Sort of OT : Beware water in your diesel - X5 tale of woe !

[Zeuk in Oz]

I know most of you drive petrol (gasoline) cars but need to share this experience for any of you with diesels.

Filled my X5 with water contaminated diesel recently and after 400 km it just wouldn't run with all sorts of injection warnings.

Long story (6 weeks) short - my BMW dealer had to replace all 6 injectors, fuel rail, fuel filter, 3 fuel pumps, 2 pressure regulators and the plastic fuel tank had to be cleaned.

All lines flushed out and BMW will no longer offer warranty on my engine but my insurance company will.

Total cost (paid for by my insurance company) AUD $18,000 (Approx US $12,000).

Hopefully the picture will show the metallic sludge at the bottom of the fuel which could be moved around with a magnet.

Interestingly my Vito (Merc Benz) suffered the same fuel but no damage due to fuel pumps that don't require diesel fuel to lubricate - a filter change & tank flush (by my MB dealer) and it was fine.

[winfred]

sweet pump design where it eats itself with water intrusion, that's why i like my P series mechanical bosch pump on my truck it's like a wood chipper, i could probably fuel it with chunks of bacon and sausage and it would be happy http://members.cox.net/wdixon27/lol.gif

[Tiger]

Whoa... so it was a gas station who sold you that diesel?

[BigKriss]

wow, 18k is a lot of money.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Whoa... so it was a gas station who sold you that diesel?
Yes - no fault of mine so insurance paid for it. Had I put petrol into the tank & driven with it, I would have had to pay.

Interestingly, the insurance company will probably not be able to chase the petrol station as it is difficult to prove.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Since getting my car back it is using approximately 0.7 litres per 100 km less than it was before - the wonder of new injectors, I suppose.

[pcross]

Due to the fact that most service stations use the same type of storage tank for gasoline as they do for diesel fuel (no water seperation equipment), I wouldn't drive a mile without an aftermarket water seperator/fuel filter mounted in the engine compartment. In the states Raycor offers one for +- $100. An ounce of prevention IS worth a pound of cure.