For you gas experts out there (Gasman), doesn't all the fuel get filtered at least at the pump if not at the transfer station?
State: Drivers, beware of dirty gas | KOMO News - Seattle, Washington | Local & Regional
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. -- The state is urging drivers to beware of tainted gasoline being sold at pumps across the Puget Sound region.
Contaminated gas can do heavy damage to a car and in many of the cases, the gas stations themselves don't know that their product has been tainted.
Barry and Tanda Sullivan claim they're now paying for their mistake. The couple's brand-new Chevy Silverado stopped running. Then their Nissan Altima puttered to a halt. The Sullivans say dirty gas is to blame.
"It was bucking, stalling, hesitating. The engine light came on," said Barry.
The Sullivans claim they pumped the dirty gas from a Shell Station in Snohomish County on Valentine's Day. The station's manager said his distributor tested the gasoline and found nothing wrong.
But the state Department of Weight and Measures said it is seeing more and more cases of contaminated gas in the area. The department says ethanol is the trouble maker.
Around this time of year, gas stations often change their fuel mix to a higher ethanol content in order to break away sediment on the inside of the holding tanks and to cause condensation in the tanks. The problem is that the mixture can do the same to the inside of vehicles' fuel tanks.
In initial tests conducted by the state, gasoline from the Shell station under question looked fine. Samples from a secondary test, though, have been sent to a lab.
The state is also warning gas stations to make sure they're cleaning their holding tanks to prevent dirty buildup.
The Sullivans want to track down the source of the contaminated gas and make sure no one else falls victim.
"All we know is we've got two vehicles that are going to cost us $2,500 in repair bills to get fixed," said Barry.
The state expects final results from the secondary test next week.
State: Drivers, beware of dirty gas | KOMO News - Seattle, Washington | Local & Regional
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. -- The state is urging drivers to beware of tainted gasoline being sold at pumps across the Puget Sound region.
Contaminated gas can do heavy damage to a car and in many of the cases, the gas stations themselves don't know that their product has been tainted.
Barry and Tanda Sullivan claim they're now paying for their mistake. The couple's brand-new Chevy Silverado stopped running. Then their Nissan Altima puttered to a halt. The Sullivans say dirty gas is to blame.
"It was bucking, stalling, hesitating. The engine light came on," said Barry.
The Sullivans claim they pumped the dirty gas from a Shell Station in Snohomish County on Valentine's Day. The station's manager said his distributor tested the gasoline and found nothing wrong.
But the state Department of Weight and Measures said it is seeing more and more cases of contaminated gas in the area. The department says ethanol is the trouble maker.
Around this time of year, gas stations often change their fuel mix to a higher ethanol content in order to break away sediment on the inside of the holding tanks and to cause condensation in the tanks. The problem is that the mixture can do the same to the inside of vehicles' fuel tanks.
In initial tests conducted by the state, gasoline from the Shell station under question looked fine. Samples from a secondary test, though, have been sent to a lab.
The state is also warning gas stations to make sure they're cleaning their holding tanks to prevent dirty buildup.
The Sullivans want to track down the source of the contaminated gas and make sure no one else falls victim.
"All we know is we've got two vehicles that are going to cost us $2,500 in repair bills to get fixed," said Barry.
The state expects final results from the secondary test next week.
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