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Mystery Fuel Contamination
#1
55TBird
55TBird
Saturday my new Turf Tiger II died suddenly as if it ran out of fuel. The previous week it sputtered briefly then mowed fine. After it died, it restarted, ran 10 mins and died again. I took it into the dealer today to look into it. It has 14.8 hours on it. They called and said the gas tank was full of something that looked like sand but it was not as gritty as sand. And it was kind of pink! #*!? WTF? I have very nice 5 gallon metal gas cans with strainers that I've used for about two years with no trouble. I thought maybe it was rust, so I took the empty can I used last and poured the dregs into a jar and the gas was so cloudy it looked like a frozen margarita and was full of a very fine, whitish grit. It's not rust, but I can't figure out what happened. So bizarre. They have to remove the fuel tank to clean it out and I'm wondering if the warranty will cover bad gas. By the way, I bought this gas last week, so it's not old, just bad. Really really bad.
Attachments
#2
I
ILENGINE
I
ILENGINE
I have seen exactly what you are talking about. It resembles a fungus/algae/yeast that grows in the water/dirt contamination that phase separates from the fuel. Works real well for plugging up carbs, filters, etc.
#3
7394
7394
That sounds like E-10 (P4 Gas)
P= piss, 4= for Gas
Seen this in Harley carbs on a rare occasion.
Hope your warranty covers it. They should.
Buying it last week is not a guarantee of fresh gas. If the station is not a busy one the gas could be underground for long time. I'd suggest using a very busy station.
Me, I only use 100% gas, but have easy access here.
P= piss, 4= for Gas
Seen this in Harley carbs on a rare occasion.
Hope your warranty covers it. They should.
Buying it last week is not a guarantee of fresh gas. If the station is not a busy one the gas could be underground for long time. I'd suggest using a very busy station.
Me, I only use 100% gas, but have easy access here.
#4
M
Mad Mackie
M
Mad Mackie
Since MTBE and then ethanol in gasoline, steel fuel storage containers have been some of the culprits with this problem particularly when left empty or partially empty.
In the 70s as a marine mech, a US Coast Guard Research and Development team was allowed to consult with the company and one area of concern was steel turn plate fuel tanks. The CG folks were primarily concerned with fuel storage tanks rusting thru and leaking into the bilge of a boat. As they researched this, it was discovered that the interiors of steel fuel storage tanks were also rusting thru from the inside. In some of their fuel samples from gasoline tanks, the fine pinkish silt was noticed.
The CG outlawed onboard steel fuel tanks in the mid 70s and aluminum tanks were fabricated as replacements. When MTBE was introduced, the aluminum fuel tanks started to corrode internally along with fuel hose deterioration. The CG outlawed aluminum fuel tanks and alcohol resistant fuel hose, the brown colored hose, showed up on fuel systems.
With ethanol, the fuel hoses have been upgraded again several times and plastic/kevlar fuel tanks have become the norm in boats and most if not all other gasoline fueled machines.
I have noticed a return of steel fuel tanks on generators and some other power equipment however. I don't know what this is all about, but I do know enough to keep the steel fuel tanks filled but not overfilled so as to not mess up the fuel evaporative systems.
My new generator has a steel fuel tank, the design of which will not allow me to overfill it. I use storage additive, but I also drain and refill it at about 3 month cycles.
In the 70s as a marine mech, a US Coast Guard Research and Development team was allowed to consult with the company and one area of concern was steel turn plate fuel tanks. The CG folks were primarily concerned with fuel storage tanks rusting thru and leaking into the bilge of a boat. As they researched this, it was discovered that the interiors of steel fuel storage tanks were also rusting thru from the inside. In some of their fuel samples from gasoline tanks, the fine pinkish silt was noticed.
The CG outlawed onboard steel fuel tanks in the mid 70s and aluminum tanks were fabricated as replacements. When MTBE was introduced, the aluminum fuel tanks started to corrode internally along with fuel hose deterioration. The CG outlawed aluminum fuel tanks and alcohol resistant fuel hose, the brown colored hose, showed up on fuel systems.
With ethanol, the fuel hoses have been upgraded again several times and plastic/kevlar fuel tanks have become the norm in boats and most if not all other gasoline fueled machines.
I have noticed a return of steel fuel tanks on generators and some other power equipment however. I don't know what this is all about, but I do know enough to keep the steel fuel tanks filled but not overfilled so as to not mess up the fuel evaporative systems.
My new generator has a steel fuel tank, the design of which will not allow me to overfill it. I use storage additive, but I also drain and refill it at about 3 month cycles.
#5
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Thats interesting as TERNE plate is good for around 150 years unpainted in the enviroment and around 50 years in salt spray.
All those gas tanks you see in the trunks of cars in farmers fields with the trunk lid missing that are barely rusting were made from TERNE plate.
TERNE plate is basically lead with just enough tin to make it stick to the steel usually around 5 to 10 % tin.
Problem with military applications is people without sound metallurgical knowledge decided that the fuel tanks with rolled & folded seams are not strong enough and specify fully welded seams which of course oxidizes the coating so the tanks rust
They definately did not rust due to anything that was put in them, The only way to remove TERNE plate is to boil in aqua rega or burn above 400 deg C .
The other problem with military contracts is companies with Senators in their pockets supplying out of specification products .
Then the idiot moron bastards who did no chemistry since they failed it in 4th grade who can not understand the difference between a processed metal and it's oxide decided to "save the planet" by banning lead from Terne plate so you ended up with a product that was good for about 5 years in the enviroment, reacts with thousands of common household chemicals and is less than useless, much like lead free solder
All those gas tanks you see in the trunks of cars in farmers fields with the trunk lid missing that are barely rusting were made from TERNE plate.
TERNE plate is basically lead with just enough tin to make it stick to the steel usually around 5 to 10 % tin.
Problem with military applications is people without sound metallurgical knowledge decided that the fuel tanks with rolled & folded seams are not strong enough and specify fully welded seams which of course oxidizes the coating so the tanks rust
They definately did not rust due to anything that was put in them, The only way to remove TERNE plate is to boil in aqua rega or burn above 400 deg C .
The other problem with military contracts is companies with Senators in their pockets supplying out of specification products .
Then the idiot moron bastards who did no chemistry since they failed it in 4th grade who can not understand the difference between a processed metal and it's oxide decided to "save the planet" by banning lead from Terne plate so you ended up with a product that was good for about 5 years in the enviroment, reacts with thousands of common household chemicals and is less than useless, much like lead free solder
#6
M
Mad Mackie
M
Mad Mackie
Why did I know this would "light bertsmobile's fire"???? LOL a lot!!!!:laughing::biggrin::smile:
#7
B
bertsmobile1
Hope it was hot enough to char a few nice juicy steaks.
About 15 years ago they dug up some tinned beef from Napoleans army they found in a field.
If you remember history, the Russians defeated him the first time by using scorched earth and his army literally starved to death.
He got his wise men around to work out how to feed his troops if the Russians tried it again.
The result was the tin can .
Now the stuff they found was 200 years old and still in sound condition and in fact they did open a few cans and after testing ate the contents.
From that we got the tin plate can, a wonderious invention that had the potential to end famine.
Fast foreward 200 years and idiots with the technical literacy of a 5 year old decided that lead had to be removed from the solder used to seal said same tin cans, without a single shred of evidence that the solder created any heath problems.
There was lead in there , lead is Satins metal and all our souls will go to hell if we get within a mile of it.
However the new lead free solder reacts with the tin plate and hundreds of people became critically ill from being protected from the dangers of lead which do not exist. Many of these people died but they were mainly Asians so they don't count.
Thus we then had to find a new glue for the cans that can withstand being cooked and the answer was to change the plating material to a zinc - aluminium alloy.
However acids in the food will attack this material so we either have to further coat it with plastic as is done with pop cans or limit the shelf life of canned foods.
So something that was good for 200 years now has an effective life of 2 years.
Further more, the old tin cans could be economically recycled.
The tin gets removed by boiling in caustic soda then the resulting cans get baled and go to make malleable iron castings because the residual tin is needed to change the graphite flakes into graphite balls which is why malleable iron is malleable.
The zinc - aluminium cans can not be recycled so they all go to the dump because the aluminium kills the melt and the zinc boils off clogging up the flue filters .
So by "saving humanity" these idiot moron bastards have destroyed a perfectly good product, killed many people ( and more will die ) and cause thousands of tons of economically recyclable steel to be dumped that creating million of tons of carbon pollution from making extra steel for cans.
These are the type of clowns who make EPA regulations.
They see the results of a controlled laboratory experiment , inappropriately apply it to everything than make laws that do nothing and in most cases actually make things worse.
Only problem is their heads are so far up their own backside that can not see what is happening out side their windows,
Now I am not redneck.
I recycle, run retreaded tyres on all my vehicles ( don't use recycled oil ) buy fresh food, avoid excess packaging , grow food in a garden fertilized with compost & vermipost into which goes all of the lawn clippings oily or clean that I remove from customers mowers, my workshop rags & sawdust I use to sop up spilled liquids.
We put out 1 bin a month at home and I do 1 bin in 3 months from the workshop.
I sort out the parts I remove because blades are made from born steel and I deliver these to an old unit friends family foundry to get made into competition axes.
My around the house mower is a 40 year old Victa 2 stroke and I have another 2 for around the workshop, one is 35 years old & the other is 22 , both running modern 2 stroke oil ( Stens ) at 1/2 the recommended ratios .
There is genuine enviorometnal concern and there is self-richious lunacy and 99% of what I see coming out of California in the latter.
The big worry is the idiot down here follow on in lock ste cause all you Americians are so much smarter than us stupid Aussies.
B
bertsmobile1
Why did I know this would "light bertsmobile's fire"???? LOL a lot!!!!:laughing::biggrin::smile:
Hope it was hot enough to char a few nice juicy steaks.
About 15 years ago they dug up some tinned beef from Napoleans army they found in a field.
If you remember history, the Russians defeated him the first time by using scorched earth and his army literally starved to death.
He got his wise men around to work out how to feed his troops if the Russians tried it again.
The result was the tin can .
Now the stuff they found was 200 years old and still in sound condition and in fact they did open a few cans and after testing ate the contents.
From that we got the tin plate can, a wonderious invention that had the potential to end famine.
Fast foreward 200 years and idiots with the technical literacy of a 5 year old decided that lead had to be removed from the solder used to seal said same tin cans, without a single shred of evidence that the solder created any heath problems.
There was lead in there , lead is Satins metal and all our souls will go to hell if we get within a mile of it.
However the new lead free solder reacts with the tin plate and hundreds of people became critically ill from being protected from the dangers of lead which do not exist. Many of these people died but they were mainly Asians so they don't count.
Thus we then had to find a new glue for the cans that can withstand being cooked and the answer was to change the plating material to a zinc - aluminium alloy.
However acids in the food will attack this material so we either have to further coat it with plastic as is done with pop cans or limit the shelf life of canned foods.
So something that was good for 200 years now has an effective life of 2 years.
Further more, the old tin cans could be economically recycled.
The tin gets removed by boiling in caustic soda then the resulting cans get baled and go to make malleable iron castings because the residual tin is needed to change the graphite flakes into graphite balls which is why malleable iron is malleable.
The zinc - aluminium cans can not be recycled so they all go to the dump because the aluminium kills the melt and the zinc boils off clogging up the flue filters .
So by "saving humanity" these idiot moron bastards have destroyed a perfectly good product, killed many people ( and more will die ) and cause thousands of tons of economically recyclable steel to be dumped that creating million of tons of carbon pollution from making extra steel for cans.
These are the type of clowns who make EPA regulations.
They see the results of a controlled laboratory experiment , inappropriately apply it to everything than make laws that do nothing and in most cases actually make things worse.
Only problem is their heads are so far up their own backside that can not see what is happening out side their windows,
Now I am not redneck.
I recycle, run retreaded tyres on all my vehicles ( don't use recycled oil ) buy fresh food, avoid excess packaging , grow food in a garden fertilized with compost & vermipost into which goes all of the lawn clippings oily or clean that I remove from customers mowers, my workshop rags & sawdust I use to sop up spilled liquids.
We put out 1 bin a month at home and I do 1 bin in 3 months from the workshop.
I sort out the parts I remove because blades are made from born steel and I deliver these to an old unit friends family foundry to get made into competition axes.
My around the house mower is a 40 year old Victa 2 stroke and I have another 2 for around the workshop, one is 35 years old & the other is 22 , both running modern 2 stroke oil ( Stens ) at 1/2 the recommended ratios .
There is genuine enviorometnal concern and there is self-richious lunacy and 99% of what I see coming out of California in the latter.
The big worry is the idiot down here follow on in lock ste cause all you Americians are so much smarter than us stupid Aussies.
#8
M
Mad Mackie
M
Mad Mackie
Calm down my brother from down under, your BP might get too high!
In the 70s as a marine mech at a local salt water boat and power equipment dealer, we replaced about 200 steel fuel tanks in boats. The replacement tanks were supplied by the boat manufacturers who also paid a flat rate of reimbursement for labor.
As I was one of the crew that performed this removal, disposal and installation of the new fuel tanks, I am here to tell you that many of the tanks were is poor condition primarily externally but some internally also. The CG Research and Development folks observed most of what we did and the documented our findings. Some tanks were cut open to inspect internal conditions.
The boats had to be defueled and this fuel was some nasty stuff and had to be disposed of. The company leased a tanker truck to contain and transport this nasty old gasoline to a proper disposal site. In the middle of all this, the oil embargo happened and gasoline was in short supply for several years which complicated matters.
Most of these boats had been built in the 60s and early 70s. As I also did power equipment servicing, it was a regular thing to remove problematic fuel tanks, dry them out, put about 6 small but sharp stones in them and shake them until they were clean internally. Clean and wash them, dry them out and reinstall them back onto the machine. I still do this periodically as I deal with problematic metal fuel tanks on power equipment.
In the 70s as a marine mech at a local salt water boat and power equipment dealer, we replaced about 200 steel fuel tanks in boats. The replacement tanks were supplied by the boat manufacturers who also paid a flat rate of reimbursement for labor.
As I was one of the crew that performed this removal, disposal and installation of the new fuel tanks, I am here to tell you that many of the tanks were is poor condition primarily externally but some internally also. The CG Research and Development folks observed most of what we did and the documented our findings. Some tanks were cut open to inspect internal conditions.
The boats had to be defueled and this fuel was some nasty stuff and had to be disposed of. The company leased a tanker truck to contain and transport this nasty old gasoline to a proper disposal site. In the middle of all this, the oil embargo happened and gasoline was in short supply for several years which complicated matters.
Most of these boats had been built in the 60s and early 70s. As I also did power equipment servicing, it was a regular thing to remove problematic fuel tanks, dry them out, put about 6 small but sharp stones in them and shake them until they were clean internally. Clean and wash them, dry them out and reinstall them back onto the machine. I still do this periodically as I deal with problematic metal fuel tanks on power equipment.
#9
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Quite calm Mack.
As mentioned earlier I would put my hard earned on the tanks being defective in manufacture.
Prior to the adoption of the fiberglass tanks, lead linned tanks were the norm for transporting all highly corrosive liquids, there is very little that would touch it and anything that did you have dezinkified any brass fittings it passed through, like float needles for example.
We used to recycle them after melting out the lead lining, very few had any breaches in the lining and a lot of these were very old tanks.
Oddly enough it is one of the mildest acids that created most problems, carbonic acid.
From memory the windows in most ships were set in their frames with lead.
I used to do the biological monitioring of our lead workers at both the smelter and the 4 battery factories so I got to know the truth.
There was never ever any problem with lead in petrol, except in refineries where you could breathe in reasonable quantities.
The lead that has adverse effects on people is lead oxide which is you were a Navy man , you would be very familiar with.
Our navy used to carry the raw lead powder and mix oxide paints in different concentrations as required.
It was the Europeans who wanted to use low grade oil in order to overcome the practices of the newly formed OPEC who started the whole thing.
Clean the oil to a state that it could be safely used in cars would have been too expensive for the refinery so they made you clean it in your car by fitting an afterburner, cunningly called a Catalytic Converter so people would not twig to the fact they were paying for fuel in which 10% or more could not be burned in their engines and of course the tetra ethyl lead precipitated onto the mesh and effectliely killed it .
Lead in your body locks onto heamaglobens and prevents them taking up oxygen effectively making you anemic whichs why it is a problem in children & pregnant women but not adult males.
You body can process it and you piss it out so we did heamoglobens and urinary lead as a screeing and full blood leads for those who wee getting poisioned.
The cure was to move them away from the furnace for a week or two.
Zinc OTOH is 1000 times more problematic than lead, but no one cares about it because it is not in petrol.
Zinc over & above what you need on a daily basis bioaccumulates in your liver and kidneys eventually killing both.
The problem is called Metal Fume feaver and was first noticed in fitters working in galvanising plants and latter in welders electric welding galvanised iron.
Oddly enough it was not a problem when oxy welding as the zinc burns and the body can handle zinc oxide quite well but not zinc metal which is the exact opposite to lead.
I shall now step off my soap box , have a nice big glass of 20 year old port we found under the house ( how he hell did I forget about that ) and go to bed.
Bore the pants off you all tomorrow.
As mentioned earlier I would put my hard earned on the tanks being defective in manufacture.
Prior to the adoption of the fiberglass tanks, lead linned tanks were the norm for transporting all highly corrosive liquids, there is very little that would touch it and anything that did you have dezinkified any brass fittings it passed through, like float needles for example.
We used to recycle them after melting out the lead lining, very few had any breaches in the lining and a lot of these were very old tanks.
Oddly enough it is one of the mildest acids that created most problems, carbonic acid.
From memory the windows in most ships were set in their frames with lead.
I used to do the biological monitioring of our lead workers at both the smelter and the 4 battery factories so I got to know the truth.
There was never ever any problem with lead in petrol, except in refineries where you could breathe in reasonable quantities.
The lead that has adverse effects on people is lead oxide which is you were a Navy man , you would be very familiar with.
Our navy used to carry the raw lead powder and mix oxide paints in different concentrations as required.
It was the Europeans who wanted to use low grade oil in order to overcome the practices of the newly formed OPEC who started the whole thing.
Clean the oil to a state that it could be safely used in cars would have been too expensive for the refinery so they made you clean it in your car by fitting an afterburner, cunningly called a Catalytic Converter so people would not twig to the fact they were paying for fuel in which 10% or more could not be burned in their engines and of course the tetra ethyl lead precipitated onto the mesh and effectliely killed it .
Lead in your body locks onto heamaglobens and prevents them taking up oxygen effectively making you anemic whichs why it is a problem in children & pregnant women but not adult males.
You body can process it and you piss it out so we did heamoglobens and urinary lead as a screeing and full blood leads for those who wee getting poisioned.
The cure was to move them away from the furnace for a week or two.
Zinc OTOH is 1000 times more problematic than lead, but no one cares about it because it is not in petrol.
Zinc over & above what you need on a daily basis bioaccumulates in your liver and kidneys eventually killing both.
The problem is called Metal Fume feaver and was first noticed in fitters working in galvanising plants and latter in welders electric welding galvanised iron.
Oddly enough it was not a problem when oxy welding as the zinc burns and the body can handle zinc oxide quite well but not zinc metal which is the exact opposite to lead.
I shall now step off my soap box , have a nice big glass of 20 year old port we found under the house ( how he hell did I forget about that ) and go to bed.
Bore the pants off you all tomorrow.
#10
55TBird
I'm doubtful warranty will cover it since there was no defect in Scag material or workmanship. But, we can hope.
Meanwhile, I guess I'll go buy plastic cans....but the metal cans are made for gas. Holding gas is their sole purpose....hard to believe they are the problem. I also find it hard to believe gas from the gas station was that full of crap. 13 years of filling gas cans and mowers and this has never happened....only now with a brand new mower and premium metal cans with spring lids and tight seals.
But the issues with ethanol or other types of gas I know nothing about. I'm going to check my other cans to see if they are contaminated. I'm not sure what to do with 20 gallons of gas I can't use.
55TBird
That sounds like E-10 (P4 Gas)
P= piss, 4= for Gas
Seen this in Harley carbs on a rare occasion.
Hope your warranty covers it. They should.
Buying it last week is not a guarantee of fresh gas. If the station is not a busy one the gas could be underground for long time. I'd suggest using a very busy station.
Me, I only use 100% gas, but have easy access here.
I'm doubtful warranty will cover it since there was no defect in Scag material or workmanship. But, we can hope.
Meanwhile, I guess I'll go buy plastic cans....but the metal cans are made for gas. Holding gas is their sole purpose....hard to believe they are the problem. I also find it hard to believe gas from the gas station was that full of crap. 13 years of filling gas cans and mowers and this has never happened....only now with a brand new mower and premium metal cans with spring lids and tight seals.
But the issues with ethanol or other types of gas I know nothing about. I'm going to check my other cans to see if they are contaminated. I'm not sure what to do with 20 gallons of gas I can't use.
#11
7394
7394
If you are buying E-10 by 20 gallon quantity, You must be a commercial cutter.
That ethanol can turn pretty quickly, called phase separation. It actually attracts moisture.
If you have somewhere that sells 100% real gas, that is the ticket. I won't use anything else in my mow stuff.
That ethanol can turn pretty quickly, called phase separation. It actually attracts moisture.
If you have somewhere that sells 100% real gas, that is the ticket. I won't use anything else in my mow stuff.
#12
B
bertsmobile1
Tip it out into a tallish container and have a look.
The phase seperations is exactly that.
Good gas on the top crap underneath so you can tip out the good stuff.
It is a luck of the draw situation but I would be having a chat with the gas station owner.
A truck driver skimming gas off and replacing it with water is not unheard of.
In 40,000 gallons. 500 gallons of water will go unnoticed.
There should be a water trap in the pump and his might be faulty or just plain full cause the attendant is too lazy to clean it weekly.
B
bertsmobile1
I'm doubtful warranty will cover it since there was no defect in Scag material or workmanship. But, we can hope.
Meanwhile, I guess I'll go buy plastic cans....but the metal cans are made for gas. Holding gas is their sole purpose....hard to believe they are the problem. I also find it hard to believe gas from the gas station was that full of crap. 13 years of filling gas cans and mowers and this has never happened....only now with a brand new mower and premium metal cans with spring lids and tight seals.
But the issues with ethanol or other types of gas I know nothing about. I'm going to check my other cans to see if they are contaminated. I'm not sure what to do with 20 gallons of gas I can't use.
Tip it out into a tallish container and have a look.
The phase seperations is exactly that.
Good gas on the top crap underneath so you can tip out the good stuff.
It is a luck of the draw situation but I would be having a chat with the gas station owner.
A truck driver skimming gas off and replacing it with water is not unheard of.
In 40,000 gallons. 500 gallons of water will go unnoticed.
There should be a water trap in the pump and his might be faulty or just plain full cause the attendant is too lazy to clean it weekly.
#13
C
cashman
C
cashman
Six months ago I filled up in my "08 F-150 at a Shell station where I've bought gas for years with no problem. Drove about a mile and the check engine light came on. Checked to see if the gas cap was on tight and it was. The engine seemed to run OK but the light stayed on and I got one of my buddies that runs an auto repair business to see what trouble code was showing. The code showed a lean mixture of the fuel. He said it was probably bad gas as he had seen this many times. They dropped the tank and the gas inside was cloudy like you guys where saying. I got a clear plastic food container and skimmed some of the gas in it and carried it back to the station where I bought. I had a copy of my receipt with a copy of the repair bill ($185). Left it all there and about a month later, I received a check from the gas distributor that owned the pumps at the station not only covering the repair bill, but for the tank of gas also and apologizing for the inconvenience. They said under certain conditions that the fuel could get contaminated due to ground temperature and transport pipeline conditions as well as underground storage tank conditions. I was surprised at my good fortune with them paying for all the repairs.
#14
55TBird
I'm not sure if it is E10 or not. I'll have to check.
Not a commercial cutter though. My Turf Tiger has a 12-gallon tank so I like to fill about four 5-gallon cans when I go to the gas station so I have gas on hand to keep mowing.
When I have taken my mower somewhere else to mow, like my daughter's place, I have stopped at a gas station and filled the tanks directly from the pump...do I need to rethink that practice?
Anyway, I'm going to check the remaining cans that were all filled at the same time, and see if I can figure out more.
55TBird
If you are buying E-10 by 20 gallon quantity, You must be a commercial cutter.
That ethanol can turn pretty quickly, called phase separation. It actually attracts moisture.
If you have somewhere that sells 100% real gas, that is the ticket. I won't use anything else in my mow stuff.
I'm not sure if it is E10 or not. I'll have to check.
Not a commercial cutter though. My Turf Tiger has a 12-gallon tank so I like to fill about four 5-gallon cans when I go to the gas station so I have gas on hand to keep mowing.
When I have taken my mower somewhere else to mow, like my daughter's place, I have stopped at a gas station and filled the tanks directly from the pump...do I need to rethink that practice?
Anyway, I'm going to check the remaining cans that were all filled at the same time, and see if I can figure out more.
#15
55TBird
Well, that is good to know. So far my opinion is that the problem originated at the gas station tanks...not my fuel cans or not from sitting too long in the can.
55TBird
Six months ago I filled up in my "08 F-150 at a Shell station where I've bought gas for years with no problem. Drove about a mile and the check engine light came on. Checked to see if the gas cap was on tight and it was. The engine seemed to run OK but the light stayed on and I got one of my buddies that runs an auto repair business to see what trouble code was showing. The code showed a lean mixture of the fuel. He said it was probably bad gas as he had seen this many times. They dropped the tank and the gas inside was cloudy like you guys where saying. I got a clear plastic food container and skimmed some of the gas in it and carried it back to the station where I bought. I had a copy of my receipt with a copy of the repair bill ($185). Left it all there and about a month later, I received a check from the gas distributor that owned the pumps at the station not only covering the repair bill, but for the tank of gas also and apologizing for the inconvenience. They said under certain conditions that the fuel could get contaminated due to ground temperature and transport pipeline conditions as well as underground storage tank conditions. I was surprised at my good fortune with them paying for all the repairs.
Well, that is good to know. So far my opinion is that the problem originated at the gas station tanks...not my fuel cans or not from sitting too long in the can.
#16
7394
Unless your gas is clearly specified as something else, we have to think it is Ethanol Blend aka E-10 (Corn-gas).
I would take a sample can with the crud in it & your reciept to that station & speak to the manager.
7394
I'm not sure if it is E10 or not. I'll have to check.
Anyway, I'm going to check the remaining cans that were all filled at the same time, and see if I can figure out more.
Unless your gas is clearly specified as something else, we have to think it is Ethanol Blend aka E-10 (Corn-gas).
I would take a sample can with the crud in it & your reciept to that station & speak to the manager.
#17
jekjr
jekjr
We see this debate on a daily basis some where concerning the E-10 gas.
We have three Scag Tiger Cats with Kawasaki engines, 5 Echo Seedeaters, several other pieces of equipment as well.
FROM MY EXPERIENCE your problems are not from the E-10 gas but rather they are from letting the gas sit for long periods of time.
I have tried using the non ethanol gas. I have tried using the higher octane fuels. I have found that running regular E-10 which is the most readily available gives me the best results because it is first of all so readily available. Second because the turn over at the stations is so much larger that it stays fresher.
I try to purchase gas at only one of three places. Again because they turn over large quantities of gas and theirs has not been sitting in the ground for extended periods of time. Since we have been doing this we have experienced little to no fuel related issues.
While trying to keep Non- Ethanol gas I find that many times the gas is not pumped in the volume that the regular gas is and therefore it has caused me more problems than regular E-10 gas has.
We normally mix 5 gallons of 2 cycle mix gas a week and at times more.
We normally keep 2 five gallon cans of regular gas on the trailer and will most times fill the cans and the mowers at the pump and then refill the mowers out of the cans and then refill both the mowers and the cans at the same time again.........
We have three Scag Tiger Cats with Kawasaki engines, 5 Echo Seedeaters, several other pieces of equipment as well.
FROM MY EXPERIENCE your problems are not from the E-10 gas but rather they are from letting the gas sit for long periods of time.
I have tried using the non ethanol gas. I have tried using the higher octane fuels. I have found that running regular E-10 which is the most readily available gives me the best results because it is first of all so readily available. Second because the turn over at the stations is so much larger that it stays fresher.
I try to purchase gas at only one of three places. Again because they turn over large quantities of gas and theirs has not been sitting in the ground for extended periods of time. Since we have been doing this we have experienced little to no fuel related issues.
While trying to keep Non- Ethanol gas I find that many times the gas is not pumped in the volume that the regular gas is and therefore it has caused me more problems than regular E-10 gas has.
We normally mix 5 gallons of 2 cycle mix gas a week and at times more.
We normally keep 2 five gallon cans of regular gas on the trailer and will most times fill the cans and the mowers at the pump and then refill the mowers out of the cans and then refill both the mowers and the cans at the same time again.........
#18
55TBird
Regarding gas sitting for a long time — on my end, I filled the cans, immediately filled the mower and I think it took a week to feel the first sputter. The next week it died, so it took about 3 or 4 hours of mowing to totally clog the fuel filter.
As for the gas sitting in the gas stations tanks...that would be hard to know. But I live in a small county where there are 5 gas station total. (And 3 traffic lights). I buy gas from the busiest station — BP. But as I understand it, all of the gas in our region comes from the same Marathon distributor....they seem to have a monopoly which becomes a problem when gas prices rise. We tend to pay a lot more for gas that surrounding states.
What puzzles me is that I have been mowing my place for 13 years and buying gas mostly from the same place and this has never happened. That's why I question the theories about E-10 or old gas in general. If it were a common explanation, it seems like this would happen more often. I'm really tempted to take this stuff and have it analyzed and see what it is.
55TBird
We see this debate on a daily basis some where concerning the E-10 gas.
We have three Scag Tiger Cats with Kawasaki engines, 5 Echo Seedeaters, several other pieces of equipment as well.
FROM MY EXPERIENCE your problems are not from the E-10 gas but rather they are from letting the gas sit for long periods of time.
I have tried using the non ethanol gas. I have tried using the higher octane fuels. I have found that running regular E-10 which is the most readily available gives me the best results because it is first of all so readily available. Second because the turn over at the stations is so much larger that it stays fresher.
I try to purchase gas at only one of three places. Again because they turn over large quantities of gas and theirs has not been sitting in the ground for extended periods of time. Since we have been doing this we have experienced little to no fuel related issues.
While trying to keep Non- Ethanol gas I find that many times the gas is not pumped in the volume that the regular gas is and therefore it has caused me more problems than regular E-10 gas has.
We normally mix 5 gallons of 2 cycle mix gas a week and at times more.
We normally keep 2 five gallon cans of regular gas on the trailer and will most times fill the cans and the mowers at the pump and then refill the mowers out of the cans and then refill both the mowers and the cans at the same time again.........
Regarding gas sitting for a long time — on my end, I filled the cans, immediately filled the mower and I think it took a week to feel the first sputter. The next week it died, so it took about 3 or 4 hours of mowing to totally clog the fuel filter.
As for the gas sitting in the gas stations tanks...that would be hard to know. But I live in a small county where there are 5 gas station total. (And 3 traffic lights). I buy gas from the busiest station — BP. But as I understand it, all of the gas in our region comes from the same Marathon distributor....they seem to have a monopoly which becomes a problem when gas prices rise. We tend to pay a lot more for gas that surrounding states.
What puzzles me is that I have been mowing my place for 13 years and buying gas mostly from the same place and this has never happened. That's why I question the theories about E-10 or old gas in general. If it were a common explanation, it seems like this would happen more often. I'm really tempted to take this stuff and have it analyzed and see what it is.
#19
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Depends upon what is in the blend.
Down here we do not have any regulations as to what has to in fuel, just limits of what can not be in it.
Some days I would swear I am pumping 100% Toluene and a week latter is smells more like pure benzene.
I have assumes that the fuel companies scour the planet for combustable hydrocarbon by products that are cheap on the spot market then bring them in and try to blend something which might burn.
Down here we do not have any regulations as to what has to in fuel, just limits of what can not be in it.
Some days I would swear I am pumping 100% Toluene and a week latter is smells more like pure benzene.
I have assumes that the fuel companies scour the planet for combustable hydrocarbon by products that are cheap on the spot market then bring them in and try to blend something which might burn.
#20
55TBird
55TBird
What would have happened if I had fuel injection? Those injector nozzles have almost microscopic holes to atomize the fuel. And they aren't cheap.
I bought the 35 hp Briggs Vanguard engine because HP was more important than fuel economy to me and I'm leery about complexity in a mower. I figured that there is less to go wrong with a carb.
And yet....
I bought the 35 hp Briggs Vanguard engine because HP was more important than fuel economy to me and I'm leery about complexity in a mower. I figured that there is less to go wrong with a carb.
And yet....
#21
cpurvis
Your fuel injection system would probably be up a creek...with no paddle.
Have you considered the possibility that someone, be it ornery kids or someone who has it in for you, may have fixed you up with an 'additive,' such as sand, sugar or whatever?
cpurvis
What would have happened if I had fuel injection? Those injector nozzles have almost microscopic holes to atomize the fuel. And they aren't cheap.
I bought the 35 hp Briggs Vanguard engine because HP was more important than fuel economy to me and I'm leery about complexity in a mower. I figured that there is less to go wrong with a carb.
And yet....
Your fuel injection system would probably be up a creek...with no paddle.
Have you considered the possibility that someone, be it ornery kids or someone who has it in for you, may have fixed you up with an 'additive,' such as sand, sugar or whatever?
#22
55TBird
I thought about that — briefly. But there is little chance anyone would come onto my property, into my garage, into my storage room....with a large Akita/German Shepherd keeping watch. I also paid at the pump, never left the cans alone, went straight home and filled up the mower...so chances of sabotage are slim to none.
I just bought some clear mason quart jars and have poured up several jars full to get a look and let them settle. All the cans seem to have some particles. In the near empty cans it's so concentrated you can't see through it. In the half-empty can, it is sorta cloudy, about like lemonade. In the full cans, it is pretty clear but still not as clear as I think it should be.
55TBird
Your fuel injection system would probably be up a creek...with no paddle.
Have you considered the possibility that someone, be it ornery kids or someone who has it in for you, may have fixed you up with an 'additive,' such as sand, sugar or whatever?
I thought about that — briefly. But there is little chance anyone would come onto my property, into my garage, into my storage room....with a large Akita/German Shepherd keeping watch. I also paid at the pump, never left the cans alone, went straight home and filled up the mower...so chances of sabotage are slim to none.
I just bought some clear mason quart jars and have poured up several jars full to get a look and let them settle. All the cans seem to have some particles. In the near empty cans it's so concentrated you can't see through it. In the half-empty can, it is sorta cloudy, about like lemonade. In the full cans, it is pretty clear but still not as clear as I think it should be.
#23
cpurvis
cpurvis
Did you fill up your truck at the same time? If so, it should be dead already. Is it also possible that the station had someone put foreign material in their gas? Not all stations lock their tanks.
Find out where the gas came from. You'll have to ask the station owner, not the clerk. Clerks will say "it came on XYZ truck" but that doesn't tell you where the fuel came from as there are usually several sources of fuel any geographical area and the truck could have loaded at any one of them.
The places where the trucks load are called 'loading racks.' Proper terminology is 'fuel distribution center' but the drivers and fuel suppliers call them loading racks.
These places have chemists who can analyze your fuel. They would be very interested in seeing your fuel.
Find out where the gas came from. You'll have to ask the station owner, not the clerk. Clerks will say "it came on XYZ truck" but that doesn't tell you where the fuel came from as there are usually several sources of fuel any geographical area and the truck could have loaded at any one of them.
The places where the trucks load are called 'loading racks.' Proper terminology is 'fuel distribution center' but the drivers and fuel suppliers call them loading racks.
These places have chemists who can analyze your fuel. They would be very interested in seeing your fuel.
#24
cpurvis
I retract this one. Gas station pumps have filters that would never pass foreign material of that size.
cpurvis
Is it also possible that the station had someone put foreign material in their gas? Not all stations lock their tanks.
I retract this one. Gas station pumps have filters that would never pass foreign material of that size.
#25
7394
7394
Yes gas stations have filters, but it seems according to the OP that things do point to the gas station as the source of contamination.
#26
cpurvis
cpurvis
Fuel filters don't have a bypass. When they clog up, nothing gets through.
I have my doubts that it's the station or fuel supplier or ethanol, even though I despise ethanol.
I have my doubts that it's the station or fuel supplier or ethanol, even though I despise ethanol.
#27
55TBird
55TBird
Got my mower back. Was about $180 worth of repair time to clean out that crap. They cleaned the tank, which had to be wiped out....wouldn't just rinse out. The fuel line up to the fuel filter was full of it. Replaced it. Fuel filter was clogged and replaced. No trace in line above fuel filter or in carb. Fuel filter was so clogged that no gas was getting through.
Mowed Friday night and it ran great.
Just to clarify, the contaminant particles were very very fine, despite how the pic looks. It was not gritty like sand but very fine like talcum powder. So fine that when dried out it clumped together to look like it was larger particles.
Also, there is no question that it came from the gas station. It was in all of my cans and they went right from the gas pump into my mower. I think the gas station tank was down to the bottom and the very fine particles were concentrated.
The dealer says my truck's filtration is much more robust than on a mower and nothing would have got to my injectors.
I'm not going to bother trying to get the gas station to pay my repair bill. 4 cans (20 gal) is about what I put in my truck when I fill up anyway—so a receipt only proves I bought gas, not that it was contaminated. And, I don't need the frustration.
I'm back to mowing so I'm happy. I bought 4 new cans and filled up at a different place. Since this happened once in 13 years here, I'm not going to worry too much about it. But I will keep a close eye on my fuel filter.
Mowed Friday night and it ran great.
Just to clarify, the contaminant particles were very very fine, despite how the pic looks. It was not gritty like sand but very fine like talcum powder. So fine that when dried out it clumped together to look like it was larger particles.
Also, there is no question that it came from the gas station. It was in all of my cans and they went right from the gas pump into my mower. I think the gas station tank was down to the bottom and the very fine particles were concentrated.
The dealer says my truck's filtration is much more robust than on a mower and nothing would have got to my injectors.
I'm not going to bother trying to get the gas station to pay my repair bill. 4 cans (20 gal) is about what I put in my truck when I fill up anyway—so a receipt only proves I bought gas, not that it was contaminated. And, I don't need the frustration.
I'm back to mowing so I'm happy. I bought 4 new cans and filled up at a different place. Since this happened once in 13 years here, I'm not going to worry too much about it. But I will keep a close eye on my fuel filter.
#28
7394
7394
55TBird-
Thanks for the update, best to move on. I agree with you about the station possibly pumping the bottom.
Good you are back to mowing with your New Hot Rod. :thumbsup:
Thanks for the update, best to move on. I agree with you about the station possibly pumping the bottom.
Good you are back to mowing with your New Hot Rod. :thumbsup:
#29
cpurvis
cpurvis
The "bottom" never gets pumped at a gas station. The pipe which draws fuel out of the tank is suspended above the bottom; there will be anywhere from 4" to 6" of gas remaining in the tank when the station runs out of gas. That's to collect water at the bottom of the tank where it can be removed and the stations and delivery trucks have tank dipsticks and a water-detecting paste to tell if how much water has collected.
There would have to be that amount of 'solids' for it to get into the pump lines at the station, where the pump filter would have stopped it, just like the mower's filter did.
There would have to be that amount of 'solids' for it to get into the pump lines at the station, where the pump filter would have stopped it, just like the mower's filter did.
#30
B
bertsmobile1
Should have clogged and stopped.
More than one station operator down here has been done by the Standards Association because when they come to do a random pump volume check they find all sorts of contaminants in the fuel and in many cases the filter elements missing.
The cut the stations make is around 20¢ / gallon and filter elements cost near a grand to buy and almost the same to dispose of ( contaminated waste ) .
Older stations that are not hooked up to the refinery electronically are renown for buying "fuel" from unknown truck drivers cash, nudge nudge wink wink.
More than one truck driver has been done for picking up waste solvents that never seem to have arrived at the appropriate waste station or reprocessing depot.
Any guess where they end up?
Times are tight, things are tough, I have a lease payment coming up that I can not meet and some one offers me 2,000 gallons "reject fuel " for 50¢ a gallon.
B
bertsmobile1
The "bottom" never gets pumped at a gas station. The pipe which draws fuel out of the tank is suspended above the bottom; there will be anywhere from 4" to 6" of gas remaining in the tank when the station runs out of gas. That's to collect water at the bottom of the tank where it can be removed and the stations and delivery trucks have tank dipsticks and a water-detecting paste to tell if how much water has collected.
There would have to be that amount of 'solids' for it to get into the pump lines at the station, where the pump filter would have stopped it, just like the mower's filter did.
Should have clogged and stopped.
More than one station operator down here has been done by the Standards Association because when they come to do a random pump volume check they find all sorts of contaminants in the fuel and in many cases the filter elements missing.
The cut the stations make is around 20¢ / gallon and filter elements cost near a grand to buy and almost the same to dispose of ( contaminated waste ) .
Older stations that are not hooked up to the refinery electronically are renown for buying "fuel" from unknown truck drivers cash, nudge nudge wink wink.
More than one truck driver has been done for picking up waste solvents that never seem to have arrived at the appropriate waste station or reprocessing depot.
Any guess where they end up?
Times are tight, things are tough, I have a lease payment coming up that I can not meet and some one offers me 2,000 gallons "reject fuel " for 50¢ a gallon.
#31
cpurvis
cpurvis
Totally different situation here in the States. There are very few refineries but a whole lot of 'loading racks' which dispense the fuel that came to them from the refineries via pipeline to delivery trucks.
Every step of that process is very closely monitored. The product that is put into the pipeline at the refinery is analyzed by chemists to make sure it meets specifications and when it arrives it is analyzed again to make certain mixing did not occur enroute . The boundaries between fuel products in the pipeline is called 'trans-mix' and is separated out and sent back to the refinery to be re-refined.
One crappy load of fuel that got by could contaminate a million gallons or more, as like product all goes into the same storage tank.
That's why they'd be very interested in analyzing that defective fuel.
Every step of that process is very closely monitored. The product that is put into the pipeline at the refinery is analyzed by chemists to make sure it meets specifications and when it arrives it is analyzed again to make certain mixing did not occur enroute . The boundaries between fuel products in the pipeline is called 'trans-mix' and is separated out and sent back to the refinery to be re-refined.
One crappy load of fuel that got by could contaminate a million gallons or more, as like product all goes into the same storage tank.
That's why they'd be very interested in analyzing that defective fuel.
#32
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Yes that is interesting.
We only have 2 refineries left and both are scheduled for closure .
Like a lot of things, fuel refining is all about volume and a population of 30,000,000 ain't enough to make one economic.
However the bulk of the stations are wired up to the company whose colours they wear thus the company knows how much has been bought from them and how much has been pumped so little chance for funny business.
However there are a couple of independent networks so no one knows how much fuel they have bought or how much fuel they have sold thus the ability of a few rogue truck loads of flamiable hydrocarbons of one sort or another to end up in their tanks.
We used to only have 1 company that did pump servicing and the kept tabs on the meters in the pumps and their records were made available to the relevant government departments.
Then we had to become like the USA and have a "free market with open competition" thus I could get any one of 5 companies to service my pumps and funny enough for a little brown envelope many of them will reset the counters.
Then there are things like 2 stroke mix & power Kerosene both of which are no longer sold, but the tanks are still there, usually not hooked up the the cash register so what comes out of them becomes "superannuation "
All fuel down here is delivered by road or rail with the exception of 2 short pipelines.
The EPA has banned lots of stuff like Solvent Benzene, & solvent Tolluene except for closed circuit processing and then the "dirty" solvents are supposed to be stored and sent to Singapore for reprocessing but from the smell of a lot of stuff I buy a goodly amount ends up in "fuel".
Only the government monitors all of this and every year we cut out more unproductive government jobs.
We only have 2 refineries left and both are scheduled for closure .
Like a lot of things, fuel refining is all about volume and a population of 30,000,000 ain't enough to make one economic.
However the bulk of the stations are wired up to the company whose colours they wear thus the company knows how much has been bought from them and how much has been pumped so little chance for funny business.
However there are a couple of independent networks so no one knows how much fuel they have bought or how much fuel they have sold thus the ability of a few rogue truck loads of flamiable hydrocarbons of one sort or another to end up in their tanks.
We used to only have 1 company that did pump servicing and the kept tabs on the meters in the pumps and their records were made available to the relevant government departments.
Then we had to become like the USA and have a "free market with open competition" thus I could get any one of 5 companies to service my pumps and funny enough for a little brown envelope many of them will reset the counters.
Then there are things like 2 stroke mix & power Kerosene both of which are no longer sold, but the tanks are still there, usually not hooked up the the cash register so what comes out of them becomes "superannuation "
All fuel down here is delivered by road or rail with the exception of 2 short pipelines.
The EPA has banned lots of stuff like Solvent Benzene, & solvent Tolluene except for closed circuit processing and then the "dirty" solvents are supposed to be stored and sent to Singapore for reprocessing but from the smell of a lot of stuff I buy a goodly amount ends up in "fuel".
Only the government monitors all of this and every year we cut out more unproductive government jobs.
#33
55TBird
55TBird
I googled "gasoline contamination" and read an interesting article on knowyourparts.com
This is one quote from the article: "According to a release from BP, the fuel contained “a higher than normal level of polymeric residue” which contaminated 50,000 barrels of regular unleaded gasoline from its Whiting, IN, refinery. The fuel was shipped in mid-August to hundreds of gas stations in northern Indiana under the BP brand, as well as unbranded to many independent stations."
Apparently this is not unheard of. So, change your fuel filters...and thanks for a good discussion.
This is one quote from the article: "According to a release from BP, the fuel contained “a higher than normal level of polymeric residue” which contaminated 50,000 barrels of regular unleaded gasoline from its Whiting, IN, refinery. The fuel was shipped in mid-August to hundreds of gas stations in northern Indiana under the BP brand, as well as unbranded to many independent stations."
Apparently this is not unheard of. So, change your fuel filters...and thanks for a good discussion.
#34
C
cashman
C
cashman
I've seen this happen many times. A guy buys gas for his lawnmower and pits it in a gallon plastic milk jug. He takes his gas home and sets it on the concrete floor of his garage. After several days of being stored on the floor, the milk jug can start sweating with moisture around the top of the jug. When he pours the gas into his lawnmower, the moisture goes right into the tank with the gasoline. After doing this for several times, his gas tank becomes contaminated with water and the moisture will eventually find it's way to the carburetor and the engine will quit. And this can happen with just about any type of container.
#35
55TBird
Uh.........plastic milk jug?
As I said before, I bought the gas, pumped it into Eagle Safety cans (expensive metal gas cans with a spring-loaded seal and a built-in screen that are made for one purpose only — holding gas) and as soon as I got home, filled the mower from the cans. The gas was as fresh as I could have made it on my end. This was not moisture. It was a super fine contaminant in the fuel that plugged up my fuel filter solid by the second mowing.
The attached image shows three samples: the first jar is from the bottom of the first can I poured into my mower, the contaminant is more concentrated because it is from the bottom and there was not much gas left in the can. The second jar is from the second can from which I poured about half a can into my mower. So it is more concentrated than a can full of gas but not as concentrated as the first can which had only a quarter inch or so of gas left in it. The third jar was from one of the full cans, so I was pouring off the top of the can. Most of the contaminant had settled in the bottom. Thought you can't see it in the pic, I could see the tiny particles suspended in the fuel. It doesn't look anything like water in gas does. Also, after mowing this property for 13 years, this was the first and only time this has ever happened.
My mower is new. The gas was fresh. The cans are good quality metal gas cans that I bought about two years ago and have never had an issue with. The cans were not left alone before I put the fuel in the mower.
This was contaminated gas when I bought it from the local BP station. Checking online, I discovered that this has happened to other people...contaminated fuel in the gas station tanks is not impossible.
55TBird
I've seen this happen many times. A guy buys gas for his lawnmower and pits it in a gallon plastic milk jug. He takes his gas home and sets it on the concrete floor of his garage. After several days of being stored on the floor, the milk jug can start sweating with moisture around the top of the jug. When he pours the gas into his lawnmower, the moisture goes right into the tank with the gasoline. After doing this for several times, his gas tank becomes contaminated with water and the moisture will eventually find it's way to the carburetor and the engine will quit. And this can happen with just about any type of container.
Uh.........plastic milk jug?
As I said before, I bought the gas, pumped it into Eagle Safety cans (expensive metal gas cans with a spring-loaded seal and a built-in screen that are made for one purpose only — holding gas) and as soon as I got home, filled the mower from the cans. The gas was as fresh as I could have made it on my end. This was not moisture. It was a super fine contaminant in the fuel that plugged up my fuel filter solid by the second mowing.
The attached image shows three samples: the first jar is from the bottom of the first can I poured into my mower, the contaminant is more concentrated because it is from the bottom and there was not much gas left in the can. The second jar is from the second can from which I poured about half a can into my mower. So it is more concentrated than a can full of gas but not as concentrated as the first can which had only a quarter inch or so of gas left in it. The third jar was from one of the full cans, so I was pouring off the top of the can. Most of the contaminant had settled in the bottom. Thought you can't see it in the pic, I could see the tiny particles suspended in the fuel. It doesn't look anything like water in gas does. Also, after mowing this property for 13 years, this was the first and only time this has ever happened.
My mower is new. The gas was fresh. The cans are good quality metal gas cans that I bought about two years ago and have never had an issue with. The cans were not left alone before I put the fuel in the mower.
This was contaminated gas when I bought it from the local BP station. Checking online, I discovered that this has happened to other people...contaminated fuel in the gas station tanks is not impossible.
Attachments
#36
C
cashman
C
cashman
55Tbird,
I think you misunderstood me? I wasn't implying that's what you did and I apologize if thats what you thought I did. I was just recalling past events from what I've seen from being in the lawn and garden industry.
I think you misunderstood me? I wasn't implying that's what you did and I apologize if thats what you thought I did. I was just recalling past events from what I've seen from being in the lawn and garden industry.
#37
55TBird
No worries. You are right that fuel is something people don't always think a lot about though. A clean fuel filter is cheap, easy to change and can save you a lot of grief but some people never check or replace them until they have a problem. Having only 14 hours on my mower, I didn't really think about the fuel filter being clogged even though I did suspect some sort of fuel related problem when I took it to the dealer.
A lot of threads seem to start with "my mower just died" and sometimes the simplest answer is it.
Thanks.
55TBird
55Tbird,
I think you misunderstood me? I wasn't implying that's what you did and I apologize if thats what you thought I did. I was just recalling past events from what I've seen from being in the lawn and garden industry.
No worries. You are right that fuel is something people don't always think a lot about though. A clean fuel filter is cheap, easy to change and can save you a lot of grief but some people never check or replace them until they have a problem. Having only 14 hours on my mower, I didn't really think about the fuel filter being clogged even though I did suspect some sort of fuel related problem when I took it to the dealer.
A lot of threads seem to start with "my mower just died" and sometimes the simplest answer is it.
Thanks.