Tainted gas, my car breaks down...what would you do

[saint]

So I'm in a rush and stop at a citgo that's a shithole. Start pumping premium gas, the pump is extremely slow, after 3 or 4 minutes to pump 1.5 gallons I quit and head to my destination.

A quarter mile up the road and my car's engine starts shaking and it completely dies on me. Have it towed to the Acura dealer. Sure enough they said there was a massive amount of water in the gas tank. So basically the station was watering down their gas and it fucked my car up. Costs to have the tank and lines emptied and flushed was 42o bucks. Yes I know that's a lot but we just moved here and don't have a mechanic. Tow was 70 bucks so now I'm out 500 bucks.

I'm planning to nicely go speak with the owner, request that he pay my bills incurred from his shady practice. I expect him to tell me to fuck off. I think I'll then discuss how I'll get his station on the local news and he'll hear from my lawyer.

How would you handle this situation? What are my chances of getting some money back (zero I'm sure). I have a statement from the dealer stating there was an excessive amount of water in the gas, and my bill from the station the night before from my credit card.

If I get stonewalled can I take this guy to small claims? I'll lose more money from not working but I would do it out of principle.

I would appreciate any suggestions/feedback.

Thanks
saint

 

[kneifl]

Go visit with the owner. Be nice. He may or may not give you the money if he finds his gas is tainted.

If he decides to not give you any money for the incident SUE his ASS. You'll win if you have receipts and have a paper trail.

kneifl

 

[The Wizard]

You still have SHITGO(Citgo)???? Why on earth did you buy there in the first place?

 

[Ravenous]

Make sure the mechanic puts down IN WRITING that there was a lot of water in the tank. Sometimes people have a tendency to forget things when it gets to nut-cutting time.

Make sure you take a copy of that statement with you when you go to talk (politely) with the owner. Chances are you aren't the only one having a problem with their gas.

 

[saint]

I'll give him a chance to make amends...I find it's always easier to start things nice. I'll only progress to asshole mode if I'm forced to be.

The good news is I called the NC Dept of Agriculture and they gave me great advice...I got the dealer to bottle up some of the gas they took from the tank. I'm going to send it to them to have it analyzed. If he denies payment I'll have a statement from the mechanic and the chemical breakdown in hand proving water contamination. They are also sending out someone to analyze the pump as well.

 

[saint]

Surprise surprise, look what's on the pumps today

The clerk gave me corporates number and told me to take it up with them. Awesome.

 

[MadJack]

Surprise surprise, look what's on the pumps today

The clerk gave me corporates number and told me to take it up with them. Awesome.

nice job, columbo

 

[saint]

nice job, columbo

You should have seen the looks I was getting as I arranged the bag nice and neatly so the words "out of service" could be read :mj07:

 

[THE KOD]

if you cant prove you filled up your entire tank with the tainted gas then you will be shit out of luck. They can say another tank left over caused it.

hope you saved the receipt and it was a total fill up

 

[saint]

if you cant prove you filled up your entire tank with the tainted gas then you will be shit out of luck. They can say another tank left over caused it.

hope you saved the receipt and it was a total fill up

Receipt, wasn't a full tank...but I do have gas pumped directly from the pump tonight and a video of me shooting it. You make a good point but if the gas in my tank were contaminated before I put gas in it, then it wouldn't have broken down 1/4 a mile from the pump post fill up it would have occurred before I got there. Of course there's no way for a direct cause/effect but when the state analyzes gas directly from the pump and it's contaminated that sure is convenient. There was no way to fill it up because the pump was broken. Which is why they are shut down now.

That, and even if it were a full tank they could claim the same thing...that previous gas could have caused it.

 

[yyz]

Two more cars that broke down after getting tinted glass.

:shrug:

 

[MadJack]

Two more cars that broke down after getting tinted glass.

:shrug:

:nooo:

 

[THE KOD]

Receipt, wasn't a full tank...but I do have gas pumped directly from the pump tonight and a video of me shooting it. You make a good point but if the gas in my tank were contaminated before I put gas in it, then it wouldn't have broken down 1/4 a mile from the pump post fill up it would have occurred before I got there. Of course there's no way for a direct cause/effect but when the state analyzes gas directly from the pump and it's contaminated that sure is convenient. There was no way to fill it up because the pump was broken. Which is why they are shut down now.

That, and even if it were a full tank they could claim the same thing...that previous gas could have caused it.

................................................................

sorry this is a no win situation.

get a lawyer and pay him 500

then you will be out 1000

 

[saint]

................................................................

sorry this is a no win situation.

get a lawyer and pay him 500

then you will be out 1000

you are probably right.

i'm a priciples kind of person. all i want is for them to take accountability. There's no accountability in society any more. My friend is a lawyer and would do it pro boner for me. But yeah i'm going into it knowing i probably won't get squat.

 

[THE KOD]

you are probably right.

i'm a priciples kind of person. all i want is for them to take accountability. There's no accountability in society any more. My friend is a lawyer and would do it pro boner for me. But yeah i'm going into it knowing i probably won't get squat.

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I like the pro boner part.

you spell like ass

I doubt they did this on purpose. It is more likely their tank sprouted a hole and water leaked into the tank. If you reported them to the proper authorites like the EPA they would make them dig the tank up to prove it aint leaking. That would be accountability. :scared

The bloody rat bastids.

I am principled also in situations like that, but I also know when to just say fawk it and move on.

Too much else to worry about right now in this crazy ass economy.

 

[THE KOD]

Underground Storage TanksUnderground storage tanks (known as USTs) are big containers placed underground to hold large quantities of liquids or gases. USTs also have piping and a pump station to move the tank contents to where they are used. About 95% of all USTs store petroleum products like gasoline or oil. Tanks may hold industrial chemicals, pesticides, or even food products.

IDEM closely regulates under-ground storage tanks, because leaking tanks can easily contaminate ground water. A spill of only three gallons of gasoline can spoil drinking water for a small town. It is important to protect ground water, because about 60% of Hoosiers get drinking water from ground water supplies.

Top

Why Have Some Tanks Leaked?Previously, most tanks were made out of unprotected steel, and would rust and leak after about 10 years (less time under certain conditions). Many tanks and connected piping exposed to ground water have rusted through, allowing the contents to seep out. Since 1998, tank owners and operators are required to use tanks lined with materials that do not rust to help prevent leaks.

Top

Underground Tank Locations and ContentsFor safety, tanks containing petroleum products and other substances are placed underground to lessen the risk of explosion. Unfortunately, this placement makes it difficult to detect leaks that can enter ground water supplies. Here are the most common places to find USTs.

Gas Stations: This is the most common place to find tanks. Most USTs at gas stations contain the varying grades of gasoline. Many gasoline stations also have diesel fuel stored in USTs. However, fewer than 10% of tanks contain diesel fuel.
Dry Cleaners: Most dry cleaning facilities use hazardous chemicals to clean clothes. The most commonly used chemical, perchloroethylene, is often stored in USTs.
Service Stations: Automotive service stations or oil change businesses frequently collect used oil in above or below ground tanks before proper disposal or recycling.
Airports and Truck Fleet Refueling Facilities: Most airports and truck fleet refueling facilities have USTs that hold jet fuel, hydraulic fuel, gasoline or diesel fuel.
Homes: Before natural gas was widely available, many homes and other buildings burned oil to produce heat. Heating oil was stored in tanks usually located in basements above the floor, or buried in the yard. Some of these tanks are still in use, others remain in the ground unused. These tanks are not regulated by IDEM, but pose a risk to water supplies if they leak.
Top

How Many Areas in Indiana Contain Leaking Tanks?Since 1989, approximately 4300 sites have been cleaned up where USTs leaked. The Leaking Underground Storage Tank Section is working to address about 3500 more sites contaminated by leaking tanks. With so many spills to address, sites are prioritized to ensure that the spills with the greatest chance of impacting people are cleaned up first. Spills are placed into one of three categories: high, medium, or low priority.

May decrease property values
The health effects from leaking USTs vary depending on the chemicals in the tank, the duration and size of the leak, specifics about the surrounding environment, duration of human contact to the chemicals, whether the contact was made to the skin, breathed in, or swallowed, and other factors.

Petroleum products such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and heating oil are made of many chemicals that have the potential to cause health problems. The health effects can range from skin and respiratory irritation, to dizziness and headaches, to cancer.

If there is an oil sheen or petroleum smell or taste in your drinking water, or if you see or suspect a spill, call IDEM's 24-hour Environmental Emergency Hotline at (888) 233-7745, or (317) 233-7745.
If you want to have your drinking water tested for possible petroleum contamination, call your County Health Department. They can tell you how to take samples and may help you get free or low-cost water testing from the State Department of
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It could cost the station plenty if the proper phone calls were made.

I am down the street and I taste gas in the water I just drank from. It looks like the station has a leak

:scared


You know its the principle of the thing.

 

[Simply In The Red]

Here's how it breaks down. You got screwed because (as a normal consumer) you didn't know better. The gas pump shelled out gas slow because it was draining the bottom of the tank. Now, we all remember about how petroleum and water don't mix. Water, by nature, accumulates in the underqround storage tanks over time due to various causes. It's even worse for the diesel storage tanks. I've seen the results of this firsthand. I even filled my car from an empty storage tank once (it took 10 mins. for 3 gallons of something) but only because it was a backwoods town at 2am and I was on fumes. Luckily, I did not meet your fate.

All the dealer really had to do was drain the contaminated fuel out and refill it with good gas. I'm assuming this is a late model Acura which really has no normal fuel filter in the system, just a screen in the tank. You're going to be hardpressed to get something out of the station owner but I would still ask. I'm sure they are aware of other cars dying out.

 

[saint]

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I like the pro boner part.

you spell like ass

I doubt they did this on purpose. It is more likely their tank sprouted a hole and water leaked into the tank. If you reported them to the proper authorites like the EPA they would make them dig the tank up to prove it aint leaking. That would be accountability. :scared

The bloody rat bastids.

I am principled also in situations like that, but I also know when to just say fawk it and move on.

Too much else to worry about right now in this crazy ass economy.

Too much else to worry about in this crazy ass economy? Well how about the loss of 500 dollars? Oh yeah, I forgot I'm a rich dentist.

The pro boner part was obviously an intentional spelling error.

 

[saint]

NC Dept of Agriculture was out to the station today. Talk about fast action. Turns out the station does admit to a problem with their fuel. I've got a statement from the state confirming. They advised me to file a claim with the corporate owner of the station, which I've done. They said most times they pay for damages.

I picked up the car today. Still idling heavy, I was told to run a few tanks of gas through it and it should improve. I obviously will not settle on a claim until I find out if there is permanent damage.

This was the gas I was given. Gee, I wonder what that 2 inch layer of SHIT is in it? Not surprised the engine had fits when that muck ran through it. Someone from the dept of agriculture is coming to pick up the gas for a formal analysis.

Scott I have the feeling I'm going to be paid on this one. If 500 bucks is nothing to you get my address from jack so you can send me a christmas present.

 

[SixFive]

Scott I have the feeling I'm going to be paid on this one. If 500 bucks is nothing to you get my address from jack so you can send me a christmas present.

:mj07: sorry, Scott only talks chit; he doesn't socialize with anyone on this site. Sending something to your address would severely compromise his anonymity.

Saint, sorry for your troubles; hope u get it resolved in a satisfactory manner. Sounds like some great success early on.