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Fascinating fuel problem with '93 240

Gas station 1 and gas station 2 are of the same brand and only 4 miles apart. Except gas station 1 was built more than 30 years ago, while gas station 2 is relatively new. Also, I always use premium fuel.

If I fill up at gas station 1, the car will die almost EVERY second time I come to a stop or dramatically slowdown to a speed of 1-3 mph. On highway everything is fine, except on rare occasions you feel you are losing power for maybe one thousand of a second. Also, the car will end up idling at 1,100 RPM instead of the traditional 750 RPM. Eventually I will get the Check Engine Light and the code 1-2-1 for the air mass meter will be indicated.

I removed 90% of the bad fuel from the tank. And then filled up at gas station 2. The situation improved dramatically, but the car would still die, just a lot less often.

After driving and finishing up most of the tank, I then filled up at gas station 2, again with less than 10% of the "bad" fuel left in the tank. The situation kept improving, but it would still die, just a lot less often.

I then decided to drive until I run out of fuel, then filled up again at gas station 2 and everything is fine. (I carried with me spare fuel from station 2).

Earlier, when I removed the fuel from my 240, I transferred it to my '97 960 and it had no impact whatsoever on the car.

This happened in 2002 and, unfortunately, in December 2003 after I forgot NOT to fill up at gas station 1.

I would like to have your opinion/guess about such situation.

Thanks.

Reply to
Patrick
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You obviously had a bad tank of gas. It sounds like gas station #1 is the source, but it may be because they simply do not sell very much premium and have stale gas in the tank and moisture from condensation. Save yourself some work next time and get some Redline Water Remover and Antifreeze. It does not contain alchohol and will effectively mix with and remove water from the tank.

It sounds like you learned a lesson the hard way.

John

Reply to
Fred Flintstone

What puzzles me is the fact that the bad fuel had no impact on the '97

960???

Reply to
Patrick

Depends on how he transferred the fuel. If syphoned only the good fuel on top would be transferred. If pumped using main fuel pump all the crap would go with it.

Cheers, Peter.

: >It sounds like you learned a lesson the hard way. : >

: >John : >

:
Reply to
Peter Milnes

I just remembered (memory is not what it used to be...) that in 2002, I did fill up both the 240 and the 960 at the same "bad" gas station. It was done one after the other, within few minutes from the first fill up (I live 2 miles from the bad gas station). Both cars filled up with premium fuel. The 960 unaffected, while the 240 had problems.

So the theory of water in the tank doesn't hold unless someone can explain to me why the 960 is doing so well with the same gas that is causing so much problem with the 240.

Btw, I just drove this weekend past the "bad" gas station and was amazed to see that it will be completely removed in order to build a new one. I guess I wasn't alone with gas problems...

Reply to
Patrick

Maybe the 960 has better engine management and was able to back off the timing to compensate for the bad petrol.

Reply to
Stuart Gray

or better fuel filtering?

2002, | > I did fill up both the 240 and the 960 at the same "bad" gas station. | > It was done one after the other, within few minutes from the first | > fill up (I live 2 miles from the bad gas station). Both cars filled | > up with premium fuel. The 960 unaffected, while the 240 had problems. | >

| > So the theory of water in the tank doesn't hold unless someone can | > explain to me why the 960 is doing so well with the same gas that is | > causing so much problem with the 240. | >

| > Btw, I just drove this weekend past the "bad" gas station and was | > amazed to see that it will be completely removed in order to build a | > new one. I guess I wasn't alone with gas problems... | >

| >

| Maybe the 960 has better engine management and was able to back off the | timing to compensate for the bad petrol. | |

Reply to
Jim Kelly

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