OOPS Misfueling is it common
Submitted: Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 22:45
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Member - Wayne B (NSW)
I felt like a complete goose. Called at
Caltex servo on a recent Trip. They were selling Vortex Diesel. The pump has two nozzles one ULP and One Vortex. A large
sign saying Vortex Diesel was displayed above the pump.
I was in a hurry and picked up the vortex pump and proceeded to fill the reserve
tank on my HJ80. Went in to pay for the fuel, fortunately I did not know the pump number and I told the girl the vortex Diesel pump. She looked at me and said sir you have put Vortex Premium in the car not Diesel.
You have got to be kidding was my reply, out I went to check, sure enough there was the diesel nozzle mounted on the side of the pump. The other two nozzles were mounted on the front of the pump.
A guy came out from town and pumped out the fuel from the
tank fortunately I has only 50 liters in the
tank. Filled her up with DIESEL and we were on our way 2hrs later. No damage only to my pride.
I really think
Caltex should change the name of the Diesel to something other then Vortex. This would minimize any confusion. I Know I Know the Diesel pump has a handle that you have to lift ect ect ect, but I was not thinking of that at the time.
The servo attendant said it happens all the time and the number of people who just drive off after being told what they have done is amazing some dont get too far down the road before doing serious damage to the engine.
Reply By: rosie bell - Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 22:55
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 22:55
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Reply By: D200Dug- Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 22:55
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 22:55
I have put a few liters of unleaded into Margo's peugeot before realizing, It is not uncommon.
I would like to see stand alone diesel pumps but I guess they are not economic
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432841
Follow Up By: rosie bell - Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:02
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:02
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703595
Reply By: Dave B ( BHQ NSW) - Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:13
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:13
I have done the same too Wayne.
2 things peed me off about it.
One was my own stupidity for not looking and reading the
sign above the pump handle.
Two was the fact that I didn't just waste 60 ltrs. of "cheap" petrol, it was the expensive Premium fuel.
I think the reason I put the wrong fuel in was that I normally fill up here at home with the pump with the black handle.
As it turned out in my case, and probably yours too, was the Vortex had a black handle.
I think all the diesel nozzles should have a distinctive and common colour coding regardless of what brand.
Maybe red & yellow stripes or something that stands out.
I would hate to think how many $$$$ this mistake costs every week around Australia.
That scenario would have gone down
well in the old Toyota ad.
Look at the fuel pump then look at the vehicle, "Bugga !!!!"
Dave
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - T N (Qld) - Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:35
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:35
Rosie?.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: TerraFirma - Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:47
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:47
Rosie's feeling a little embarassed right now, she thought about doin a "3rd time Lucky" but the goose is on her.! LOL
It seems more people are doing it than poor Rosie can keep up with..! LOL
FollowupID:
703600
Follow Up By: Gazal Champion - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 17:32
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 17:32
Hi Dave,
I agree with the colour coding of fuel pumps at service stations as this is a problem for many people.
When trying to find which pump is diesel, or which pump is gas and you are traveling along the road looking for a service station selling gas it is impossible to see so you pull in only to find the required pump is almost impossible to get at with a 20 foot van on the back. Luckily the diesel pumps are located where they can be got at by trucks but the gas pumps are poorly located sometimes and often even less conspicuous.
Lets start a movement to have no fuels mixed on the one pump and to have all bowsers clearly colour coded with the same colour code across the nation irrespective of fuel company.
Cheers, Bruce.
| At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
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Reply By: Flynnie - Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:13
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:13
Very common. I mentioned it on thread 81615.
Happened at the
Caltex at
Moonbi. Not to me but someone I know. Reportedly the mechanic who drained the
tank said they get about three a week. It might have been the driver of the tow vehicle - whatever.
Reportedly
Caltex is being lobbied to change the name of diesel Vortex to lessen the confusion.
I look VERY carefully at the pumps now.
Flynnie
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Gazal Champion - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 17:44
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 17:44
Hi Flynnie,
You would think that if it happens that regularly someone would realize there is a problem and carefully look at it. But No... they must be idiots ( the ones making the mistake). The idiot is the one who knows there is a problem and blithely ignores it.
Cheers, Bruce
| At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.Lifetime Member
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Reply By: Shaker - Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:15
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 at 23:15
Even if they removed the name Vortex completely, it would still be
Caltex Premium &
Caltex Diesel.
I nearly got fuelled incorrectly myself once, but luckily noticed the small diameter of the unleaded pump nozzle before dispensing any fuel.
AnswerID:
432845
Reply By: Richard W (NSW) - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 06:32
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 06:32
Happened to me in Kunanurra.
In NSW BP diesel bowser nossle handles are usually black. On this pump the diesel was white and the petrol black so I grabbed the black one without reading the label. Put 10L in the 40L auxilliary
tank before I realised. Didn't want to take any chances so I had the
tank emptied. Now I always double check the pump and the nossle.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Sigmund - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 06:41
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 06:41
Done it too. Green pump handle turned out to be diesel when I wanted ULP.
Was on the motorbike so could just remove the
tank and empty it.
Did in front of about 20 club members. Redface day.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Road Warrior - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:34
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:34
Yeah I've nearly been caught like this as
well at BP. They have BP ultimate premium unleaded, but they also have ultimate diesel, sometimes with the hoses co-located in the same bowser unit. The branding differentiation between the two isnt enough to tell the difference at a quick glance. In years gone by they used to be colour coded and quite clearly different. Then again they used to have more products available at the bowsers years ago like BP Zoom 50 (outboard fuel) and kero etc.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Bushranger1 - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 06:54
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 06:54
Yep I did it to!!
Put Petrol in my diesel but fortunatly I realised at about the 5 litre mark so stopped & topped up the rest with diesel. Bought a bottle of upper cylinder lube just to help the injector pump cope with the 5 litres of petrol mixed in & drove it.
Might be my imagination but I reckon it gave the injectors a good clean out.
My mate was not so lucky. He did the same but didn't realise & drove the truck till it stopped. Cost him quite a bit in repairs & towing too.
I agree that some sort of standard color coding would be the go.
AnswerID:
432855
Follow Up By: Gazal Champion - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 17:49
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 17:49
Hi Bushranger,
Would you believe that my diesel injector guy suggested that I run a litre or two of petrol (mixed in with the diesel) through the turbo motor once in a blue moon to clean out the pump and injectors.
I had always understood that this was at your peril. Search me, I am even more confussed than I was before and I did not think that was possible.
Cheers, Bruce.
| At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.Lifetime Member
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Reply By: landed eagle - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 07:14
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 07:14
I don't see why the petrol stations can't have nozzles that have a big metal or moulded plastic 'D' in the top of the handle.
Colour coding is ok as long as you're not colour blind.Or they could put the 'diesel' on the full length of the hose in
bright lettering.
If it went from the bowser to the nozzle only the first couple of feet would get dirty after a while.There would be enough left to identify what fuel it was dispensing.
All it will need is someone with the where-with-all to sue a servo for the destruction of an engine and it will happen overnight Australia wide.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 09:40
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 09:40
Why would anybody sue for their own mistake?
Thousands of people everyday, manage to refuel their diesels without incident.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Hairs & Fysh - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:41
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:41
Mate,
it's the world we live in these days Shaker,
Don't you know?
Nobody is responsible for their own acts. (insert Sarcasm)
In a world of litigation, it's only a matter of time that someone sues.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Wokwon - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 08:05
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 08:05
Every diesel pump I have used has required me to lift a flap to get the pump to start. If you didn't have to lift the flap, wouldn't that be a hint?
Admittedly I only tend to use BP and
Caltex stations so there could be other stations or pump manuf. that don't have the flap thing.
I have a different problem: people (usually in light trucks) tell me when I'm filling up my VW "Thats diesel mate, you don't want that". Often they wait till I'm finished filling and then tell me with a huge grin. I usually make up some bull bleep story "...that a guy at the pub told me he gets great fuel economy on diesel and that I thought I would try it..."
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: OREJAP - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 09:06
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 09:06
Yeah you are correct lift the flap for diesel but what happens when the pump handles are the same colour & someone changes over the nozzles by putting the nozzle into the wrong slot!!! I try and fill up at the truck pumps bigger nozzle & quicker fill also stops unleaded going into diesel
tank.....yep I'm a goose too!!
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Gazal Champion - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 18:14
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 18:14
Hi Wokwon,
Where I live on the Mid North Coast of NSW there is only one servo with the lift up flap. All the rest are normal. First time I came across it I thought it was broken.
With so many having this problem it tells me there is a problem with product identification at the bowsers. The people here who have admitted making that mistake are just
the tip of the iceburg.
Cheers, Bruce.
| At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.Lifetime Member
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Follow Up By: Glenndini - Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 02:04
Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 02:04
I've been driving a diesel for seven years and have only ever come across this lift up flap thing about 3 times. Took me a while to figure out what it was. It must be a regional thing.
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Follow Up By: Wokwon - Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 07:53
Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 07:53
I'm happy to be corrected here.
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Follow Up By: Glenndini - Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 10:24
Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 10:24
I think most of us agree that it's the fuel companies that need correcting. These types of non-uniformity and differences just add further to the opportunity for confusion and refuelling stuff ups.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - david m2 (SA) - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 09:13
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 09:13
this may sound a bit stupid but I always sniff the end of the nossle . You soon telll if you get the wrong one.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 09:41
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 09:41
Aren't the petrol nozzles a much smaller diameter?
Might pay to look instead of sniffing fuel fumes.
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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 12:22
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 12:22
Shaker ,the answer is NO , most so called sevice stations [ oxymoron as they no longer give any vehicle 'service' ] have changed their diesel bowsers on the forcourt to the same size nozzel as petrol , too many manufacturers now have identical vehicles in both petrol and diesel , big
bore / highflow bowsers designed for trucks are generally kept of the forecourt.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 16:20
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 16:20
I don't know where you are, but in Victoria all the unleaded pump nozzles are a smaller diameter than the standard diesel nozzle, the high flow is bigger again.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 16:03
Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 16:03
Shaker ,in QLD , all the nozzel sizes are the same EXCEPT for the highflow diesel ,
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Reply By: Alloy c/t - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:43
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 11:43
Its about time Australia brought in uniform colour coding and signage for diesel /unleaded , and before someone shouts that we dont need more legislation , we obviously do as the confusion surrounding something as simple as refueling a vehicle would be laughable if it was not such a problem , Legislate or bring back the young/old bloke/girl/ woman that filled your tank for you when you pulled up to the bowser , cleaned you windscreen and checked all fluids , When a so called 'service station' gave SERVICE.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Mark G Gulmarrad - Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 09:39
Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 09:39
Alloy c/t
Diesel nozzles have the word WARNING DIESEL on the handle.......if people cant read for themselves then they surely need to stay off the road
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Reply By: chisel - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 17:32
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 17:32
How is this handled (if at all) in other countries? There is a high percentage of diesel cars in europe, and I've travelled there a bit myself, but I don't recall seeing any difference in bowsers/hoses.
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Reply By: Muntoo - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 18:17
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 18:17
I can feel the difference, diesel pumps are always greasy, petrol always clean.
Not hard to tell the difference. Its not hard to
check before you start filling is it that you have the right hose. Its a simple mistake that lots of people make though. I must admit, that i always just grab the black handled pump and start fillling, but i always know that its diesel cause i can feel it.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Wilko - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 18:31
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 18:31
Hi Wayne,
I did it as
well but I put diesel in a petrol Hilux. It was on a
mine site where they didn't even have a petrol bowser. I just filled her up and copped it from all and sundry till someone else did something sillier.
While we live we learn.
Cheers Wilko
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Gazal Champion - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 18:32
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 18:32
A couple of years ago I was talking to a service station manager in town and he said "you can tell the ones on gas, they start rubber-necking about 100 yards before they get to the service station, looking for the Gas pump."
As I have had a number of gas powered vehicles these last 12 years or so I could relate to his comments.
It only goes to prove that there is inadequate labeling of the bowsers and very often poor location of same, from my personal experience.
Clear colour coding and large colour boards attached to each bowser would overcome most of the problems with poor identification.
Regards, Bruce.
| At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.Lifetime Member
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Reply By: Member - Wayne B (NSW) - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 20:06
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 20:06
I feel a lot better now seeing I was not the only Goose. In fact there seems to be a flock of geese around here. Cheers
Wayne
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Reply By: Nutta - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 20:42
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 20:42
I've been silly enough to do it too.
We definitely need more pumps for starters, and i cant understand the warning signs on diesel pumps when the petrol actually causes more damage to diesels and the diesel doesn't really damage petrol's, go figure.
.
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Reply By: landseka - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 22:23
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 22:23
I have been to many stations where the 'flap' does not work & needs no attention to get the pump working.
In this day & age, how hard would it be to design pump nozzles and tank fillers to the effect that it is physically impossible to insert the wrong nozzle into a filler?
Cheers Neil
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Reply By: Rockape - Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 23:03
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2010 at 23:03
Wayne,
don't worry about putting the wrong product in the tank accidently, you gotta try this one.
Fill with 900 litres of diesel, grab a burger and coffee, fill in the logbook and then drive away, drive a 1000k and then go HANG ON! I don't remember paying for the fuel. I then rang the servo and said something like, did someone do a runner with a huge amount of diesel and the answer comes back Yes! bloody black truck with a white pan and the men in blue are looking for it. I then asked for the main man and explained to him that I forget things at times, especially when it comes to money. All was ok with him once I explained.
Little while back I put my 200:1 2 stroke oil in my diesel, then it clicked this oil smells wrong half way through filling, it was engine oil.
Have a good one and just join the human "stuffup" race, cause we all do that. LOL
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Follow Up By: Dave(NSW) - Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 11:06
Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 11:06
Good one Rockape,
I fueled up at Yass one night and payed with the fuel card and thought no more about it just headed out for
Melbourne, The next morning I got a phone call from the servo saying that they made a mistake and had charged me for about $50 worth of petrol and tried to charge some guy for about $1400 worth of Diesel LOL I would have loved to have seen the look on his face when he went to pay for his fuel.
Cheers Dave.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Old Girl (QLD) - Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 22:12
Thursday, Oct 14, 2010 at 22:12
ha ive been dreading this happening to me. The last couple of months I've been driving the TD80, blow up Nissan now with a chev petrol motor in it and the new TDV8. Such an easy mistake to be made as both pumps are next to each other.
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