http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/bp-recalls-bad-gasoline-indiana-1-200-repair-191835064.html
Thousands
of drivers in northwest Indiana face hefty car repair bills after BP
sold some 2.1 million gallons of contaminated gasoline that can foul
their engines. BP has recalled the bad fuel and says it will pay for
repairs -- but first drivers have to get it out of their tanks.
BP says "a higher than normal level of
polymeric residue" contaminated 50,000 barrels of regular unleaded
gasoline from its Whiting, Ind., refinery shipped between Aug. 13 and
Aug. 17. That fuel went to hundreds of gas stations in northern Indiana
-- some under the BP brand, but many independent stations as well. Soon
after, scores of drivers began coming to repair shops reporting
hard-starting and stalling engines, "check engine" lights, odd noises
and other signs of engine trouble.
Getting contaminated fuel out of a vehicle
isn't as easy as just draining the gas tank. Every part that the gas
touched between the tank and the engine has to be flushed and cleaned as
well, and bad fuel has been known to ruin higher-pressure fuel
injectors common to newer vehicles. Not every car will need a mechanic;
people who bought only a few gallons could try to dilute their bad gas
with premium unleaded and get by. A simple fix might run $200 to $300,
but a few owners have already said their repair bills have topped $1,200.
Gasoline
recalls are rare but not without precedent; last year a Minnesota
refinery had to halt sales of 11,000 gallons after it mixed more than 10
percent ethanol into the fuel. BP says people who are affected can call a customer help line
with their receipts and ask to have their repair costs reimbursed --
although there's no getting back the time and hassle of going through a
needless repair in the first place. As for BP's bottom line, the oil
giant earned $3.7 billion last quarter, so even if every car required
$1,200 worth of repairs, BP's bank account wouldn't run low.
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