Engine hiccup after switching gas brand

Fer Echegaray · Dec 8, 2005

Hi all,

Last weekend we were shopping when I realized I needed to fill the tank, I usually fill at Chevron or ARCO (BP) stations, but there was none of them so I filled it up at a 76 station.

Then we went on and parked at the mall, about 2 hours and the drove back home; about 5 minutes later the engine stalled without warning, I'm glad I wasn't on the freeway, it started right back and was fine until the next day; I was driving on the freeway and the engine burped (it felt as if another car had rear ended me), but there were no vehicles around.

After that there has been no more incidents like that... Do you think it was the different brand of gas?

Or perhaps the fuel pump or gas filter?

I must mention that the tank was near empty, Perhaps the fill-up stirred the goo in the tank?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Tom Schindler · Dec 8, 2005

It might have been the different gas. Who knows for sure.

Tom

p.s. There is no goo or dirt or gunk or crap in your fuel tank.

Michael Cacioppo · Dec 8, 2005

There might have been some water in the new gas. Put a can of gas antifreeze in the tank. It will absorb the moisture.

Dre L · Dec 8, 2005

Very possible, my Trac doesn't like Sunoco

too bad, I used to love that brand.

Dale Carter · Dec 8, 2005

I just had the same problem, except more severe. Very rough idle and stalled four or five times. Took two days to clear up.

Regarding brand changes, gas is gas. I only know of one gas which is uniquely branded, the clear Amoco premium. All gas flows through the same pipeline and is a standard commodity. Yes, refineries are often owned by Texaco or Chevron, but they sell to anyone. Seems pretty obvious that Texaco shoots gas into the Colonial pipeline and then Amoco shoots gas into the same pipleine, they will get mixed together. I am pretty sure that Texaco trucks and Amoco trucks don't wait until "their" gas comes out the other end. Also, where do QT and all of those off-brand stations get gas? You guessed it, the same jobbers that deliver to the big boys. Different companies may add certain ingredients afterward like detergents (ie Techroline), but they are very minor additives. 87 gas from BP is 87 gas from Amoco is 87 gas from Texaco. Ever wonder why a pipeline outage causes a shortage at EVERY station simultaneously?

MikeC has the best advice. Chances are that there is some water or other contaminant in that latest batch which you pumped. Any gas treatment, even rubbing alcohol, will solve the problem. Don't get carried away with the old "some is good, more is better" technique though.

Regarding the "low tank goo stir" theory, Caymen is right, the only way to get goo in your tank is to put it there. I have seen a lot of gas tanks get split open in junk yards over the last twenty years and they are ALWAYS pristine on the inside. I run my tank to almost dry every time and have never had a contaminant problem until this week. I do this becasue I am a procrastinator, but we can talk about that some other time

Given recent events, the tank in your truck isn't the only tank that has been near empty lately. The tanks at the station and the storage facilities ere scraped clean, too.

Michael Cacioppo · Dec 8, 2005

dale carter, the fuel is also used as a coolant for the in tank gas pump. I don't think it is advisable to run it down extremely low as this might affect the pump.

Alan Peters · Dec 9, 2005

This has happened to me once and wouldn't keep running after that. Water in the gas tank was the problem. Sadly, I had to have the gas tank drained. All work completed by dealer. Also letting your gas tank go to the bottom isn't healthy either from what I'm told especially in colder climates.

Tom Schindler · Dec 9, 2005

MikeC,

I have run my tank down to dry more then my share of times in my 1992 Escort. never had a fuel pump fail. Where I used to work, we waited until the last minute before we would run out of gas. Those vehicles all had well over 200,000 miles and never had a fuel pump fail, except for one. The GM teck at the dealer in Norfolk, VA said that year had alot of pumps fail.

The theory might be true, but it is nothing I worry about. 62,000 miles and counting.

Tom

Fer Echegaray · Dec 9, 2005

Any preferred brand of gas-line antifreeze/water removver?

Valvoline, Heet?

Thx for all the comments

S H · Dec 9, 2005