Bad gas..?

S_2NR · Postby **S_2NR** » March 14th, 2012, 7:21 pm

Filled up my civic at Valpark gas station last week Monday. Shortly after fulling up and driving on the highway, the tach started fluctuating. Tach would be at 6000 rpm then suddenly drop to 1000 rpm. It sounds and feels like the engine dies for a second. Scary as firetruck :oops:

The car also stalling and hard starting, sometimes.

Battery under warranty, was replaced.
Alternator checked.
Plug wires changed.
Full service done (Air filter, fuel filter, oil and oil filter change, etc)
Spark plugs checked.
Fuel pump engaging before i start the car normal.
No CEL.
Transmission checked.
ECU was reset.

Still getting hard starts, sputtering and fluctuating rpm but less frequently now.
I let the gas run down to a lil below 1/4 ..I added a bottle of Redline complete fuel system cleaner and filled up at Medford today.. (They're Unipet now so a lil safer, place looking new)

Next step is to drain the gas tank completely if it doesnt go away.

Anybody have any ideas?

Postby **r3iXmann** » March 14th, 2012, 8:20 pm

checked your injectors?

S_2NR · Postby **S_2NR** » March 14th, 2012, 8:53 pm

Still have to do that.
But I use fuel injector cleaner once a month. And I put in the complete fuel system cleaner today. Hoping it solves the problem.

Postby **r3iXmann** » March 14th, 2012, 10:05 pm

one time i got some bad gas at medford

there was a thick oily substance that clogged my injectors when i scrapped down everything

and injector cleaner didnt help..best way to check is to physically check

S_2NR · Postby **S_2NR** » March 16th, 2012, 6:02 pm

Stuttering and hard starts down to a minimum now. Hardly ever getting it as the gas burns and the cleaners runs through the system.

And there is a thread that confirmed by suspicion. *sigh of relief*

ill just let this tank burn out and never go valpark again :evil:

X2 · Postby X2 » March 22nd, 2012, 4:28 pm

Valsayn gas station had a major issue recently with bad gas (water in gas).... a number of cars shut down shortly after filling up there... sometime late last year if I remember right.

S_2NR · Postby **S_2NR** » March 24th, 2012, 7:38 pm

run down the tank to empty and problems seems to be gone. i also cleaned the throttle body, was a little dirty.
no more hard starts or stuttering on heavy acceleration.

firetruck valpark gas station.

16 cycles · Postby **16 cycles** » October 30th, 2015, 7:29 am

Happened to me yesterday...same gas station...topped up a 1/4 of a tank from 1/2 tank and went on dyno.

First 2 pulls were knock free...successive pulls...we saw more knock even though we were retarding variables.

We did an all stop...came off....put meth in tank...much improved.

Spoke to a legacy owner near me who filled up on monday ...his car went into safe mode...he cleared it up with some vp race gas...

Just a heads up for other tuners...

1UZFE · Postby **1UZFE** » October 30th, 2015, 7:32 am

Was goin to full up there later today. Thanks for d heads up.
As mentioned before that gas station had problems with water in d gas.

S_2NR · Postby **S_2NR** » October 30th, 2015, 8:33 am

Wow. Flashback yes. Anyone who lives in the area knows when it rains lots of water pools and floods in that gas station. Not sure if it gets into the tanks. I can neither confirm nor deny

16 cycles · Postby **16 cycles** » October 30th, 2015, 10:26 am

It was really worrying...on friday with gas from richmond...was able to net a 28psi tune with 0 knock, hotter ambient temps..

Topped up at valsayn...pulled grt twice at 22psi ...3rd pull got knock at 6500 rpm....4th pull ...knock lower down rpm even after retarding timing...boost etc...aborted the session...did a compresson test..all well..