Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
About ten days ago we noticed the Denali wasn't starting so well. Ran fine once it was warmed up, but cold starting it coughed and sputtered and would blow out a nifty cloud of blue/black smoke. Got progressively worse on every cold start. Take it to the local GMC dealer for a problem with a seatbelt and ask them to check out the hard starting. As is to be expected, they "can't duplicate the problem." So we take it home only to find that the idiots installed the wrong seatbelt - it won't latch (front passenger seat). I call and raise hell and the service manager says he will come out personally to pick up the truck the next morning. We let it sit so he can do a cold start. Sure enough, the sucker belches, farts, and stutters as it coughs out a mosquito-killing fog. "Hey, there IS a problem on cold starting!" No shit.
They keep it for two days, replace the seatbelt with the right one, and again "can't determine the starting problem." It comes home for the weekend as I will be damned if I am going to drive around in their loaner econobox which reeks of several different smokes and a tinge of vomit. So we bring the Denali home and fog the neighbors every morning. This morning it goes in again. At 2:00 this afternoon I get a call that goes something like this:
"Mr. Marshall? Where do you buy your gas?"
"Um, probably got it at Sam's Wholesale."
"Well, we have two other cars in here that also got gas at Sam's and are having the same problems. There is a contaminant in your gas."
"Contaminant?"
"Diesel fuel."
"WHAT?!? Sam's doesn't even SELL diesel fuel!"
"Well, yeah, that's the thing: Seems that Sam's got a load of diesel by mistake and loaded it in with the unleaded. You might want to call them as they are going to reimburse these other folks to get their tanks drained, etc."
"Great. Hold off on the work ($400) until I get back with you."
So I call Sam's and of course can't get a manager to save my life. Leave a message and get too impatient to wait. Drive over and wait for a manager. Bottom line: Williams Petroleum accidentally delivered a mis-marked load of diesel and put it in with the unleaded. And before I get any crap about "discount gas", they delivered more of the same load to two Shell stations and two Quik Trips. I heard this before and now verified that many companies share the same fuel, despite their claims of "being different" (witness the current Shell ads for better mileage). While I didn't keep my receipt, Sam's logs use of the membership card and they found we had gassed up on one of the two days in question: September 1st & 2nd (they drained the in-ground tanks on the 3rd).
So (purposefully long to see if Gerald has had an aneurysm yet ), Sam's will reimburse me for the cost of draining the tank, changing the fuel filter, and flushing the system. They will also reimburse me for the cost of the gas ($46 for 27 gallons). And just because this REALLY sucks, I went ahead and rented a car tonight while mine is in the shop (probably 'til Wednesday). Like it or not, they WILL pay my rental car bill too (actually, their insurance company is handling it).
If you haven't fallen asleep yet, here are two questions for those in the know:
1. Is there any possibility of long-term damage from roughly two weeks of a diesel-blend in my gas? Like I said, the car ran fine other than piss-poor starting. What else should I worry about while it is in the shop?
2. If you were in my shoes, would you try to hit them (their insurance company) for anything else? I am not looking for anything monetarily (not crazy about lawsuit happy society as it is), but am wondering if I should push them for anything else for all the hassle this has caused (multiple trips to the dealer, etc.). They didn't approve the rental car (didn't ask), but I can't imagine that will be a problem.
Sorry for the long read, but this is just nuts. Oh, and the friggin' dealership lot jockey hit a tire rack with the truck and put an 18" gouge on the front corner while it was in for service on Friday. Wheeeeee!
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Seen this before. Just change your oil after it is all said and done, and forget it.
The oil change is just incase any excess fuel got past the rings while you tried to start the vehicle. If so think of it as a cheap engine flush. :doh:
Gas engines will run on diesel, they just need to be started on gas. They will run like shit, but they do run.
Really, no need to worry about it.
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
CLIFF NOTES:
1. Chris got a tank of bad gas (Diesel/gas blend) in his chebby...smoked alot
2. Dealer correctly diagnosed the problem, and the company that sold him the gas is pony'ing for the fix, drain tank, fuel filter, rental car, etc...
3. The Denali's fuel system has been suffiently lubed, and blending the diesel with gas simply boosted the octane rating to insane levels...no long term effect anitipated (my take)
4. Chebby dinged the Denali while it was in the shop...so now it is likely, that after this is fixed, the dented panel will be a totally different color than the rest of the truck...especially in direct sunlight...
[img]/images/graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Birvini
Thanks for confirming that cheap gas is the same as expensive gas. I still pay the big bucks for gas for the Vipers, just can't help it.
And so do I! They say that Amoco (now BP) does their own fuel and thus has higher octane in many cities (they are the highest in KC - 93). That is the ONLY gas I put in the Viper and that ain't gonna change! And the wife won't give me any more crap about it after this debacle...
Jerome - Thanks for the feedback - oil change it is!
SB - Thanks for the Cliff notes [img]/images/graemlins/supergrin.gif[/img]
PJ - Has me a little worried, but I won't kill myself over it
Schill - My wife and I just laugh about it, really. Pain in the ass, but kinda funny in a Murphy's Law sort of way...
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Happens all the time. My mom works for a big petroleum company and has told me some horror stories where they put the wrong fuel into the big tanks at the tank farm, and basically ruined many hundreds of thousands of gallons all at once. Cha-ching!
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Consider a trade in. See what you can get for it. Realize that since you went to the dealer everyone can pull up the history on it.
What about anti freeze, and transmission/ these are seperated by metal parts and some seals, but could the different fuel cause problems with those?(head gasket, etc...)
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Re: Gee, the truck isn\'t running so good... (LONG rant)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snake Bitten
CLIFF NOTES:
1. Chris got a tank of bad gas (Diesel/gas blend) in his chebby...smoked alot
2. Dealer correctly diagnosed the problem, and the company that sold him the gas is pony'ing for the fix, drain tank, fuel filter, rental car, etc...
3. The Denali's fuel system has been suffiently lubed, and blending the diesel with gas simply boosted the octane rating to insane levels...no long term effect anitipated (my take)
4. Chebby dinged the Denali while it was in the shop...so now it is likely, that after this is fixed, the dented panel will be a totally different color than the rest of the truck...especially in direct sunlight...
), Sam's will reimburse me for the cost of draining the tank, changing the fuel filter, and flushing the system. They will also reimburse me for the cost of the gas ($46 for 27 gallons). And just because this REALLY sucks, I went ahead and rented a car tonight while mine is in the shop (probably 'til Wednesday). Like it or not, they WILL pay my rental car bill too (actually, their insurance company is handling it).
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