Beware bp gas stations pump colors!

[Jim34RL]

I do not buy from BP since they do not refine their own diesel fuel, but BP charges a premium for the diesel fuel they do sell. Just watch the advertise price for diesel fuel, it is usually $0.10 a gallon more than any other station selling diesel fuel.

[BriaBeck]

I guess I'm still old school...


I read the words on the pump rather than just grab for a color. Guess I need to get with the times.

[wmtire]

Baiting post has been removed by site team as well as any retorts to it. Let's keep this thread helpful and informative as it's purpose is to just alert our members to something that could happen.

[MR.M]

5picker You bring up a very good point . Even if you used the wrong nozzle it would not dispense gas if you did not select the gas option to start the pump . in fact if you picked up the gas nozzle the diesel nozzle nor the selection button would not work . if you pick up the gas nozzle then the gas buttons will light up not the diesel . so it's not a color problem it's a not paying attention problem

[waybeck2018]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Are you saying there was only one hose/nozzle to use at the pump?

These are what the BP pumps look like in our area of PA.
Yes, the GAS nozzle is GREEN and the DIESEL is BLACK.

BUT... to allow fuel to flow from the GREEN nozzle you must push one of the 87-89-93 buttons which are a clear indicator of gasoline.





Was the pump you used different?

X2 for this post. In my immediate area (Alabama) the pumps look just like this. But could be even different farther up in North BAMA. I try to avoid BP just to make sure I do not do a Dumb A** move and add gas. Also have a gasoline car and problem in reverse, except all gas nozzles and labeled by purported octane.

[TowPro]

Originally Posted by IchLiebeBier

You know, with today's technology, it would be a simple thing to design a failsafe of some kind, maybe with a magnet or something. Vehicle fuel port could have a magnet, and the nozzle has a detector. If the nozzle doesn't detect it, it won't work. Or an alarm on the vehicle. Who knows. Same thing for gas vehicles.

Just a silly thought.

There is. A diesel nozzle is usually larger. its at least the size of the old leaded nozzles, or bigger like at truck stops. But than some German car diesel maker decided to use the smallest unleaded size opening in the TDI tank to "protect us from using truck diesel".

[BriaBeck]

Originally Posted by TowPro

There is. A diesel nozzle is usually larger. its at least the size of the old leaded nozzles, or bigger like at truck stops. But than some German car diesel maker decided to use the smallest unleaded size opening in the TDI tank to "protect us from using truck diesel".

I don't know the validity of that... I had a TDI for 420K miles, and it would even take the big truck nozzles.


Besides, there is no such thing as "truck diesel"... and VW knows this.


If this really did happen, the more logical explanation would be the wrong filler port was installed on the assembly line...

[IchLiebeBier]

Originally Posted by TowPro

There is. A diesel nozzle is usually larger. its at least the size of the old leaded nozzles, or bigger like at truck stops. But than some German car diesel maker decided to use the smallest unleaded size opening in the TDI tank to "protect us from using truck diesel".

true, but that just prevents you from putting diesel in a gasser, not the other way around.

But I recently used a diesel pump that was the same size and didn't notice it until the end. It startled me so much I went in and asked them to prove that I put diesel in the tank.

[GravelRider]

I was on a motorcycle trip to Newfoundland and Labrador about 8 years ago and I accidentally put diesel in my gasoline tank. As I was filling, I noticed that the nozzle seemed a bit large when I looked up and noticed I grabbed the wrong handle! I had the tank about half full. I went into the gas station and asked the attendant about any motorcycle shops or tow places nearby. She said there were no motorcycle shops, but a tow place nearby would be open in the morning.

This wasn't the most ecologically-friendly thing I've ever done, but I needed to make time to catch the ferry back to Nova Scotia. I left the gas cap open, tipped my bike over, and let most of the gas/diesel mixture pour out on the parking lot (I did let the attendant know what I was doing before I did it), refilled with gas, and kept on going. No noticeable effects at all. I ALWAYS double check after this happened.

[eye95]

I don’t recall seeing a station where the diesel pump handle was not green. I assumed it was an industry standard.

I don’t want to see another government regulation, but industry standards are good.

[REL]

Read twice, pump once.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by TowPro

There is. A diesel nozzle is usually larger. its at least the size of the old leaded nozzles, or bigger like at truck stops. But than some German car diesel maker decided to use the smallest unleaded size opening in the TDI tank to "protect us from using truck diesel".

When I worked at a Petro truck stop they had large size nozzles at the diesel pumps for trucks. The car islands had diesel nozzles like the older leaded gas nozzles, the gas nozzles were smaller yet. There was a guy with a diesel Cadillac who always came over to the truck pumps for diesel. The Caddy's filler neck was the middle size so we had an adapter which slipped on the larger diesel nozzles to fill his caddy though we had to watch how far we squeezed the nozzle otherwise we would have a mess. When I asked why he always came to the truck pumps for fuel he said his caddy didn't run very well on the diesel from the car pumps. I laughed at him, told him the car diesel and the truck diesel were identical and the price per gallon was the same.

It was when he told me he was rich enough he didn't need to pump his own fuel that called him a moron and walked away.

[wrvond]

The fact is, as humans, if there is a way to mess something up, we will. I use BP fuels almost exclusively since I find their prices to be identical or slightly lower than other brands in any given area and I get a significant discount using their card and app.
I’ve read some people have managed to pump diesel into their DEF tank so the OP shouldn’t feel too badly.

[TowPro]

Originally Posted by BriaBeck

I don't know the validity of that... I had a TDI for 420K miles, and it would even take the big truck nozzles.


Besides, there is no such thing as "truck diesel"... and VW knows this.


If this really did happen, the more logical explanation would be the wrong filler port was installed on the assembly line...

First year for Jetta A5 was our last new VW Diesel. it was the problem child.

[mwdilday]

Been there done that. Luckily I noticed it after pumping 15 gallons and the smell of gasoline hit me. Didn't start it and had it towed (Ford or USAA covered the tow which is another story) and the tow guy siphoned the tank and took the mixed fuel for $70. After waiting most of the day for the tow truck to arrive it took him about 2 hours to tow to his shop, drain the tank and I was back on the road. Now I do like the OP said as soon as the meter on the pump starts moving I take my finger and smell the fuel / feel on the nozzle. Diesel has a unique smell and feel. At our local wholesale clubs a fuel truck was mis-loaded with diesel instead of gasoline and pumped it into 5 wholesale club tanks. I am sure many, many cars were effected.

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by TowPro

call corporate, they will tell you there is no standard of green for diesel.
Knowing diesel is green I picked the other color pump and put about 1/2 gallon of diesel into a KTM motorcycle once. it still had over a gallon of fuel in it so I just rode it home (2 miles). it actually ran pretty good .

but was hard to start once cold. I drained tank and returned the fuel to the dealer (left the can on sidewalk). I still see cans left there from time to time so I know others are doing it as well. I have not been to a BP since.


My neighbors best friend came to visit and filled his diesel truck up with gas. made a mess.

My Dad had a 1949 Case VIA tug that ran better on a 50/50 Diesel/Gas mix.

[bob5560g]

OP here again. At the station where it happened (Corydon, IN), the major islands had green hoses for gas. When you are in a small, busy station with cars moving everywhere and negotiating a 25' motorhome which is flat towing a car (which means you can NOT back up), you are just looking for the green hose that will allow you to pull up without blocking traffic.

After the mistake, I looked around and found a lone diesel pump off to the side and away from the islands. It's hose and handle were BLACK. Again, reversed from the unofficial standard and reversed from 99% of other stations.

I have to think that BP has received hundreds of angry letters over the years and simply does not care. They will never get another penny from me.

[BriaBeck]

Originally Posted by TowPro

First year for Jetta A5 was our last new VW Diesel. it was the problem child.

Ah, the Pumpe Deuse... first year for vw's "common rail"... kind of a hybrid of technologies. I wasn't too sure of that design either when it came out.



I had an 2002 A4 Golf TDI... best car I ever had, hands down. I sold it to my nephew, and he's still driving it, over 500K on the clock now, and all original on the engine.

[TowPro]

Originally Posted by BriaBeck

Ah, the Pumpe Deuse... first year for vw's "common rail"... kind of a hybrid of technologies. I wasn't too sure of that design either when it came out.

I had many of the old VW diesels, and a 98 TDI. than the PD



The PD reminded me of the Pinto's, remember how they ate all the cam shafts? at 60K (with amsoil) you could hear the problems starting.



Also First year for the DSG transmission with the Dual clutch on a dual Mass flywheel. By 60K the car would vibrate on takeoff as the springs in Dual mass flywheel were failing. End result was the spring would break, fall out of flywheel, bounce around in bell housing then blow through side of case. VW would say "silly American, Clutches are not covered under warranty" as they handed you a $7K bill. I would have gone with the next version with the Bosch pump but as they were failing, vw would sample the fuel AFTER the failed pump and show the customer a soda bottle of fuel on top of 1" of crud and say "Silly Americans, this is because your diesel is contaminated" and hand them a $12K bill.


We switched to Ford Escapes for her. now she has a 2020 escape hybrid doing 50mpg.)

[BriaBeck]

Originally Posted by TowPro

I had many of the old VW diesels, and a 98 TDI. than the PD



The PD reminded me of the Pinto's, remember how they ate all the cam shafts? at 60K (with amsoil) you could hear the problems starting.



Also First year for the DSG transmission with the Dual clutch on a dual Mass flywheel. By 60K the car would vibrate on takeoff as the springs in Dual mass flywheel were failing. End result was the spring would break, fall out of flywheel, bounce around in bell housing then blow through side of case. VW would say "silly American, Clutches are not covered under warranty" as they handed you a $7K bill. I would have gone with the next version with the Bosch pump but as they were failing, vw would sample the fuel AFTER the failed pump and show the customer a soda bottle of fuel on top of 1" of crud and say "Silly Americans, this is because your diesel is contaminated" and hand them a $12K bill.


We switched to Ford Escapes for her. now she has a 2020 escape hybrid doing 50mpg.)

Did the 98 have the ALH engine? I think that may have come in 99. If you had the VNT turbo then you had the ALH. great engine. Did not like to be babied.. so as long as you ran the beans out of it every so often it was happy happy.

I had to LOL when I saw that you went to Ford Escapes. My DD is a 2015 with the 1.6ecoboost. So far only the air conditioner has given me any trouble... it has a leak that we cannot find.