Bad gasoline, engine symptoms, possible engine breakdowns

Where does low-quality gasoline come from?

One of the main reasons is human greed. It manifests itself both at gas stations and among people who simply want to make money. At a gas station, gasoline can be diluted or a cheap additive can be added to it. In addition, the fuel may be dirty. Naturally, because of this, its positive properties suffer.

If we talk about people who sell gasoline cheaply, then there is banal theft of gasoline. As a rule, gasoline drained from different cars is poured into one container and sold. And it may contain both 92 and 100 gasoline. Due to a violation of the octane number, engine operation may be disrupted.

Consequences of refueling with low-quality gasoline

As practice shows, the consequences of refueling with low-quality fuel can be very different, but we tried to collect them, which we hasten to share with you:

• Rapid deterioration of the oil is observed, which subsequently increases wear and tear, and the engine may fail prematurely;
• The quality of spark plugs deteriorates;
• Problems appear with the catalyst;
• The operation of the fuel pump, knock sensor and fuel system is disrupted;
• There are problems with the injector (applies to cars with an injection engine);
• There are malfunctions in the oxygen sensor, etc.

As a result, the car owner will have to replace or clean almost all elements of the car that came into contact with “bad” fuel, which promises significant financial costs and a lot of wasted time.

Signs of bad gasoline

Bad fuel will never pass through the car without a trace. During operation, various signs of low-quality gasoline will certainly emerge. And here they are:

• misfires;
• check engine;
• errors on the oxygen sensor;
• power reduction;
• increased fuel consumption;
• unpleasant exhaust smell.

In general, the most important indicator of such fuel is that it burns poorly. And here one of the first signs suggests itself: misfires. Misfires are conditions in which the fuel in the combustion chamber does not ignite. This happens if the spark plug is faulty or the fuel itself has not burned. In this situation it is precisely the latter.

The instrument panel will not remain indifferent either. During misfires, the Check Engine may blink or stay on constantly. If this happened once and without consequences, it is recommended to read the errors. As a rule, the errors will include misfires on all cylinders and with a 90% probability there will be an error on the oxygen sensor. The oxygen sensor will immediately suspect something is wrong if the fuel is bad. After all, the exhaust will be of appropriate quality.

Naturally, against the backdrop of all this, there will be a serious decrease in power. Sometimes the car reacts very sluggishly to the gas pedal, or may even stall. On top of everything else, you can add increased fuel consumption.

Another interesting sign of bad fuel is the strong smell of exhaust gases. Try to gas it; if light-colored smoke comes out of the pipe, which was not there before, then you need to go to the pipe and sniff.

Already near the pipe there will be an unpleasant and very pungent smell. Typically, bad fuel smells as if it is something rotten. This smell manifests itself best indoors - for example, when starting the engine in the garage.

What are the symptoms of low-quality fuel?

The symptoms here are almost always the same on all machines:

Firstly, the power will drop, the car will not drive normally at all.

Secondly, the car will have difficulty starting. You turn off the engine, try to start it, but it doesn’t start the first time or doesn’t start at all.

Thirdly, constant and deep detonation, the engine will shake very strongly, it feels like it’s tripping or even double

Fourth, fuel consumption will increase (sometimes many times)

Fifth, errors may appear, everyone knows CHECK ENGINE

Sixth, if you unscrew the spark plugs, red or black soot will form on them.

What will be the consequences?

Driving on such fuel will definitely come back to haunt the car owner. First of all, the spark plugs will fail, which will simply be filled with bad gasoline in incredible quantities. After several hundred such passes, the insulator will break through, and they will simply stop working. In the worst case, it will break through the ignition coil.

The second unpleasant moment is contamination of the entire fuel system. From the tank to the injectors, bad gasoline will leave varnish deposits that are difficult to burn. And the worst thing is that they will make it difficult for normal gasoline to pass through the fuel line. And it’s good if it’s just a matter of cleaning and flushing the system. In the worst case, the injector will fail. And the cost of injectors sometimes exceeds 10 thousand rubles (1 piece).

Well, the last one is a catalyst. What is not burned in the combustion chamber will burn out in the catalyst and increase its temperature. Ultimately, these popping noises in the muffler will cause a nasty hole to appear in the system. And the worst case scenario is that the honeycombs are destroyed.

How to protect yourself from bad gasoline and diesel fuel?

It is quite difficult to protect yourself from such negative influences. All drivers know that even gas station chains, which everyone trusts, actively sell counterfeits instead of branded products, sometimes offering completely unimaginable gasoline and diesel fuel. The problem is that quality control in our country is at a very low level, and practically no imported gasoline is imported. There are several ways to protect yourself from possible problems:

• Avoid refueling at unfamiliar gas stations that look unremarkable, are not part of large chains and are located on the outskirts; it is these gas stations that often cause problems;
• refuel from one company, cars do not like constant changes in operating conditions, so refueling at different gas stations is always fraught with a number of technical troubles;
• do not buy suspiciously cheap products with discounts, this may be an attempt to sell an illiquid product, expired fuel, since they do not offer discounts on good liquids;
• stop chasing the price at gas stations - even a couple of rubles difference per 1 liter of fuel will not hit your pocket hard, but for a car it can be a big gift;
• do not skimp on maintenance - change the fuel filter on time and keep the injectors clean, otherwise even good gasoline will behave disgustingly in your car.

These are the simple recommendations given by experienced drivers who have already tried all the methods of buying gasoline in Russia. Despite this, even very large and reputable chains often sell terrible gasoline and dirty diesel fuel. There is no guarantee to avoid these troubles. Therefore, it’s logical to move on to another point, which is very necessary for owners of diesel cars, and sometimes it won’t hurt the owners of gasoline engines.

Is it possible to drive like this?

It is not advisable to drive on bad gasoline, based on the consequences above. But if the trip is not long, for example, to a normal gas station or service station, then you can go. The most important thing is not to try to squeeze everything out of the car. Gently press the gas and without sudden maneuvers. All the same, she will not be able to move as the car owner needs.

If the trip promises to be long, then you need to get rid of bad gasoline and flush the power system. Only after this can the car be returned to normal operation.

What to do if you fill in with low-quality fuel?

The very first thing to do when you notice symptoms of bad fuel is to fill up with good gasoline. It is better if its octane number is slightly higher than what you usually fill up with. It usually contains additives necessary for cleaning, which will help remove the remaining bad fuel from the system through dilution.

As a rule, this helps, but the best option would be to flush the entire system. To flush the injector, there are two ways:

• using the station;
• using additives.

The first method is applicable for service stations when there is special equipment for cleaning injectors. If you don’t have it, you can make it yourself from a plastic bottle and a compressor. The second method is suitable for almost everyone, especially if trouble occurs on the road.

If you refuel with bad gasoline, but managed to dilute it with good gasoline, you can flush the system and help the fuel burn using additives that increase the octane number. To do this, pour the appropriate additive into a full tank of gasoline in the proportions specified in the instructions and onto the highway. You need to drive the engine for a long time at high speeds. The track is the most ideal place for this.

To flush the system even better, you need to remove the gas tank. It is dismantled from the car, after which all the gasoline that is there is drained from it. It can no longer be used, but in the future it will do to wash something. After this, diesel fuel, various cleaners, and additives are poured into the gas tank and let it splash well. After this, all the contents must be poured out. The procedure is repeated until clean technical liquid pours out of the tank.

What do we have to do?

Urgently get rid of this fuel - pour everything out of the tank (rinse it) - flush the fuel system - clean the injectors - unscrew and inspect the spark plugs (clean them if necessary).

Moreover, if the car goes into overdrive, as they say (you start the engine, and it detonates like crazy), you shouldn’t torture it, it’s better to call a tow truck, or a friend with a tow, and go straight to the service station.

Many people mistakenly believe that they can dilute low-quality gasoline with normal gasoline by simply driving to a branded gas station and filling it with normal fuel - BUT THIS IS NOT SO! Gasoline can often fail to mix and the bad gas will remain at the bottom. Still, I advise you to rinse and clean it, it will be MUCH BETTER, the car will run longer.

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How to avoid refueling with bad fuel?

The best protection against bad gasoline is not to fill it up. But how to distinguish bad gasoline from good? First, you need to avoid untested gas stations. Bad gas stations immediately reveal themselves by their low prices or very strange licenses. As a rule, sellers are reluctant to show papers for the fuel they sell.

Secondly, bad fuel has a pungent and unpleasant odor. We have already talked about this. If the exhaust smells bad, then the gasoline itself will smell accordingly. So refuel only in trusted places and there will be no problems.

How to make sure that the fuel is of high quality and good?

Firstly, do not forget that cars love stable quality gasoline. Otherwise, you will still have to eliminate the consequences of low fuel quality. That is, you need to find a gas station where you will refuel for a long period of time. To do this, you can make a number of comments for each potentially good place to refuel. So, good fuel will have the following characteristics:

• not too low cost, since low price is a factor of popularity, all popular gas stations in Russia turn out to be not a very good place to buy gasoline;
• a network gas station often sells higher quality fuel than some single gas station in the middle of a small highway, but network stations also need to be chosen carefully;
• you can ask for advice from experienced drivers who will recommend you this or that gas station to buy fuel, this will be reliable information about the quality of the product;
• it is possible to use forums and specialized sites where drivers share their experience of refueling at certain gas stations, this will help you find the best option;
• You can also conduct your own small examination by checking the quality of gasoline at home; it will not take much time, but will cost some money.

To check gasoline yourself, you will have to buy the minimum possible amount of fuel at each gas station - at many stations it is 5 liters, sometimes 2 liters. The sample must be signed and prepared for testing under various conditions. There are different quality considerations for diesel and gasoline. Diesel fuel is usually placed in the refrigerator and freezer and tested for viscosity and the composition of various impurities. But you can check gasoline as they do in the following video:

How to claim compensation from a gas station?

If you become a victim of deception and fill up with bad gasoline, the gas station must answer for this misunderstanding. Rospotrebnadzor gave us complete instructions for action.

First of all, you must have a receipt. Without a receipt, any claims will be void. After detecting malfunctions, you must take the car to a service center and write a written complaint to the management of the gas station. Before starting repairs, gas station representatives must take fuel samples from the tank and send them for independent examination. If it confirms the poor quality of gasoline, then the gas station will bear the costs, otherwise the car owner will.

If there is no response to the claim, you can safely go to court and conduct an examination yourself.