bad petrol/ diesel at texico
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littleburner1
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:13 pm
bad petrol/ diesel at texico
hey guys so went and petrol in my morris marina 1.3 today and put the 95 octane green in £10, after 6 mins of putting in my car starts spluttering and ideling very badly, i first thought fuel pump, but had a word with my friend and he says it sounds like ive put diesel in but i went back to the petrol station and my gf pointed out it was the one i knew i put it. so my friend said to syphon the tank "ps never doing that again"
i put £5 petrol in and it runs for a few mins then dies again but my friend said to let the bad fuel/ diesel to clear as it will still be in the carb
i even cleaned though the fuel pipe. so will the bad idel and erratic dieing cure shortly i need to know as ive wasted £15 already and i start my new job tommrow. my friend i trust him as he has about 6 morrises
i put £5 petrol in and it runs for a few mins then dies again but my friend said to let the bad fuel/ diesel to clear as it will still be in the carb
i even cleaned though the fuel pipe. so will the bad idel and erratic dieing cure shortly i need to know as ive wasted £15 already and i start my new job tommrow. my friend i trust him as he has about 6 morrises
- JubileeNut
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Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
I think you would know if you put diesel or petrol in!!?
Diesel I don't think would run but maybe mixed with petrol.
Also smells different to petrol.
Maybe another fault has happened which is a coincident - ie rubber fuel line perished letting air in etc?
I would not think it is bad petrol or the garage would have loads of broken down cars to deal with - although this has happen before at petrol stations.
I don't put 95 ron petrol in mine normally use a higher ron if I can.
Diesel I don't think would run but maybe mixed with petrol.
Also smells different to petrol.
Maybe another fault has happened which is a coincident - ie rubber fuel line perished letting air in etc?
I would not think it is bad petrol or the garage would have loads of broken down cars to deal with - although this has happen before at petrol stations.
I don't put 95 ron petrol in mine normally use a higher ron if I can.
" Pru, Its Kicking off "
1973 Morris Marina TC Jubilee
2013 BMW 328i M Sport F31
1973 Morris Marina TC Jubilee
2013 BMW 328i M Sport F31
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littleburner1
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:13 pm
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
i know i put petrol in as it was the green one, removed the rubber fuel pipe and replaced it but car now idels but rough after being syouphening and new petrol
- MarinaCoupe
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Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
You may well have pulled cr*p through the piping, check the inside of the carb float bowl (3 screws) for dirt etc. If there is cr*p in the bowl, the jet at the bottom will need blowing out as well, once you have cleaned the float bowl out.
Chris
www.marinacoupe.co.uk
Sent from iPhone
Chris
www.marinacoupe.co.uk
Sent from iPhone
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littleburner1
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:13 pm
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
will i need to refit a new gasket if i remove the 3 screws ? also whats the float bowl ? 
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
Agree with Chris here. Also once your undo your carb take the valve out and clean it by polishing the bore with some metal polish and a cotton bud. I had this problem and blamed bad petrol too but what it actually was, was eroded fuel lines and paint peeling from the inside of the tank and the tiny bits of crap were causing my valve to stick so after a few mins the engine would die. If your careful you will get away with keeping the gasket on the top of the carb.
See my thread here
Sean
See my thread here
Sean
Beauty with brains behind it!
- jiversteve
- Posts: 1141
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:30 pm
- Location: Spain
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
Can't believe that it was Tesco's fault. Too may cars use their fuel and if there was a serious problem it would be well documented and Tesco would have reacted to protect their name and profit line.
Much more likely to be coincidence, ie did you have the radio on, was it Terry Wogan?, than a new batch of fuel.
There are documented problems where gradual deterioration of pipework/seals occurs possibly due to the ethanol content of modern fuels. This is likely to increase in the future when the %age is raised in 2013?
Reference
http://sucarb.co.uk/default.aspx
Much more likely to be coincidence, ie did you have the radio on, was it Terry Wogan?, than a new batch of fuel.
There are documented problems where gradual deterioration of pipework/seals occurs possibly due to the ethanol content of modern fuels. This is likely to increase in the future when the %age is raised in 2013?
Reference
http://sucarb.co.uk/default.aspx
Not a Marina owner, built in 1985 from a 1974 1.8TC MOT failure.
See Marlin History.
http://www.5speedmarina.com
Type 9 gearbox, Vented front discs, Dolly Sprint axle with disc conversion.

Next project? Megajolt?
See Marlin History.
http://www.5speedmarina.com
Type 9 gearbox, Vented front discs, Dolly Sprint axle with disc conversion.

Next project? Megajolt?
- vermillion
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- Location: Cambridge
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
Strange that you should say that Steve as it is a known fact, around this area anyway, that Tesco had a big problem with their fuel. We had numerous cars being towed into us having broken down not long after filling up at Tesco. We have a couple of Tescos in our vicinity and it didn't matter which Tesco you filled up at, still the same problem. Tescos were also made well aware of the problem as they ended up paying the bills for people having their tanks drained and refilled from another garage and, in some cases, the recovery bill as well.jiversteve wrote:Can't believe that it was Tesco's fault. Too may cars use their fuel and if there was a serious problem it would be well documented and Tesco would have reacted to protect their name and profit line.
It does seem though that Tescos never actually made anyone aware that they were having a problem with their fuel. I wonder why
Gary.
2005 PT Cruiser in Marine Blue.
- jiversteve
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- Location: Spain
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
vermillion wrote:Strange that you should say that Steve as it is a known fact, around this area anyway, that Tesco had a big problem with their fuel. We had numerous cars being towed into us having broken down not long after filling up at Tesco. We have a couple of Tescos in our vicinity and it didn't matter which Tesco you filled up at, still the same problem. Tescos were also made well aware of the problem as they ended up paying the bills for people having their tanks drained and refilled from another garage and, in some cases, the recovery bill as well.jiversteve wrote:Can't believe that it was Tesco's fault. Too may cars use their fuel and if there was a serious problem it would be well documented and Tesco would have reacted to protect their name and profit line.
It does seem though that Tescos never actually made anyone aware that they were having a problem with their fuel. I wonder why![]()
Gary.
Hmmm. There may have been a local problem but the tanker must have visited several fuel stations and you would expect a much larger problem if it was refinery related.
Tesco may well have taken the 'damage limitation' route and made compensation payments without admitting guilt.
But the vast majority of those claims documented on the web were Lamda (O2) sensor replacements, a part not fitted to Marinas.
Marinas also seem to be much for fuel tolerant, look at the changes made from 4Star Leaded of the 1970's, to the 5% Ethanol content unleaded we have today. Though I do concede that ethanol may be the real reason for some of the fuel problems reported on this forum in the past couple of years.
I don't work for Tesco or have shares, but such incidents are invariably based on hearsay and rarely based on accurate documented evidence that is in the public domain.
Not a Marina owner, built in 1985 from a 1974 1.8TC MOT failure.
See Marlin History.
http://www.5speedmarina.com
Type 9 gearbox, Vented front discs, Dolly Sprint axle with disc conversion.

Next project? Megajolt?
See Marlin History.
http://www.5speedmarina.com
Type 9 gearbox, Vented front discs, Dolly Sprint axle with disc conversion.

Next project? Megajolt?
- JubileeNut
- FMM Supporter

- Posts: 5221
- Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:14 pm
- Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
So was it TEXICO or TESCO then???????????????????????????
I have heard that there were cases from Tesco filling stations and the result were knackered lambda probes as part of the problem caused by the bad fuel.
Lambda sensors can get damaged very easily I am told!
So can cats on cars.
I have heard that there were cases from Tesco filling stations and the result were knackered lambda probes as part of the problem caused by the bad fuel.
Lambda sensors can get damaged very easily I am told!
So can cats on cars.
" Pru, Its Kicking off "
1973 Morris Marina TC Jubilee
2013 BMW 328i M Sport F31
1973 Morris Marina TC Jubilee
2013 BMW 328i M Sport F31
- locost_bryan
- Posts: 3096
- Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 2:43 am
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
Not unknown for the tanker driver to make a mistakevermillion wrote:Strange that you should say that Steve as it is a known fact, around this area anyway, that Tesco had a big problem with their fuel. We had numerous cars being towed into us having broken down not long after filling up at Tesco. We have a couple of Tescos in our vicinity and it didn't matter which Tesco you filled up at, still the same problem. Tescos were also made well aware of the problem as they ended up paying the bills for people having their tanks drained and refilled from another garage and, in some cases, the recovery bill as well.jiversteve wrote:Can't believe that it was Tesco's fault. Too may cars use their fuel and if there was a serious problem it would be well documented and Tesco would have reacted to protect their name and profit line.
It does seem though that Tescos never actually made anyone aware that they were having a problem with their fuel. I wonder why![]()
Gary.
Although crap loosened in the tank and sucked into the carb sounds more likely.
Bryan
Auckland NZ
1972 Morris Marina 1750 TC Coupe "Ozzy"
Auckland NZ
1972 Morris Marina 1750 TC Coupe "Ozzy"
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littleburner1
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:13 pm
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
hey guys new Update, had to get my car brought home by the break down recovery i finally admitted defeat
, so anyway guy had a look and has come to the conclusion it could be the jets in the carb so i need to get the carb rebuilt
- jiversteve
- Posts: 1141
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:30 pm
- Location: Spain
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
I believe that http://sucarb.co.uk/ (Original Manufacturers)now make replacement jets and needles that are ethanol compatible. Something to do with their electro plating process?? Perhaps worth talking to them.
You could also try http://www.su-carbs.co.uk/ are restorers and could have similar info.
You could also try http://www.su-carbs.co.uk/ are restorers and could have similar info.
Not a Marina owner, built in 1985 from a 1974 1.8TC MOT failure.
See Marlin History.
http://www.5speedmarina.com
Type 9 gearbox, Vented front discs, Dolly Sprint axle with disc conversion.

Next project? Megajolt?
See Marlin History.
http://www.5speedmarina.com
Type 9 gearbox, Vented front discs, Dolly Sprint axle with disc conversion.

Next project? Megajolt?
- MarinaCoupe
- Posts: 10257
- Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 5:26 pm
- Location: Bedford
- Contact:
Re: bad petrol/ diesel at texico
All - whether it is Texaco or Tesco isn't particularly important - all garages from time to time have problems with dodgy fuel, I had a similar issue back in the 1970s with a local BP station. On that occaision, water was getting into their storage tank and they were pumping a petrol (4 star leaded) and water mix. They paid for my tank to be syphoned, cleaned and a fresh tank of petrol.
Personally I suspect that littleburner1's problem was not the petrol station but instead the circumstances.
1. If you run you tank perpetually low, then when you refill the incoming fuel will stir up any crap in the bottom of the tank each time you fill. All you then need is a small split in the strainer on the end of the petrol pickup pipe for you to be sucking tank crap into the fuel line, all of which will eventually end up at the carburettor.
2. Assuming the petrol being used has 5% ethanol in it (most does now), it has been shown that ethanol rots the all rubber hoses out from the inside and all the little bits end up in the carburettor.
Fix
Step 1 - clean the carb out. It should be possible to take the carb off and dismantle it carefully, clean it and rebuild it without needing a rebuild kit.
Step 2 - fit a decent inline fuel filter as close to the carb as possible - EBay has loads.
Step 3 - replace as a minimum all the hose from the new filter to the carb with ethanol resitant hose (ask before buying), ideally replace all the hoses right back to the tank. Look for hose that meets the following standard - DIN 73379 TYPE 3 E (Rev. 11/97) - available on EBay - make sure that you buy the correct internal diameter (ID) to fit your hose fittings.
Step 4 - setup carb mixture to run cleanly.
Personally I suspect that littleburner1's problem was not the petrol station but instead the circumstances.
1. If you run you tank perpetually low, then when you refill the incoming fuel will stir up any crap in the bottom of the tank each time you fill. All you then need is a small split in the strainer on the end of the petrol pickup pipe for you to be sucking tank crap into the fuel line, all of which will eventually end up at the carburettor.
2. Assuming the petrol being used has 5% ethanol in it (most does now), it has been shown that ethanol rots the all rubber hoses out from the inside and all the little bits end up in the carburettor.
Fix
Step 1 - clean the carb out. It should be possible to take the carb off and dismantle it carefully, clean it and rebuild it without needing a rebuild kit.
Step 2 - fit a decent inline fuel filter as close to the carb as possible - EBay has loads.
Step 3 - replace as a minimum all the hose from the new filter to the carb with ethanol resitant hose (ask before buying), ideally replace all the hoses right back to the tank. Look for hose that meets the following standard - DIN 73379 TYPE 3 E (Rev. 11/97) - available on EBay - make sure that you buy the correct internal diameter (ID) to fit your hose fittings.
Step 4 - setup carb mixture to run cleanly.