Running a diesel/gas mix

[pete c]

No, I wouldn't do it on purpose. I ask because this is alledgedly what happened to the rental car I had recently.

Last friday, I picked up a Camry from the local Enterprise Rental. Left early saturday for Maryland. Stopped on the NJ tpke to fill up. As I drove off, it immediately started to buck. Only for a moment, then it would run fine. The CE light and traction control light also came on. Also, cruise control would no longer work.

I continued down the pike. Most of the time it was fine, but, now and then it would buck. It did seem to coincide with higher throttle settings, but, not sure about that.
I got on the phone and was directed to an Enterprise in Wilmington DE.

When I got there, I shut it off and turned it back on, hoping it might clear the faults.

It didn't.

They handed me the keys to a shiny new Grand Cherokee Limited. Damn that thing was nice. It's got a hemi. Passed everything but a gas station. Actually, at 65 in 8th gear on level ground, it would manage 26-27. Put your foot in it and it immediately went to 1.

So, I just got home last night. Dropped the GC off at Enterprise. They were informed that someone filled it with diesel. And guess who's responsibility it is?

This is bull****.

I have a few questions.

First off, will a new gas camry, 4 cylinder even run on a 2/3 diesel/gas ratio? The receipt says it was filled (by the attendant, no self serve in NJ) with 11.17 gallons of regular. Fuel capacity is 17 gallons. It seemed to run just fine aside from the occasional sputter.

Looking back, my guess is this..... Either, there was some crud in the tank that was stirred up by the refill, causing a clog in the tank filter or the pump jockey didn't tighten the gas cap properly. I do know that a loose cap will throw a CE light, but, could it also cause a rough running condition and a traction control light?

I doubt it was fuel contamination as we are talking about a jersey turnpike rest stop pump. You don't find a place that turns over its fuel as often as this place. It doesn't sit long enough to get water in it.

Of course, being NJ, you do have to wonder about somebody watering down the stuff to pocket a few bucks.

[user removed]

I didn't think the diesel nozzle would even fit in a restricted gas fill opening. If so it means it was intentionally sabotaged by filling out of a "gas can" instead of a pump.
Maybe someone was pissed at Enterprize or possible the stations tank got a refill with the wrong fuel. In either case you should not be held responsible assuming you did not refill from that container.

regards
Mech

[user removed]

Your miles travelled and fill reciepts should be plenty proof of your "innocence". A friend of mine was buying gas from junk yards that they had drained from cars coming into the yard. Over time it was bad enough to ruin an engine but he was driving 100 miles a day and the gas was practically free.

The state decided to charge him with not paying the tax on the fuel he bought, or was given. I told him that was total BS as no vehicle that went to a salvage yard was filled with tax free gas.

Case dismissed very quickly.

regards
Mech

[ksa8907]

^^ what they said, if you have the receipt AND someone else did the filling, nothing enterprise tries to do to blame you will hold up in court simply because they cannot prove that you did it.

[pete c]

So, how do I go about this? It was a work trip. Should I involve work's legal dept?

If I have to make a guess as to what happened, it is this....

The enterprise dude brings the car to the local dealer. They quickly diagnose it as a loose cap. Can't bill much for a loose cap. They have the history of what happened (running like crap after filling). It is for a customer they will never see again. They bill for a fuel system flush.

Just a guess. No way of proving a damn thing. Is it worth driving to small claims court in Delaware? Hell no.

I have emailed the NJ tpke authority. See what they have to say.

[user removed]

Copies if your reciepts, a registered letter, call your credit card company and refuse the charge. If they pursue the case make them come to your jurisdiction and represent yourself, then charge them for your time and have the court adjuducate the charge.

I'm assuming they have charged your credit card for the repairs.

It's also credit card fraud for them to make any unauthorized charge.

regards
Mech

[pete c]

Thanks, OM. Just got off the phone with AmEx. I used my corporate card. They said don't worry about it. They will dispute it. They did give me a dispute number and are sending me an email I can forward with my expense report.

Not sure if Enterprise will get stuck with this or if they can go after the NJ tpke or a possibly crooked dealership.

Not particularly happy with the way Enterprise has treated this so far, with their assumption of (my) guilt. I have sent them an email saying as much. Seems to me that the Wilmington, DE Enterprise office might want to consider doing business with a different garage. I did tell them exactly where I re-filled. They should know that it is a very busy full serve station and the odds of one of their attendants filling it with diesel is pretty much nil.

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by pete c

Thanks, OM. Just got off the phone with AmEx. I used my corporate card. They said don't worry about it. They will dispute it..

Between the receipt and the NJ no-self-serve policy, whatever happens the liability won't be on you. If it goes anywhere it should land on the filling station.

No self serve, no Tesla sales. What up, New Jersey? Do you just hate people doing for themselves?

[pete c]

The no self serve pump thingy is nothing more than service station lobbyists keeping it that way. Don't know what the hell is with them and Tesla. Apparently Tesla's lobbyists aren't well connected in Trenton. The funny thing is, the state has solar farms all over the place. So, they are good at pretending they give a crap about the environment. The Tesla lobbyists need to talk to the solar lobbyists, I guess.

[mcrews]

Your receipt wod show the type of gas
Or it should....