Water in Diesel Fuel from Flying J Pilot Knoxville, Tn

[Star_Gazer]

Hi All,

I just returned a day late after having my fuel tank removed, drained, new pump, and new sending unit. Tech found plenty of water in my tank, as in a couple gallons.

Long story but I need opinions and will try just giving facts.

I pulled in to this place Saturday evening after driving 300+ miles with no issues. Next morning I top off with 19.6 gals, about 1/2 of tank, in the RV lane. Get on the road right away, and stall out 25 miles up the road. Drain lots of water our to seperator. Had to get towed.

Was on Sunday so they towed me, and my Casita to a pep boys where I was hoping filter change would help. No luck. Yesterday morning I was towed to the local Ford Dealer.

Spent all day there while they did their job. He showed me the pumped out fuel and water, locked up pump, sender, etc.. Filled a gallon jug with the fuel out of the fuel rail and line(?), it had about 1"+ of water in the bottom. He said the rest of the tank had about the same %. This was well above the intake line of the sending unit. Had some junk and crud in the tank but he said normal for this age of truck and had nothing to do with the water issue.

This is about the extent of my knowledge of how these things work.

I called the corp office of this well known company and started a complaint. I actually called the store immediately after I broke down along the hwy the day before too. They researched the time and pump according to my receipt. After a couple hours they called me back and said they indicated no water was was saying my water problem did not come from them. I called back and talked to someone else, they said the same thing. Not their fault even after I explained I drove in with no issues at all.

This corp office just happened to be 1 mile from this large Ford Dealer and I offered to bring a sample, they said don't bother as the front doors are locked! Seriously he did say that! At that point I hung up and made a factual post to their facebook page. Soon after someone from there wanted my contact information but I have heard nothing yet.

I want to give them an opportunity to do what I think is right before I publicly put the name out. Hope they do but after getting blown off by 2 customer reps on the phone I doubt it.

So they said if I had bad fuel I would have not even been able to drive off the lot even. However I had half a tank of good stuff, plus what was already in the fuel system. The gal jug showed that it holds about that so I know I had at least that much clean fuel. Then it probably took a few minutes for the contaminated fuel to mix with the good stuff too, and the water to sink, fill up my seperator, and stall me out? So driving 25 miles seems likely? I am only guessing as I am not a mechanic.

Before I left on this trip, which was about 1200 miles so far, I drained the seperator, and used Sea Foam in the tank. Always do this before a trip, or when letting the truck sit between trips.

So anyone care to comment? Do I have a right to complain and get some help from them? After counting my towing, repair, new fuel, I have over $2500 in this experience. Not even counting my lost day of work yesterday.

Thanks for listening.

Dean

[beemerphile1]

Star Gazer wrote:
I had submitted a complaint with the BBB in the Knoxville area. And again they denied that there was anyway I could have got water from them.

Let see, drove 300 miles on last tank to get there with no problems, then filled up and got 25 miles then brake down with water in fuel. Hmmmmmm wonder how else on earth that could of happened...

In original post it appears that maybe you spent the night at Pilot/Flying J? Any chance you pissed off someone due to the way you parked or some other reason and they gifted you several gallons of water while you slept?

[joebedford]

I fuel almost exclusively at FJ. If it's busy, I snaffle an overnight parking space and fuel in the morning. Our rig is really big - parking is a priority. I don't want to park in the truck area for fear of vandalism.

[mlts22]

At least this ended well. On a newer diesel truck, water in the fuel might cause enough damage for the insurance to total the vehicle.

[Star_Gazer]

I had submitted a complaint with the BBB in the Knoxville area. And again they denied that there was anyway I could have got water from them.

Let see, drove 300 miles on last tank to get there with no problems, then filled up and got 25 miles then brake down with water in fuel. Hmmmmmm wonder how else on earth that could of happened???

Not sure I even want to stop there and give them my chit anymore either. they certainly will not be getting another nickel for fuel.

Good news is my insurance company will cover the tow bills, AND the damage done. They will also go after Flying J for the cost.

Be careful where you stop for fuel!

[TEXAS]

I drove a service truck through four states for over thirty years. Got bad fuel myself at times. But unless you can prove that was your last fuel stop. Going to be very hard to get anything done.

Not defending FJ but those moniter systems can be very accurate. They can also check the tanks with a dip stick and Kolor Cut. A paste that will change colors as soon as it hits water.

[Star_Gazer]

Hi Bull, I was on the end of the row, tank fill was facing the store, under the big light. I wondered about that too. The reason I like FJ is it is always busy with people. I would rather put up with some traffic noise and be out front than say in the back corner in the dark.

But when I filled up and did my mpg calculations it was right on the money with what I had been getting.

I keep very detailed records, and all receipts too. Hope it pays off this time.

Dean

[Bull_Rider]

Vandalism? You said that you pulled in at night, and topped off in the morning. I'm wondering if someone gifted you a couple of gallons of water.

Also, this is a reminder to ALWAYS get a printed receipt when getting fuel/gas.

[j-d]

I stopped to try and help an RVer whose Duramax flamed out in a much more remote location. We were on Cassiar Highway, about 30 miles south of Alaska Highway. About the same distance from a fill-up. He had fueled at the junction of Cassiar and Alaska, at what I'll charitably call a Rustic Station. Area was still smoldering after a forest fire and luckily a ranger came by with a radio and initiated a call for a tow back to Watson Lake YT. Probably a 50-60-mile tow.

EDIT: For fuel, I'd suggest Watson Lake. The visitor center at the Sign Forest (gotta stop there and wander it) had a discount card for what I thought was called "RV Services" but it might have been "Nugget City" and they advertise "24-hour, pay-at-pump, Worry Free Diesel."

[Star_Gazer]

I made a post on the FJ facebook page while at the dealership getting repaired. They replied that they would like my phone # to contact me. Which I gave them mobile, and work, and email. Have heard nothing back. Sure wish I could get back on here and say they have done the right thing.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

This is where a serious flaw exists in our federal government. The fools on the hill want to regulate, tax and legislate every facet of our lives but institute a law that protects consumers? Not a chance in hell. Mexico gasolineras use a centrifugal separator that removes water out of fuel due the fuel spinning around in a drum like container. No power needed. I had ONE occurrence of water in my diesel and that happened in Sebastopol, California at an independent station 3 miles north of town. I have NEVER had a water problem in Mexico. I do not fill at areas that have recenty flooded.

[Star_Gazer]

I did not notice a delivery truck. I filled about 8:00am and it was not very busy. Had to use one those double sided fuel nozzles for the first, and last time too. At first thought maybe I put gas in the tank but a quick whiff assured me I didn't.

Manager says this diesel pumps fills from the car tanks, not the big rig tanks.

[beemerphile1]

Were they filling the tanks while you were pumping? I've always heard that you should not pump while they are filling the tanks because the filling stirs up water and debris.

[zedd]

$2500 is certainly nothing to sneeze at but If that had been a newer truck (2008 or newer) it probably woulda cost a lot more. It probably would have trashed the entire fuel system to the tune of about $10K, The newer systems are much more sensitive to water in the fuel. I hope you can get some compensation for it.

[Helmsey]

I wonder if they use seperate tank(s) for the RV lanes and the big truck island off to the left of them?

[buta4]

Call the BBB? Just a thought-can't hurt.