Posted on 10/24/2004 7:44:23 AM PDT by BenLurkin
LANCASTER - The Texaco gas station on Challenger Way and Avenue K is back open and customers are slowly returning to the pumps, but no one has figured out just what contaminated the regular unleaded four weeks ago. More than 100 people have reported problems arising from bad gas, according to the station's StarMart manager, Bob O'Kelley. The station closed on Sept. 27 and reopened on Oct. 10.
"It's picking up slowly," O'Kelley said. "We're getting our regulars back. We have the same customers every day because we're in the neighborhood. It's not like we're on the freeway, a car goes by and you never see it again."
O'Kelley said the tanks were "all pumped out, all cleaned out."
Shell covered the cost of steam-cleaning the underground tanks at the Texaco station, as well as testing and disposal fees. Shell spokesman Cameron Smyth said the company still had not determined the source of contamination.
"As far as sales, that's their loss," O'Kelley said, although ultimately luring back frightened customers will be up to him.
"Beyond saying, 'What's in the ground is good,' I can't say anything more than that," O'Kelley said. "I just rolled up in the car, turned on the pumps and filled up the car. As soon as they saw me pumping, they rolled right in."
O'Kelley said he never had any problems with the gas himself, but one of his cashiers did.
"There was no way to know there was a problem until someone came back and said, 'My car died.' And of course, a lot of people came back."
A number of customers - some of whom have had to pay as much as $2,400 in repairs - have talked about filing a class action lawsuit against Shell Oil. The StarMart manager is not worried about what might happen if someone does take the global oil giant to court.
"I suppose if Shell went completely bankrupt, I guess it would affect me, but in the long and short run, probably not. For the most part, all customers have been cooperative and pleasant. Everybody was just in shock for a while."
Smyth could not say whether Shell had yet begun giving refunds to customers.
"We are working with customers on case by case bases, as well as with repair shops," the Shell spokesman said. "We're certainly in the process of it."
During the two weeks the Texaco station was not pumping gas, the station was all but empty, with only a few customers visiting the StarMart.
Eric Jackson put $45 worth of gasoline in his BMW 740iL on Tuesday afternoon. He had not heard of the station's problems over the last month, and it came as a shock to learn what other customers had experienced.
"I got it pumping in my car right now," he said, a worried look on his face. "If I had heard about the stories, I wouldn't be standing here right now."
The thought of replacing his fuel injectors and flushing the fuel system on the champagne-colored luxury car is more than enough to dissuade him.
"This'll be the last time I stop here for a while," he said.
Other customers expressed similar sentiments.
"I'm gonna get a couple dollars for my lawn mower, but I'm not gonna put it in my car," Josh Segale said.
Joe Cruz said his mother's 2004 Nissan Maxima had been one of the cars affected by the bad gas, adding that there were around 20 other cars at the Nissan dealership at the same time with matching problems.
Rina Henry only put $7 of gas in her red SUV. The stories about contaminated fuel had her nervous as well.
"I saw them close down. I would like to know a little bit more about what was going on and the risk I just put on my car," she said. So far, she has not had any problems.
I had a problem with bad gas as well. I think it came from that Mexican restaurant down the road.
I've had a station give bad gas before (in this case, it was water in the gas.) When I mentioned the problem the station manager offered: a refund on that tank, a free fillup, payment of any repairs necessary.
I wonder what would cost $2400 in repairs. Most problems I can think of would just mess up the fuel filter, pump, and injectors at worst, and otherwise just cause the vehicle to not run. Worst thing I can think of is if the fuel was seriously over-octanated.
Water in the gas tends not to cause serious repair issues.
Perhaps diesel fuel (oil) was pumped into a gasoline storage tank.
It was a red contaminant that solidified in the engine and injectors.""
Off-Road Diesel in Calif is dyed red. It is meant for use in farm generators and tractors, etc. There are random inspections of over the road truckers to make sure they aren't using the fuel, because it has no road taxes on it. I would think that the red dye would not solidify in any manner, tho.
Can any Freeper with a chemical background shed any light onto this question? I have quite a few friends who live in Antelope Valley.
I remember - which was it? Enco gas that was colored red? a while back - just the name ENCO would date that story.
Standard gas back then bragged on "White Gas" without the colored additives that did have a tendency to clog up high performance carburators.
That would certainly do it.
Diesel would trash your entire fuel system - from the tank all the way through to the injectors.
Correct.. Put some isopropyl alcohol in, it should make the water mix with the gas. Engine will run cooler and have less power... but it will run pretty smooth.. (If there's not too much water.)
Sounds like Shell is having continued problems with "elemental sulphur". Earlier this year, Shell stations in Louisiana were shut down after a red/brown substance started fouling automobile fuel systems (especially the fuel level sending units).
Diesel would be messy, but major sulfur contamination would do it if the sulfur levels are bad enough.
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