bad diesel up the cape warning

Submitted: Monday, Oct 17, 2011 at 20:06

ThreadID: 89602 Views:3616 Replies:5 FollowUps:11

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Cape York

This is the true 4WD journey to the tip of Cape York following the Old Telegraph Track (OTT) and its many challenging river crossings.

Cape York

Section: Treks

This is the true 4WD journey to the tip of Cape York following the Old Telegraph Track (OTT) and its many challenging river crossings.

socket

just a heads up for anyone heading up the cape. i have just returned from there, i bought diesel from musgrave and laura . not sure which one has the problem but it is one of them . water and filter blocking crap was my experience . at a guess laura but not sure .

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Reply By: Been-Everywhereman - Monday, Oct 17, 2011 at 22:42

Monday, Oct 17, 2011 at 22:42

If you are not sure where you received your misfortune it may have been better to contact the places you think it was and inform them that they may have contaminated fuel and i am sure they will check it out asap.

It is in their best interest not to receive bad publicity.

Call them and let them know......

They will appreciate the feedback......

AnswerID: 467897

Follow Up By: Member - Joe n Mel n kids (FNQ - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 00:38

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 00:38

yes .... it is highly possible it has nothing at all to do with what they supplied, you dont know you have a problem until it finally becomes fully blocked and then you get trouble, that could well be from some bad fuel way back even up to 2000klms away but you will NEVER know until the last few Kays when it finally hits the fully blocked stage ...
Point is be very careful what you post, it is not easy to run a business in the bush and the last thing remote people need i is "bad press" it may well be the breaking point and we certainally DONT need less fuel stops in remote areas, it brings only two things, higher prices and less options.. if that is what you want then go for it but ????
Cheers
Joe

FollowupID: 742055

Follow Up By: socket - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 07:43

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 07:43

brand new filters fitted in cairns , pre and main , only rear tank has problem, only put fuel in rear tank at these spots. dont think we need columbo to work it out thanks

FollowupID: 742060

Follow Up By: Kev - Member - Wynnum - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 08:57

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 08:57

Hi,

I agree with the previous posts you should at least contact both the companies to let them know. Then ascertain which one allegedly gave you the heartache.
Hanging a cloud over two usually reputable fuel stops does nothing to instil confidence in the touring public.
I'm sure that Columbo would get to the nitty gritty.

Kev

FollowupID: 742064

Follow Up By: anglepole - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 12:00

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 12:00

I cannot comment on this particular case, however I have travelled 10s of thousands of Kms in the bush and have picked up "bad fuel"which has cost me many dollars to rectify.

When I have approached the fuel supplier they usually deny every thing. They do not wish to be liable.

I only buy from major oil companies from pumps that are filled by the agent.

FollowupID: 742075

Follow Up By: BrownyGU - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 13:20

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 13:20

I think Socket is just trying to give fellow travellers a heads up before travelling up that way, not trying to bring them to there knees. I have just returned from there also, and had no problems with fuel other than paying $2.20 in Bamaga......Yeeouch!

Thanks Socket......Browny

FollowupID: 742089

Follow Up By: Tjukayirla Roadhouse - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 13:34

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 13:34

doesn't take much to make a business hurt. Especially when it comes to fuel, as it is alot of people either drive straight past these places and fill up with jerries, or stop and buy as little as possible.
Accusing them of bad fuel before even attempting to get the bottom of it is very very poor form.

Cheers
Al

FollowupID: 742091

Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 13:46

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 13:46

A good mate of mine got a load of "bad fuel" in his Nissan Patrol (mid 90's model) from a remote area supplier, cost him few dollars to get towed to where he could have the fuel pump repaired and a few dollars more for the repair and of course draining contaminated fuel and re-filling. Needless to he was not happy with the inconvenience and substantial cost. He tried ringing the supplier directly and got told that if he didn't like their service don't come back. Unfortunately as has been said and in the instances I have seen first hand the first response has always been deny everything.
Personally I have fitted an aftermarket water and sediment filter and not relied on the standard filters which in my opinion are fine for most situations but not designed to cope with maybe half a tank full of God knows what quality fuel.

Cheers Pop

FollowupID: 742092

Follow Up By: socket - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 19:52

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 19:52

well in the future i will just keep quiet ah, let everyone work it out themselves .

FollowupID: 742135

Follow Up By: Bigfish - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 20:12

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 20:12

I,m with you Socket. Having new filters and only filling up at either of these 2 places certainly indicates that bad fuel went in at one of em. Seems to me that you came to a logical conclusion. I would have deduced the same.
Regardless of what you say to the fuel sellers owners ..they will deny that they have ever had bad fuel and that no-one has ever complained. Of course!
Some people will listen to what you have to say and take notice. Others will dispell it as crap.
Personally I reckon its great hearing about the different service/quality at various destinations. I also have a an extra filter in my troopy because of the crap fuel that can be dished out from sellers.
Dirty fuel wont hurt a common-rail engine so why heed someones experience at a particular site!!! Many thousands of dollars can easily get blown trying to fix these highly complex machines.
I reckon pop2jocem is on the money...get extra aftermarket filters.
cheers

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FollowupID: 742140

Follow Up By: get outmore - Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011 at 04:32

Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011 at 04:32

mightnt necc have been bad fuel as such

i know this is a "mates" story but a guy i was with tells the story of fuelling in Coolgardie , as he pulled in the fuel trucjk drove out. didnt think anything of it abut straight away after filling the fuel filters totally clogged

he puts it down to the filling stirring up sediment in the tank.

Personally ive never had issues with bad fuel and the only vehicle ive worked on that did had bacteria or something. The canister pre filter was full of grey snot

FollowupID: 742199

Reply By: John Davies - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 11:19

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 11:19

Hi socket,

In Laura where did you get the fuel from ? The store or the Roadhouse ?
I bought fuel from the store 2 weeks ago and have had no problems. And as my vehicle is a common rail diesel, bad fuel will show up quite quickly.

Regards

John D

AnswerID: 467926

Follow Up By: Member - Jorgen S (QLD) - Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 20:37

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 at 20:37

Who do I believe? Bigfish is claiming that dirty fuel won't hurt a common rail engine, but Socket is saying that dirty fuel will show up quickly.
Who is right?

erik

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FollowupID: 742150

Reply By: bibtracker - Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011 at 01:10

Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011 at 01:10

Get a Mr Funnel. About $70 for the 19-litres a minute model. Filters out water/crap. Cheap insurance, I reckon. BCF sells them. Cheers, Tony

AnswerID: 468027

Reply By: edwin - Thursday, Oct 20, 2011 at 15:00

Thursday, Oct 20, 2011 at 15:00

bought fuel from musgrave about a week ago and all is well,very friendly service despite being 39c at 4 pm,still up the cape and will probably need to fuel up there again in a few days,didnt stop at laura

AnswerID: 468139

Reply By: Member - Pedro the One - Saturday, Oct 22, 2011 at 23:58

Saturday, Oct 22, 2011 at 23:58

Similar experience for me .............

Travelled from Weipa on a three months prospecting trip to NW goldfields.
Troopy was fully serviced and fuelled in Weipa, dual tanks fitted and filled.
Filled the main only with 70+ litres diesel at Laura RH.
Notice a vague 'feeling' of something wrong after about an hour or so from Laura , dis-regarded it (almost) as corrugations, but then hit sealed roads and experienced 'occassional misses' ........
Then engine stoppages when slowing down .................. finally, travelling down the Kuranda Highway the dangerous stalling and stopping set in.
Could only re-start with a rolling start ............. extremely bad stuff on that very dangerous road.
Immediate visit the next morning to a qualified and reputable diesel service workshop in Cairns confirmed ............... guess what ....... contaminated fuel.!!!
Drained tank, two filters later and I was very lucky that it didn't get to my fuel pump.

(No ... I didn't contact the Laura RH - I know that the response was going to be complete denial. In retrospect ............. I should have done so.)

BUT, there is no doubt what-so-ever of the cause .............dirty fuel from the Laura RH !!!

I am thankful that the problem showed up before I was in my goldfield, 200 kms NW of Richmond .......... normally I prospect solo so you can imagine the trouble I would have had. As it was, I prospected with others so I was reasonably covered.

And, WILL be fitting that second in-line filter before my next trip !!

AnswerID: 468372