacated when the level of gasoline is drawn down when pumping into customer cars (major issue), or an old tank with top corrosion that lets ground water in (environmental issue)]. Once water gets in the tank the service station owner will see its present with the wooden gauge stick their use to estimate when he needs to order another transport of gasoline. It is a cost to have a vacuum truck suck out the water layer and the station owner will delay this expense as long as possible.
If this is how the problem occurred, it appears that the gasoline level was pull way down in the storage tank when our unfortunate member purchased gasoline and the pump suction pulled some water in addition to gasoline. The suction line is attached to a float in the tank. (Now that I think about it some newer stations have automatic gauging system for gasoline level, but may not be aware of water unless hand gauged). This problem wouldn't have occurred if (1) the owner had maintain adequate level of gasoline in the storage tank or (2) contracted to remove the water in the bottom of the tank.
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Actually I doubt a service station would purposely add water to their underground tank. It accumulates over time [rain on the driveway leaks down the fill lines (small issue), condensation from tank breathing as humid air fills the space vacated when the level of gasoline is drawn down when pumping into customer cars (major issue), or an old tank with top corrosion that lets ground water in (environmental issue)]. Once water gets in the tank the service station owner will see its present with the wooden gauge stick their use to estimate when he needs to order another transport of gasoline. It is a cost to have a vacuum truck suck out the water layer and the station owner will delay this expense as long as possible.
If this is how the problem occurred, it appears that the gasoline level was pull way down in the storage tank when our unfortunate member purchased gasoline and the pump suction pulled some water in addition to gasoline. The suction line is attached to a float in the tank. (Now that I think about it some newer stations have automatic gauging system for gasoline level, but may not be aware of water unless hand gauged). This problem wouldn't have occurred if (1) the owner had maintain adequate level of gasoline in the storage tank or (2) contracted to remove the water in the bottom of the tank.
I see your point- but wouldnt the car run rough and kick off the oxygen sensor before he ran half the tank away? Also- the fact that it was sitting for a week while the owner was away weighs heavily on my vote. I think the gas station has alot to lose by letting that much water get into its customers tank. wouldn't take long for it to be traced back to the station. From the sounds of it there was an awful lot of water. Either way I hope he gets his baby back soon- and everyone else gets a locking cap and reliable filling station.
Actually I doubt a service station would purposely add water to their underground tank. It accumulates over time [rain on the driveway leaks down the fill lines (small issue), condensation from tank breathing as humid air fills the space vacated when the level of gasoline is drawn down when pumping into customer cars (major issue), or an old tank with top corrosion that lets ground water in (environmental issue)]. Once water gets in the tank the service station owner will see its present with the wooden gauge stick their use to estimate when he needs to order another transport of gasoline. It is a cost to have a vacuum truck suck out the water layer and the station owner will delay this expense as long as possible.
If this is how the problem occurred, it appears that the gasoline level was pull way down in the storage tank when our unfortunate member purchased gasoline and the pump suction pulled some water in addition to gasoline. The suction line is attached to a float in the tank. (Now that I think about it some newer stations have automatic gauging system for gasoline level, but may not be aware of water unless hand gauged). This problem wouldn't have occurred if (1) the owner had maintain adequate level of gasoline in the storage tank or (2) contracted to remove the water in the bottom of the tank.
You didn't mention that the above is only an issue when the gas contains MTBE and the water will sink to the bottom of the tank, which can then be eaily removed.
Many of the station have the 10% ethanol, which attracts water, the problem being the water won't seperate out easily like it used to due.
Basically once enough water has entered the tank the entire batch of gas is bad. Would have to be disposed, which is highly unlikely to happen with small independent stations. The likelyness of getting bad gas is now greater with the 10% ethanol than is was before.
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