A Senior Moment
Posted by: JMB on 19 March 2010
Driving back home down the M6 after visiting our latest Grandchild we pulled in to the services for refreshments and to fill up.
It wasn't until I was replacing the fuel pump hose on the multi fuel stand that I realised I had filled the tank in my diesel car with unleaded petrol.
Calamity - a moment of inattention, otherwise known in us oldies as a 'Senior moment', had rendered the car unusable 160 miles from home at 6pm on a Friday night. I couldn't believe what I had done (and neither could my wife). I have refuelled the car without problem for the past three years.
To cut a long story short we got home, minus the car, the next day and considerably poorer.
Two weeks on and multiple battles with two BMW garages (widely different repair quotes) and the insurance company we are still without a car.
A nightmare. Why can't fuel pump designers and car designers co-operate to ensure that you can't put the wrong fuel in cars.
According to the M6 service station staff and the garages, fuel contamination is a fairly common problem and not a monopoly of those of us with one or two grey hairs. One woman picked up her brand new diesel Beamer and at the first fuel fill put petrol in it. Another chap filled the company diesel car with the wrong fuel and only realised when he came to a grindingly expensive halt on the motorway.
So come on any fuel pump designers out there - do try to help. I gather you can't fit a diesel fuel nozzle into a petrol car ? So how about designing a nozzle that fits only diesel cars.
Mike
It wasn't until I was replacing the fuel pump hose on the multi fuel stand that I realised I had filled the tank in my diesel car with unleaded petrol.
Calamity - a moment of inattention, otherwise known in us oldies as a 'Senior moment', had rendered the car unusable 160 miles from home at 6pm on a Friday night. I couldn't believe what I had done (and neither could my wife). I have refuelled the car without problem for the past three years.
To cut a long story short we got home, minus the car, the next day and considerably poorer.
Two weeks on and multiple battles with two BMW garages (widely different repair quotes) and the insurance company we are still without a car.
A nightmare. Why can't fuel pump designers and car designers co-operate to ensure that you can't put the wrong fuel in cars.
According to the M6 service station staff and the garages, fuel contamination is a fairly common problem and not a monopoly of those of us with one or two grey hairs. One woman picked up her brand new diesel Beamer and at the first fuel fill put petrol in it. Another chap filled the company diesel car with the wrong fuel and only realised when he came to a grindingly expensive halt on the motorway.
So come on any fuel pump designers out there - do try to help. I gather you can't fit a diesel fuel nozzle into a petrol car ? So how about designing a nozzle that fits only diesel cars.
Mike