Gasoline from Diesel Pump @ BP?

[2004Nick]

Well it happened to me @ the BP station in Lake City Florida back in Feb.
We pulled into the clearly marked DIESEL PUMP (green hose and handle)
with our 2004 MB SPRINTER campervan. Cheerfullly pumped $78 worth
and went on our way--for about a mile. Got towed to a shop which was not
really equipped for pumping gas out of a diesel tank and storing it. Tried
SIPHONING into cans which worked for about 30% of the full tank. Then had to
use the in tank electric pump to get the rest. That worked ok untill low tide in
the tank and the submersed pump beganoverheating and shutting off. No choice but to carry on after cool down and eventually got it all. I always carry
a spare filter so 3 hours and $300 later (not to mention the wasted $78 worth if GAS!! we were back on the road with no other consequences so far.
Unpleasant experience with no help or compensation from BP of course. So now
I give the fuel a VERY GOOD SMELL TEST EVERY TIME. Hate to think what
that would have done to my Jetta BEW !!! E caveat emptor--"let the buyer
beware" ESPECIALLY AT BP STATIONS. Word of mouth is it happens LOTS!!!!

 

[2004Nick]

I trust nobody will rag me for posting in the wrong area----"Alternative fuels" indeed!!

 

[Softrockrenegade]

Any bp iv been to has green handles for gasoline and black for diesel .

 

[DubFamily]

BP uses green handles for all their gas pumps because it is their company color.

 

[JSWTDI09]

Pump handle color is MEANINGLESS! Do not pay any attention to pump handle color. Look for the sticky pump handles, read the signs, and sniff the nozzle end. I have successfully pumped diesel fuel from green, black and yellow pump handles, and I have also seen all of these colors on gasoline pumps. There is no standard color code for pump handles in the USA. This is one of the few areas in life where it can actually be useful to be color blind.

Have Fun!

Don

 

[nicklockard]

I once filled up with diesel and my car ran like total crap. I'm certain it was the diesel pump because it was my regular pump at my regular station, and I always visually confirm "diesel" words. I'm convinced that the fuel truck delivery guys pump the wrong fuel, and I think it happens WAAAAAAAAAY more frequently than you'd imagine. I'd wager it's probably responsible for most HPFP deaths, even.

 

[naturist]

Pump handle color is MEANINGLESS! Do not pay any attention to pump handle color. Look for the sticky pump handles, read the signs, and sniff the nozzle end. I have successfully pumped diesel fuel from green, black and yellow pump handles, and I have also seen all of these colors on gasoline pumps. There is no standard color code for pump handles in the USA. This is one of the few areas in life where it can actually be useful to be color blind.

Have Fun!

Don

Just for emphasis: PUMP HANDLE COLOR IS MEANINGLESS!!!

You know, just for those who missed it the first time.

The ONLY way to know which pump you are using is to READ THE F**ING sign, and the only way to be sure even then is to sniff the nozzle. And if the station actually had a pump LABELED "diesel" but dispensing gas, they are legally liable for any damage. And they know it, and will nearly always both fess up and pay up without much protest. If they resisted liability, it is probably because they know the pump(s) actually had the right stuff in 'em and are prepared to prove it in court, making it (probably) a case of "operator error."

And yes, @Nick, I'm sure delivery jockey's putting the wrong thing in a station's tanks happens more often than anyone knows. Damn good thing, that "dilution" business. And why, should I ever have a similar episode, my first act, after determining that I've gotten crap fuel, will be to hire a mechanic (aka "witness") to go with me straight to the pump to collect a sample for testing, BEFORE I say a word to the station owner, and even before draining my tank to repair the damage.

 

[n1das]

Just another reason to fuel up only at high volume / high turnover stations along major routes. I look for the busiest truck stops along major routes. I try to always go where the big rigs go to fuel up. At these stations a fuel problem would likely be caught early and quickly corrected before a lot of truck engines get damaged.

 

[South Coast Guy]

Pump handle color is MEANINGLESS! Do not pay any attention to pump handle color. Look for the sticky pump handles, read the signs, and sniff the nozzle end. I have successfully pumped diesel fuel from green, black and yellow pump handles, and I have also seen all of these colors on gasoline pumps. There is no standard color code for pump handles in the USA. This is one of the few areas in life where it can actually be useful to be color blind.

Have Fun!

Don

Ditto on the Connecticut Interstate.

 

[tdiatlast]

...and I would add that singling out BP is probably not fair. This sort of "fail" could happen anywhere incompetence lurks...which means...anywhere!

 

[JSWTDI09]

...and I would add that singling out BP is probably not fair. This sort of "fail" could happen anywhere incompetence lurks...which means...everywhere!

Fixed it for you.

Have Fun!

Don

 

[Seatman]

We've just had a similar thing over here at a supermarket but it was diesel in the petrol tanks. The supermarket is footing the bill though to get it all sorted out. It was a tanker driver put it in the wrong place.

 

[DPM]

twice, I believe- Sainsbury and then Tesco.

 

[naturist]

Dunno how it is in Scotland, but here in the states fueling stations have the underground storage tanks all in the same hole, side by side, with the access covers in a row, side by side, and distinguished by different color paint on the cover. All it takes is one color-blind delivery truck driver, and you've got the wrong stuff in the hole. Throw in a little fatigue, a dab of sloth, some boredom, and you know it's gonna happen one day. And of course, just as likely to get diesel in the gas as vice versa.

The stations all have insurance, 'cause when it does happen, there are generally a LOT of expensive repairs to cover. All we as consumers can do to protect ourselves is pay attention we got the right pump, sniff the nozzle, and make sure we keep the receipt for tanking up, just in case.

 

[Trebor46]

TDI Missfueling

We are in Ottawa, dead tired. See a Macewen on Bank Street off Highway 417. Roll in and fuel up from the green nozzle. Few miles later we are stuck on the side of the ramp that splits off to Montreal. 20 minutes for the tow truck. Tow truck driver knew where I stopped for fuel before I even tried to explain what happened. Said it happens 8-10 times a month from that gas station. With a plethora of new diesel cars coming in the next few years you would think the oil companies would meet to standardize pumps? Insurance COMPANIES would complain to oil companies? They don't care.

SMELL THE NOZZLE

Anyone know if they have standardized nozzles in Europe?

 

[naturist]

We are in Ottawa, dead tired. See a Macewen on Bank Street off Highway 417. Roll in and fuel up from the green nozzle. Few miles later we are stuck on the side of the ramp that splits off to Montreal. 20 minutes for the tow truck. Tow truck driver knew where I stopped for fuel before I even tried to explain what happened. Said it happens 8-10 times a month from that gas station. With a plethora of new diesel cars coming in the next few years you would think the oil companies would meet to standardize pumps? Insurance COMPANIES would complain to oil companies? They don't care.

SMELL THE NOZZLE

Anyone know if they have standardized nozzles in Europe?

@Trebor46, see my first post in this thread: PUMP HANDLE COLOR IS MEANINGLESS. It is so in the US. It is so in Canada as well. Do not EVER fuel up based on the pump handle color. And yes, smell the nozzle, too.

 

[Fixmy59bug]

Boy am I glad I fill up at a truck station where diesel pumps are FAR separated from gasoline pumps and the Bio (B10, B20, and B99) pumps are even farther separated.

 

[tdiatlast]

We are in Ottawa, dead tired. See a Macewen on Bank Street off Highway 417. Roll in and fuel up from the green nozzle. Few miles later we are stuck on the side of the ramp that splits off to Montreal. 20 minutes for the tow truck. Tow truck driver knew where I stopped for fuel before I even tried to explain what happened. Said it happens 8-10 times a month from that gas station. With a plethora of new diesel cars coming in the next few years you would think the oil companies would meet to standardize pumps? Insurance COMPANIES would complain to oil companies? They don't care.

SMELL THE NOZZLE

Anyone know if they have standardized nozzles in Europe?

Was there no sign designating the fuel(s) for each pump handle? I don't understand, tired or not, pumping without looking at the label. Regardless of color, if I want 87 octane, or 93 octane, I look at the sign, and even follow the hose to make sure it's the correct one.

I'm glad I picked good parents that (!) that taught me to pay attention.

 

[waspie]

Was there no sign designating the fuel(s) for each pump handle? I don't understand, tired or not, pumping without looking at the label. Regardless of color, if I want 87 octane, or 93 octane, I look at the sign, and even follow the hose to make sure it's the correct one.

I'm glad I picked good parents that (!) that taught me to pay attention.

i quoted you because there's no like button. look at the F@!#!$! sign!

 

[NarfBLAST]

Asking for standard pump handle colours is like asking for all cop cars to be back and white and taxicabs to be yellow. Never going to happen. Beware. Some taxicabs are red white blue or green and some police cars are blue maroon yellow or fuchsia. These colours are subject to change without notice.
!

 

[UNsweet]

I was thinking about this while driving yesterday. Green is the most common designation at stations aside from BP. The big signs outside with prices - diesel was in green, the pump handles are green. Everything I saw on the drive was green=diesel.

That said, because I accidentally pumped premium because my two shell stations had their buttons opposite of one another... i always look. Always.

But I can see the basis for the green.

The last diesel I owned was a 96 Dodge truck - back then, out in CA i had 2 stations to buy at - it was never a problem.

 

[Seatman]

All our petrol pump handles are green and the diesel ones are black as well as that it's clearly written above each hose what should come out.

Nick, did you not contact the garage and tell them what happened? You should do as more often it's not until someone gets the wrong fuel from the right pump that the garage finds out the tanker driver put the fuel in the wrong place.

 

[Trebor46]

Update on my missfuelling

We are in Ottawa, dead tired. See a Macewen on Bank Street off Highway 417. Roll in and fuel up from the green nozzle. Few miles later we are stuck on the side of the ramp that splits off to Montreal. 20 minutes for the tow truck. Tow truck driver knew where I stopped for fuel before I even tried to explain what happened. Said it happens 8-10 times a month from that gas station. With a plethora of new diesel cars coming in the next few years you would think the oil companies would meet to standardize pumps? Insurance COMPANIES would complain to oil companies? They don't care.

SMELL THE NOZZLE

Anyone know if they have standardized nozzles in Europe?

Just got the car back from the dealer. Total bill $6500. Thank God I had first class insurance company.

 

[Trebor46]

You have no idea how I have been beating myself over this.

 

[naturist]

You have no idea how I have been beating myself over this.

Your sins are forgiven, my son, go forth and sin no more (ie, PAY ATTENTION to the SIGN -- but you know that now, yes?). And if you find a diesel nozzle that smells like gasoline, do not use it, and tell the station attendant that they have a major problem in the offing.

(Let's see now, 15,000 gallons of unusable fuel at $3.50 a gallon, that's $52,500 in fuel down the drain, plus disposal costs . . . estimate, what, a hundred cars to repair at an average of . . . yup, sounds like a major problem to me.)

That the total bill was $6500 tells me that they replaced the entire fuel system, injectors, high pressure fuel pump, all the lines, fuel filter and filter head, probably (if they did it right) the tank, too.

This is clearly not an expense anyone in their right mind would like to bear, but it is a Poster Child for the concept of being careful to get the Right Stuff when you visit the go-juice store.

 

[Bugdoc]

In my almost 40 years of driving gassers I have NEVER had diesel come out of a pump marked as Gasoline, suggesting the tanker driver fouled up. In my over two years of driving a diesel I never have had gas flow out of a diesel pump, nor have I come even close to put gas into my TDI. I thus conclude that the problem is that, well, were human and to err is human: tired, rushed, & etc. Thus, I conclude that we need a standardized color code and/or nozzle size or shape. This strategy is often used in industry to great effect, that is, to use process and/or engineering change to compensate for human fallibility. I'm writing letters to the presidential candidates to add this to their election platforms as soon as I get off the d*&n forum!

 

[smlbass]

I think I found my station today. Separate tank at 45 cetane no less for diesel that is well separated from the gas pumps and above ground also. Being that I live in a rural area, I feel very confident that the above ground diesel tank won't be filled with 87 octane.

After running some 42 and seeing some improvement in mpg, I found some 45 for which I am ecstatic since it's on my way to and from work.

 

[naturist]

@smlbass, dunno how often you go into Bedford, but the Murphy's in the new shopping center on 460 East has a 47 sticker on their diesel pump.

 

[TDIJetta99]

We have a spot near where I work that has 5 gas stations all within sight distance.. Between all of them, there are green, yellow, and black Diesel pump handles, and Gasoline handles that are black, blue, or green... One of the stations has one whole side edicated for diesel and they are either black or green.. Black is the large nozzle and green is the smaller one.. BUT the other side of the station all of the gasoline handles are black.. Definitely pays to look at the sign

 

[smlbass]

@naturist I live at the Lake, but work in Lynchburg. I drive by there everyday! Going to have to make that the normal fuel stop now that I know it's 47. Thanks!