Water in Fuel . Anybody else having this problem ?

[memphiseko]

I have a 2004 Vito 115cdi....purchased new...very happy with it until recently.

A couple of weeks ago, I called at Tesco to fill the tank with diesel, this is on average a weekly event. On this occasion, I was unable to fill the tank because the fuel kept foaming and the pump persisted in cutting out until the fuel subsided in the filler pipe. The timer on the pump cut power (until then I had no idea that this could happen!) and I went to the kiosk to complain and pay. I was convinced that there was a problem with the pump. The attendants assured me that nobody else had experienced a problem and , not wishing to make a fool of myself, accepted that it must be something else to blame and left it at that.

The following week ...guess what? Exactly the same problem...different pump, same filling station. I struggled to get £25 in the tank before the timer cut the pump off. I decided there must be a problem and booked the van in to be checked out.

When I phoned to make the booking, there was some amazement that what I was describing was actually happening. 'Never known anything like it ' or something similar..

Mercedes dealer have removed the fuel tank and drained the contents and discovered that the problem is water in the tank.

They report that " FUEL TANK CONTAMINATED BY WATER ANY DAMAGE TO FUEL INJECTION EQUIPMENT MAY SHOW AT A LATER DATE IF SO NOT WARRANTY MATTER CHECK FUEL SUPPLIER ASAP"

I have already visited Tesco and their fuel monitoring system is impressively accurate and shows ZERO water in their diesel tanks ...and petrol for that matter.

So how did it get in ?

Has this happened to anybody else ?

HELP !!!

 

[Blobcat]

There have been cases when filling with diesel that water has been in the fuel. This has happened when a tanker has been filling up the diesel and has disturbed the storage tank contents. This is very rare.
As you have experienced the frothing two weeks in a row then the water will already have been in your tank.
I do not know how your tank breather is routed but could the water be getting into the tank that way?

 

[teddybear]

water in fuel

I had a fuel contamination issue on a Vauxhall and it was water getting into the tank via a vent pipe that ran in the wheelarch. I replaced all the vent pipes and no more problems.
Since then I have added Wynn's dry fuel to my tank to all my vehicles every four months or so. Its an additative that keeps water in suspension thus preventing build ups that lead to tank (metal ones) & fuel line corrossion. Very useful if you have a vehicle thats not used regularly e.g.motor cycles & convertables in the winter.