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Water in Diesel Fuel Tank

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  • 14-04-2011 12:33pm
    #1
    maryclio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭


    Just wonder if anyone in the Cork area has run into problems with water in their car's fuel tank? My car gave trouble last week and the garage diagnosed water in the tank, lots of it too, that they reckon must have come from petrol station. Think that I can't be the only one. going to cost me €5k to fix the injection system in the car and petrol station are denying it could have come from their tanks.:(


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    #2
    Daegerty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,864 ✭✭✭Daegerty


    5k to fix it? you'd want to go for a second and third opinion. have you tried draining the tank and pouring some good diesel into it?


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    #3
    maryclio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭maryclio


    Yes, garage has been working on car since Monday, step by step but it seems water has got into injection system. Started with simple flush out of tank, then tank taken out and cleaned and it has gone on from there. About 40% water in the inital sample from the tank which is huge and has done so much damage. Car was new last year. Just have a feeling that it must have happened to others too if problem has come from petrol station?


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    #4
    corkcomp
    Registered Users Posts: 5,114 ✭✭✭corkcomp


    if your car is a modern common rail diesel and its with a main dealer I wouldnt be surprised at the 5k really.. its really important to drain water out of filter regularly. it could have built up over the cold winter if the fuel level in tank was frequently low. having said that, if there was that much water present it sounds like it did come out of service station of else someone poured water into tank (unlikey i know)


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    #5
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    corkcomp wrote: »
    its really important to drain water out of filter regularly. it could have built up over the cold winter if the fuel level in tank was frequently low

    If there is no fuel/water seperator than it's not required to be done. There is no modern common rail diesel on the market currently that requires the owner to drain water from the filter.


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    #6
    corkcomp
    Registered Users Posts: 5,114 ✭✭✭corkcomp


    RoverJames wrote: »
    If there is no fuel/water seperator than it's not required to be done. There is no modern common rail diesel on the market currently that requires the owner to drain water from the filter.

    diesel floats on water - in the case of a paper filter in a housing then opening the drain plug lets the water out. if such a system isnt present (i.e. throw away cannister type filter) then the filter needs to be replaced regularly.
    have you got any advice for the OP other than not draining water from filter?


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    #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Most filters are the cannister type so don't have the drain plug, these are changed as per the service schedule. I have no advice for the OP aside from assuring them that they don't need to go draining water from their filter housing going forward once the car is sorted. The OP is driving a car not a tractor, your post was f all good to the OPs, the only reason you have an issue with mine is because it contradicts yours. You won't find direction from any manufacturer for the owners to periodically drain filters that are the cannister type.


    From reading your post the OP may reckon they are somehow at fault for not performing this really important water draining exercise you are on about. They are no way at fault for this. As the car is no doubt under warranty I would be cautious to believe this 40% water stuff from the garage, diesel pumps are know to give trouble resulting in the entire fuel system requiring replacement. I would get a 2nd opinion to confirm it is not a warranty job.


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    #8
    Owen
    Registered Users Posts: 12,683 ✭✭✭✭Owen


    +1 on RJ's tech advice, and suggestion to get a second opinion.


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    #9
    corkcomp
    Registered Users Posts: 5,114 ✭✭✭corkcomp


    nobody was saying to drain water from a canister filter. fact is a LOT of modern diesels are not cannister type. renault, peugeot and citroen are paper filters. ive often drained a LOT of water on a pug 407 HDI in between recommended change intervals, I dont care if anyone deems this unnecessary, personally id prefer to have the water out of the fuel system. I dont think the op is at fault but i wouldnt rule it out as we dont know full circumstances, including whether service interval was followed etc.

    edit: +1 on getting a second opinion. id be surprised if the garage went to the bother of sending the dieself for analysis to come up with 40% water contamination figure


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    #10
    maryclio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭maryclio


    rang an independent lab in dublin today to find out about getting diesel tested. the woman i spoke to asked if i was from cork, by any chance, as they have been inundated with requests for fuel samples to be tested for water from the city in the last two weeks. Sounds to me like it's not an isolated incident.


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    #11
    corkcomp
    Registered Users Posts: 5,114 ✭✭✭corkcomp


    maryclio wrote: »
    rang an independent lab in dublin today to find out about getting diesel tested. the woman i spoke to asked if i was from cork, by any chance, as they have been inundated with requests for fuel samples to be tested for water from the city in the last two weeks. Sounds to me like it's not an isolated incident.

    are the garage prepared to give you a sample? and more importantly do they actually have a sample of the fuel they removed from your tank? if so, it would be a good idea alright


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    #12
    -Corkie-
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,025 ✭✭✭✭-Corkie-


    Where did you fill as a matter of intrest???. I know two people that filled in the same station and they had water problems too..


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    #13
    maryclio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭maryclio


    -Corkie- wrote: »
    Where did you fill as a matter of intrest???. I know two people that filled in the same station and they had water problems too..
    Petrol station is in glanmire. is this where the problem arose for the people you know? would love to know if others have had the problem with this same petrol station. Filled tank from empty so i know that all the diesel came from here.


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    #14
    -Corkie-
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,025 ✭✭✭✭-Corkie-


    maryclio wrote: »
    Petrol station is in glanmire. is this where the problem arose for the people you know? would love to know if others have had the problem with this same petrol station. Filled tank from empty so i know that all the diesel came from here.

    No it wasnt in Glanmire. Diesel is dear enough without buying water..:rolleyes:

    Have you contacted the owners of the filling station?


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    #15
    maryclio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭maryclio


    corkcomp wrote: »
    are the garage prepared to give you a sample? and more importantly do they actually have a sample of the fuel they removed from your tank? if so, it would be a good idea alright
    there are two garages involved. first is the petrol station where i bought diesel. they are denying that water could have come from their tanks, despite the fact that i filled car from empty. second is the dealership garage where car is now being fixed. they took first sample and diagnosed problem. (car went there cos i thought problem would be covered by warranty) i have that sample and can see how much water is in it. now i have arranged to have another sample from the tank sent to dublin for independent analysis to confirm presence of water. all adding to the costs which are going to be well over 5k now.


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    #16
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,516 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    Had a similar experience last year in a station on the way out of town , i believe i was going in the blackpool direction :rolleyes:


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    #17
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    If the car is under warranty and the garage are not covering it due to the diesel being contaminated with water then get on to your insurance company, I am presuming as the car is a 2010 reg that you have fully comp. Insurance assessor will need get sampling too so get onto it first thing in the morning. It may well be covered by the insurance company.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056219430
    :)

    PM the lad in that perhaps for some first hand experience :)

    I see it as follows, if it's not warranty covered and not wear and tear it has been caused by the diesel presumably, so either the garage retailing this p1ss diesel cough up or the insurance company should. Insurance may well pursue the garage.

    No way should you be paying out anyway :)


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    #18
    Blondeputin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭Blondeputin


    I had the same problem last year. Bought a brand new Skoda Octavia and 6 weeks later broke down, towed and told by a main Skoda Dealer that I had Water in the Diesel. I buy from a single source and had other vehicles filling out of the same tank and on the same day and nothing happen their vehicles. I got the supply source independently tested and also a sample given to me by the garage. The source was a pass and the sample from the garage was a fail out by a huge amount. I was and still am baffled. Needless to say I too have hd injector damage to the car.I was wondering what type of car you are driving? I am in the cork area also


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