For the second time in just a few weeks, Colorado drivers have filled up their cars with the wrong fuel due to a mix-up at the pump.
Last week, customers of a Circle K near Pearl Street and Folsom Street in Boulder reported mechanical issues soon after filling up their vehicles with gas.
Black smoke, chugging, and lurching were just a few of the concerning symptoms that popped up—all signs pointing to the fact that, instead of the unleaded gas they thought they'd purchased, the cars had inadvertently been filled with bad gasoline that had diesel fuel in it.
Now, some of the drivers are reporting over $1,000 in repairs. The gas station acknowledges the error and is working with customers affected to pay for damages, referring them to Travelers Insurance, which is processing several of the claims.
This is not the first time we've heard about the wrong fuel causing issues for drivers; in late December, a similar mix-up affected dozens of drivers in Brighton, after a King Soopers gas station had a mix-up in its fuel supply. According to that gas station, its tanks were filled with diesel by mistake. and several customers now face broken cars and costly repairs. Though this occurred over a month ago, some customers are still working to get compensation for repairs due to the mix-up.
Putting the wrong fuel in your car’s engine is not advisable under any circumstance. Different engines need different fuel. Vehicles that run on diesel fuel have high-compression engines that generate heat for ignition, whereas vehicles that run on unleaded require a spark for ignition. A gasoline spark will not ignite diesel fuel, and a diesel engine will ignite gasoline far too fast. Running the engine for any time and even a short distance on the wrong fuel can ruin engine components and parts and eventually shut the engine down. At a minimum, affected vehicles will need to have the engine drained and parts checked thoroughly.
According to allstate.com, drivers should do the following if they notice the wrong fuel being used in their cars:
If You Notice While Filling the Fuel Tank:
Stop adding fuel immediately.
Don’t start your car or turn the key to “on.”
Disconnect the battery.
Push your car away from the fuel pump area.
Have the car towed to a repair facility.
A professional will empty your gas tank and may flush out the fuel lines.
If You Notice After You Begin Driving:
Pull over.
Shut off engine.
Have the car towed to a repair facility.
A professional will drain your gas tank, flush the fuel system and make repairs if needed.
This is an unfortunate circumstance for customers of these gas stations, and hopefully, there are no further occurrences of this! Drivers should always pay attention at the pump and only use the fuel specified for their vehicle.
We want to hear from you on this one. Leave a comment, and let us know if you were affected by these recent instances, or if there have been any others we should know about!
