01/03/2007 - Tesco statement on customer petrol concerns
We are continuing to conduct a range of tests using independent laboratories to establish what might be causing the mechanical problems experienced by some customers in the South East of England. So far we have not found any reason for these problems.
However, following advice from industry experts we have now started testing for silicon and other possible contaminants. We are also checking the levels at which any contaminant would start to cause engine problems. We hope to have results back soon and will of course share these with the other supermarkets and petrol retailers who are affected.
In the meantime we have set up a customer hotline for any Tesco customers who have experienced a problem. This Freephone number is 0800
0286428.
We appreciate the inconvenience this is causing some customers and can assure them that if a problem with our fuel is confirmed we will do the right thing and act quickly to put it right.
Morrisons and Asda still are not saying anything - ,
Harvest Energy who appear to be the source of the problem -
"Press release 10am Saturday 3 March 200710am Saturday 3 March 2007
STATEMENT BY HARVEST ENERGY ON SOUTH EAST OF ENGLAND FUEL SUPPLY ISSUES
Harvest Energy has this morning announced that it has completed its initial investigation of possible fuel contamination of the product stored at the oil terminal owned by Vopak at West Thurrock, Essex. The company, which has been trading in the UK since 1995, shares the terminal?s facilities with Greenergy, another independent blender and wholesaler of fuels.
The testing has identified unusually high levels of silicon in four petrol storage tanks at the terminal. Fuel blended from these tanks has been supplied to various petrol retailers who take fuel from the West Thurrock terminal.
Harvest Energy?s testing confirms that its petrol reaches the European and British specification BS EN 228 for unleaded fuel. However, the specification does not include a test for silicon, as it is not an element that would normally be expected to be present within finished grade petrol or blend components, and for this reason its presence was not detected prior to sale. We will now be testing for silicon as a matter of course. In addition Harvest Energy will propose to the relevant European and British Standards organisations, via its trade body the Association of UK Oil Independents (AUKOI), the inclusion of a silicon test within the BS EN 228 standard for unleaded petrol.
The company is also keen to work with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to help identify the presence of other elements that may not currently be included in the BS EN 228 specification and which the SMMT believes may have an adverse impact on vehicle performance.
Harvest Energy has now isolated the higher silicon fuel and can guarantee that no further supplies of high silicon unleaded petrol will be distributed from the West Thurrock terminal. All petrol at the terminal currently available for distribution has minimal (less than one part per million) silicon levels in line with usual industry norms.
Harvest Energy is working with its customers who retail petrol to British motorists to allow them to ensure that all future product sold is of the usual expected standard. As part of this process, the company has appointed an independent inspection company to test fuel stocks at over 100 petrol stations across the South East over the weekend.
Harvest Energy Managing Director Franco Bussandri said ?We are very sympathetic to the plight of motorists who have been affected by this problem with unleaded petrol. We are working as closely as we can with our customers the retailers, to address such motorists concerns. We would ask motorists who feel they may have been affected to contact their fuel retailer for advice.?
Does an '89 Golf have an oxygen sensor? It's from about the time when some but not all cars had catalysts.
I phoned Tesco's "helpline" and they couldn't tell me any more than that the station I had filled up was implicated, but they have a lot of deliveries, they top up tanks that aren't quite empty, not all tankers come from the dodgy depot, etc.
At least one other person who filled up there I know started having problems within the first few miles of driving away, after filling an already half-full car. I had filled up from empty and already driven about 30 or 40 miles with no trouble before I heard about the problem on the news. I considered draining out the remaining petrol, but it's not easy to dispose of the stuff, and there's always the risk of ending up with a Darwin award if I start messing around with petrol.
In the end I thought I'd just gamble on it being OK, because the cost of a sensor is not much more than the cost of the full tank of petrol anyway and in any case I'd claim it from Tesco. I've now done another 80 miles and it's still running fine. Maybe the silicone deposits are slowly building up, or maybe I was lucky and didn't get the bad fuel, or maybe my particular brand of oxygen sensor isn't so sensitive. When it gets to half-full, perhaps I'll top it up with some nice Esso or Shell to dilute the silicone if it's in there.
I think it likely a lot of people's problems started very soon after filling up or it wouldn't have been so obvious the fuel was to blame, so if you've done 140 miles you might be all right.
It doesn't have a catalyst, but I can see no reference to an oxygen sensor or Lambda in the Hayes manual, but then again there's no reference to them on catalyst models either :-)
I'm continuing to drive it thanks to the info. I've gleaned from this newsgroup. No thanks to Trading Standards, the media and the companies involved.
If you have a catalyst you'd expect to have a sensor, since getting the mixture wrong might damage the cat, so you need the fine control that you get with a sensor. Some pre-cat cars may have had sensors anyway just for accurate mixture control and good economy etc.
My local garage said they've just been changing people's sensors without draining the fuel. I can't see the logic behind that unless you didn't know the fuel was the problem or you aren't playing with a full deck.
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