Panicked motorists call garage for fuel advice
3:07pm Monday 5th March 2007 in News By Gazette Reporter
Motorists fearful for their cars during the recent fuel contamination crisis have been grillinga Chippenham garage to question staff and where to top up their tanks.
Staff at Platinum Vauxhall on the Causeway have taken several calls from drivers in a muddle as to where to top up their tanks.
Service manager ian Paniccia revealed: "They're alll saying help, my car's nearly empty, what should I do? I'm running out of petrol, where should I get it?' "As far as we're aware the main problem has been with the supermarket fuel so we're just teeling everyone to go to a normal petrol station. We didn't know what else to say!"
At the weekend both Morrisons and Tesco supermarkets stopped selling unleaded petrol in most outlets as initial inquiries by the Trading Standards Institute into thousands of break-downs in the south east discovered silicon in some batches of the fuel sold.
Silicon is an additive used as an anti-foaming agent in diesel and both supermarkets have now said they are holding internal inquiries and chemical analysis of the fuel in their stock.
Car dealers in Wiltshire are so far not reporting an influx of cars suffering from fuel-rleated problems, although Consumer direct has logged several calls from motorists in the Salisbury area who may have fallen victim.
“The car shouldn’t just cut out on a daily basis. I have driven old bangers and they never cut out as I drove along.”
Michelle Oswald
However, Market Lavington resident Michelle Oswald does believe she has filled up her car with rogue petrol in Chippenham. She says on the day she bought the petrol and every day since her car has stalled.
Mrs Oswald, a consultant for the Body Shop, said: "I bought unleaded petrol at the Tesco Metro in Hungerdown Lane, Chippenham, at about 2.30pm on Wednesday, February 21.
"Every day since then the car has cut out at random. The engine is warm and it seems to happen at any time. It is not due to clutch control as it has happened when the clutch was not being used."
Her car, a Honda CRV, has stalled while she has had her three-year-old son Harry in the back and says it has been a frightening experience.
She said: "I was driving at 50 mph on the A360 between Devizes and the turning for Market Lavington when my car stalled. I was quite frightened and I thought how do I control it?' Luckily there were no drivers behind me.
"When the car has stalled the key warning sign has displayed itself on the dashboard. When it has stalled I have been able to restart the engine by turning the key in the ignition."
Mrs Oswald, 32, got a full tank of petrol from the Tesco filling station. Just over a week later, on March 1, her tank was half full and she topped it up to full at the Tesco filling station in Trowbridge and has continued to have problems.
She only heard about the rogue petrol on the evening of March 1.
She said: "I thought it was really quiet when I filled up with petrol at Tesco on March 1, I was the only customer. I realised later that my problems could be related to the rogue petrol."
Mrs Oswald and her husband, Greg, bought the ten-year-old Honda CRV eight months ago and had it serviced shortly afterwards. She said they had had no problems with it until now.
Mrs Oswald said: "I think it's too much of a co-incidence not to be connected with the rogue fuel situation.
"The car shouldn't just cut out on a daily basis. I have driven old bangers and they never cut out as I drove along."
Mrs Oswald reported her concerns to Tesco head office on March 2 and is waiting to hear back if the fuel she bought was contaminated. She has not yet booked her car in to a garage to be looked at.
Are you experiencing strange problems with your car that might be down to fuel contamination? Or have you had it confirmed you've been sold rogue petrol? Post your comments below.
