BP put gas in all my DIESEL tamks!!!

[ShortCircutLS]

so i go to start my machine this morning. Terrible noise and misfires. The guages all read ERROR, temp. tach is as high as it can go and the rpm tach is at 0. My first thought was , huh must be time to do the fuel filters . so i shut down and prep for my filter change. When i removed the first primary filter the smell hit me like a brick. GASOLINE !!! What the #@$^&#@. My machine hasCaterpillar 3412E diesel motor with a 300 gallon fuel tank . Then we have our tank for the trucks to get fuel. Thats full of gas also! I just cant believe that a mistake of this nature happened. We order from them once or twice a week. Always diesel. The same guy always comes out here. We havent ordered gas in 10 years! Im totally shocked! So were waiting for them to send out someone to inspect everything.

 

[topher5150]

sounds like some one is getting their ass fired

 

[ShortCircutLS]

They're at my shop now. I had to walk away before I lost my temper. They say that they don't smell gas. BS. I say he needs to blow his nose and smell again. Morons!

 

[ShortCircutLS]

Anyone ever heard of bacteria that makes diesel smell EXACTLY likw gasoline?! Theyre giving us all kinds of a run around. I told them i want to see a lab test for proof . What the heck !

 

[topher5150]

give him a lighter

 

[micahs97m8]

give him a lighter

LMAO!!

That's really messed up. We have 100+ diesel tanks where I work and they have shown up at the tank with mogas before. Luckily I was there to sign for it and told them to come back and bring their supervisor, too. At least it wasn't jet fuel!!

 

[ShortCircutLS]

Topher, we did take a lighter to some of the fuel from the first primary filter. It didn't ignite like gasoline would.
Well ................. ya'll can label me Green Horn ! I've been working around diesel equipment for 12 years. Working on them for 6 years. I've never even heard of bacteria growing and over taking diesel fuel. But that's what it is ! WOW. apparently this bacteria ( one out of several) multiplies X 2 million in a half hour! It's caused by water getting into the fuel then once in there it multiplies like crazy. Then when you try to run the engine it plugs the filters immediately. So. The lesson here. ALWAYS use a diesel additive like premrose (sp?) . I am glad that I've learned this info, but it sucked to find out the hard way . Again ! Lol. I've never heard my poor sweet machine sound so pitiful .

 

[danny_holtermann]

lol this is epic, however it is cool you admited your mistake, i learned something here today as well, i can now go to bed.. thats rght its olny 530

 

[ShortCircutLS]

lol this is epic, however it is cool you admited your mistake, i learned something here today as well, i can now go to bed.. thats rght its olny 530

Yeah, um. My bad. Lol
I really thought they messed up and put gas in by accident !
I'm usually out there solo unless there's something I really need help with. I even walked up front with the filter and asked a few of the guys up there what they thought it smelled like. Shocked! They all said gas! Until we tried to light a small puddle. It burned, but very slow like diesel. That's when I changed my perspective. A wise man once told me " Keep it simple, stupid." Bacteria is about as simple as life gets.

 

[Scottie]

I knew Bio diesel had problems with bacteria but didn't know regular diesel had bacteria problems too... Learn something new every day!

 

[chris2523]

i have never heard of bacteria in diesel before... the water in the diesel maybe. that's weird.
i guess with a big tank it could sit long long enough for bacteria to grow. i burn through too much in my car gas tank for anything to be around long enough to grow though.

 

[ShortCircutLS]

i have never heard of bacteria in diesel before... the water in the diesel maybe. that's weird.
i guess with a big tank it could sit long long enough for bacteria to grow. i burn through too much in my car gas tank for anything to be around long enough to grow though.

It wasn't sitting with fuel in it. Well not much. It burns 30 gal. An hour at full rev. And something like 10 an hour at idle. I filled the tank Friday. Ran all day Monday which emptied the tank. Then re fueled Tuesday. This bacteria grew in the little bit of condensation that had formed while it was empty.

 

[ShortCircutLS]

Sh!t guys....... I was wrong again. Now I'm at a loss for words. Where's Frogman when you need him! Looks like I'm going to have to call the great and holy CRAPERPILLAR to hook this motor up to a computer. This is terrible! Anyone know someone in the Ohio area with a CAT diagnostics program????? HELP PLEASE!

 

[BlackLS06]

At least it wasn't jet fuel!!

Its actually safe to burn in some diesels....i know large diesel generators like the ones overseas run off jetfuel.

 

[ShortCircutLS]

Its actually safe to burn in some diesels....i know large diesel generators like the ones overseas run off jetfuel.

I've heard of that from my mechanic, a long time ago. He just chuckled and mentioned it. Then told us that it's pretty much military that run J-8 and they don't necessarily care if the motors run 2 months or 2 years ( if that!) . We just run off road diesel. The only time we even take it on the road is for MAJOR repairs and it doesn't run once it's hooked to a semi. Hell, I wouldn't even know how to get ahold of jet fuel anyhow :shifty:
But it's not fuel related. We've treated the fresh fuel. Changed the filters a total of 3 times and is still running like it's missing. I have the original owner ( my Go-To-Guy!) Coming over Monday we'll see what he thinks. They've only had mechanical 3412s on it though. The electronic 3412E's are a totally different beast. Can't have the best of both worlds on one platform I guess!!!