edge130
Veteran Member
I am not surprised that VW is no longer paying for the lab tests. The billions they lost has decimated any "good will" gestures.
I would be interested in the specific procedure of obtaining the fuel sample.
As a former Building Technician, we had to periodically obtain diesel fuel samples from the underground diesel storage tanks. Since water is heavier than diesel and sinks to the bottom of the tank, the procedure was to secure a plastic sampling tube, say about 5" ( I forget the exact measurement) from the bottom of the tank stick. The other end of the tubing was connected to a hand operated vacuum pump with a test vial attached (similar to a mity mite suction suction pump. If the end if the tube was secured at the end of the tank stick, it could possibly pick up water at the bottom of the tank. You would wipe water detection paste on the bottom of the stick to see how much, if any, water was at the tank bottom. Suction lines in that tank, as well as pick up tubes on fuel pumps would always be positioned inches away from the bottom of the tank.
Even if there was a small amount of water on the bottom of the tank, the pick up tube would never go low enough to suck it up.
If it was me I would have an independent concern take a proper fuel sample, and then analyze it, under their custody.
A poorly obtained sample would unlikely yield a credible test result.
Unfortunately since there is never any "chain of custody" procedures with these matters,
what would prevent someone from adding water into a customer's fuel tank to "poison" the initial fuel test. Although unlikely, doesn't mean an unscrupulous dealer could do this to obtain "customer dollars" vs "warranty dollars"
I did the buyback out of fear of likely future very expensive repair bills, also knowing that the " Goodwill" well would be dried up
I have saved every diesel receipt , along with writing down the odometer reading for every fill up for all the 8 years I had the car. I never did, but if I obtained bad fuel, I would know where it likely came from.
I would be interested in the specific procedure of obtaining the fuel sample.
As a former Building Technician, we had to periodically obtain diesel fuel samples from the underground diesel storage tanks. Since water is heavier than diesel and sinks to the bottom of the tank, the procedure was to secure a plastic sampling tube, say about 5" ( I forget the exact measurement) from the bottom of the tank stick. The other end of the tubing was connected to a hand operated vacuum pump with a test vial attached (similar to a mity mite suction suction pump. If the end if the tube was secured at the end of the tank stick, it could possibly pick up water at the bottom of the tank. You would wipe water detection paste on the bottom of the stick to see how much, if any, water was at the tank bottom. Suction lines in that tank, as well as pick up tubes on fuel pumps would always be positioned inches away from the bottom of the tank.
Even if there was a small amount of water on the bottom of the tank, the pick up tube would never go low enough to suck it up.
If it was me I would have an independent concern take a proper fuel sample, and then analyze it, under their custody.
A poorly obtained sample would unlikely yield a credible test result.
Unfortunately since there is never any "chain of custody" procedures with these matters,
what would prevent someone from adding water into a customer's fuel tank to "poison" the initial fuel test. Although unlikely, doesn't mean an unscrupulous dealer could do this to obtain "customer dollars" vs "warranty dollars"
I did the buyback out of fear of likely future very expensive repair bills, also knowing that the " Goodwill" well would be dried up
I have saved every diesel receipt , along with writing down the odometer reading for every fill up for all the 8 years I had the car. I never did, but if I obtained bad fuel, I would know where it likely came from.
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