snuffcityrider

Living Legend
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
2,446
Location
Texas
I know this isn't the Speed Four forum, but this could probably happen to a Rocket. After topping off the tank, I got about fifty miles from home and had to turn around on a road that ran out of pavement. The bike died as I slowly made a U turn and would not start. Got it trailered to the dealer and found out that there is water and debree in the tank that made it's way into the motor and now the valves won't seat. Estamated cost, $1300. My question is, do you think that I have any recourse against the gas station? Have any of you had a similar problem and had any luck and are there any laws that protect the consumer. I'm sure this would vary from state to state. Any help appreciated.
 
Personally, I keep riding and risk running out before I'd pull into a questionable station for a fill. My brother seized his Ducati by filling with reserve gas last year and had no recourse and a big shop bill for the trouble.
 
If you know where you got the gas from, I'd call whatever your province's equivalent is to many of our state's Departments of Weights and Measures, who are charged with keeping service station pumps accurate and honest nad insist that they get a sampling from te same pump that you filled up at by tomorrow before the station takes on a new load of fuel.

What happened really stinks and I wish you well with trying to recover from the whole episode!
 
****, that sucks dude ... it's bad enough they shove that 10% alcohol **** down our throats saying it's good for the environment, but to get water and chunks as well is criminal. I'd bet you can get them to pay if it was a major brand, a mom and pop shop will probably require small claims court and how can you prove it? Hombre's idea of calling weights and measures is an excellent idea to get proof of contamination, that would stand up in court.
I miss Quick Trip since moving to the east coast, QT guaranteed their fuel and would cover ANY fuel related damage.
All thats available around me is the 10% gasohol, what a rip off ... fuel in the US is bad enough compared to europe, but now we have to deal with gas that has less bang for the buck while being told it's good for us. Alcohol has considerably less stored energy than straight gasoline, I often wonder how much more umph my vehicles would have it I could just get a tankfull of real gas.

Do you remember if the tanker was there filling the underground tanks while you were filling up? I won't buy gas while a tanker truck is filling the tanks, dumping fuel into the underground tanks stirs up the debris on the bottom and suspends the water that was on the bottom for a time. The place I normally buy gas gets their deliveries same time every week, I make a point to not fill up on those days.
 
Last edited:
If you bought bad gas chances are that you aren't the only one. Take the repair estimate
back to the gas station and put in a claim. If they refuse see a lawyer.
 
Wow, sorry to hear about that! You're only legal recourse, I believe, is what Lester said.

However, I find it hard to believe that the valves won't seat for that reason? I've had 4 wheelers that have been submerged in a pond that had no problems. It was a pain, I drained the gas tank and sprayed it down with WD-40, drained the oil, pulled the spark plug and turned the motor over to push all the water out of the cylinder and then sprayed it down with WD-40, removed the carb and cleaned it out real good. Then I let it sit with the oil filler cap, filter and drain plug out for a day in the sun.. Put it all back together with fresh oil and gas and all was good..

I've also had a Ford Thunderbird 3.8 that had been driven through deep water on THREE different occaisions (ex wife). On that motor, it blew the head gaskets, so I had to remove the heads, as well as drain the oil, etc.. but the valves were never damaged..
 
I agree with Tex. How would crap large enough to harm the valves get through the filter in the tank?
Was it a dealer that told ya that? All stations have filters now.
 
I know this isn't the Speed Four forum, but this could probably happen to a Rocket. After topping off the tank, I got about fifty miles from home and had to turn around on a road that ran out of pavement. The bike died as I slowly made a U turn and would not start. Got it trailered to the dealer and found out that there is water and debree in the tank that made it's way into the motor and now the valves won't seat. Estamated cost, $1300. My question is, do you think that I have any recourse against the gas station? Have any of you had a similar problem and had any luck and are there any laws that protect the consumer. I'm sure this would vary from state to state. Any help appreciated.
station filter and bike filter should catch any debri large enough to harm valve seat or valve,,if there was enough water in the tank to cause the bike to just die and not start it should have been running crappy first,,,you might get a second opinion on what caused the valve damage (if thats truly the proublem ) good luck GRAY DOG
 
Thanks, I"ll look into it. I was told that the carbon that was built up on the valves was knocked loose by the water that was in the gas, and that's why they wont seat. Mechanic I,m not, so I appreciate the advice.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top