Petrol station in Hamburg swaps diesel and petrol

Hamburg
Petrol station swaps diesel and petrol – cars smoke and sputter

In Hamburg, drivers filled up with the wrong fuel at a gas station in the north of the metropolis. This had bad consequences. The fault lay with the operator of the gas station.

In Hamburg, customers experienced nasty surprises at a gas station last week: After they filled up their cars on Thursday, the vehicles began to stink and smoke. The engines sputtered and would not start. Many drivers turned to a nearby garage in the north of the metropolis, as reported by the “Hamburger Morgenpost”.

Because, according to several local press reports, there were a lot of people affected, the suspicion finally arose that the mistakes had not happened during refueling, but beforehand.

The mistake in Hamburg happened when filling the underground tanks

It actually turned out that the operator of the Shell gas station had the mishap while filling the underground tanks. The tankers would have mixed them up and poured in the wrong fuel. “Mopo” and “Auto-Bild” report this. The cause is assumed to be human error, it is said. Due to the incorrect filling, Super came out of the diesel pistols and diesel came out of the petrol pistols at the petrol pumps. The customers assumed that they were filling up properly – but in reality their cars were sometimes suffering considerable damage.

Shell therefore blocked the affected pumps and promised help, according to the reports. Because such damage can be significant. “We will replace vehicle damage caused by product mixing against appropriate proof,” a Shell spokeswoman quoted “Auto-Bild”.

The “Mopo” also asked the ADAC what to do if the fuel was mixed up. The motorists’ club warns that fueling diesel vehicles with petrol can cause costly damage. Because the entire injection system may have to be replaced. These systems require a special lubricating film that is contained in diesel but is wiped off by petrol.

If you fill diesel into a petrol engine, it could end up being less severe. You should switch off the engine immediately and see what the operating instructions advise in such a case. With some vehicles, it is possible to drive on carefully and refill petrol again and again. In some cars, however, the tank has to be pumped dry, and after-treatment may also be necessary.

Sources: “Hamburger Morgenpost“, “Car picture“

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