Beware bp gas stations pump colors!

[Battchief]

I wasn’t tired when the same thing happened to me. BP station that had diesel and gas . I pushed the diesel button and grabbed the green nozzle. Pump made a unusual sound but fluid came out nozzle. It was gasoline. MB service mgr said BP notorious for mixup on gas vs diesel.

[PathfinderESP]

I always check having been used to the UK where Green in Unleaded Black is Diesel
Red used to be Leaded years ago too.
Coming over here it's generally flipped with black for gas.

[B and B]

Station i was at today was red for diesel, black for premium and blue for regular. Yellow was mixed for outboards.

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by BG19

I am sympathetic to this unfortunate event. I too definitely worry about it... with my first trip to the pump with my new diesel truck, I looked at the handle, hose, and selection button for 30 seconds making sure I was making the right choice... but the bottom line is it's not complicated... just push the button that says diesel. We don't need technology, magnets, or standardization of colors. Just pay attention. Read the pump. The universal word for diesel is "diesel". Man, how in the world do we get on the road at all if we can't fill up properly.

Mine was probably an edge case, but here is how it happened for me.

I pulled into a gas station in Ireland, it had one single long island, with 6 or 7 pumps on it. The island ran parallel to the road, so you were either on the road side or the store side of the pumps.

Each pump had one nozzle and one type of fuel - so diesel was "pull up to this pump, put the nozzle in the car, lift the handle and go. Same with regular unleaded, plus, premium, whatever.

Anyway, I pulled up on the left side of the island, so that my car was between the pumps and the store. The very first pump was diesel. I got out and was just about to pump when it occurred to me that I was basically blocking the whole row of pumps because I was stopped at the first one. I looked down the row and saw that the pump on the other end had a green handle. So I got back in, drove down there, and pumped from that nozzle. The original pump was definitely diesel. I never read the label on the 2nd one. Confirmation bias had already taken hold and convinced me that "green meant diesel".

Completely my fault. Inattention and good intentions weren't a good combination that day. I didn't even know for sure what happened until a couple of hours later when the car started running bad and I pulled out my receipt and really looked at it.

I definitely double check now, though!

[Cantdrive55]

This is why some states still have laws that prevent you from pumping your own fuel. If the station is branded then the colors are whatever the brand dictates. If its unbranded then they can use whatever color they want..

[The Evil Twin]

It happens.....a lot.
I dont know how big the Sprinter tank is, but you really only needed to have the tank emptied and refilled with diesel. Then add a double dose of AMSOIL, Standyne or Howes fuel treatment. Back in the day we would add a quart of transmission fluid. Can't do that with todays diesels. You did not turn the key so the fuel pump never primed the filters or lines. The minimal gasoline left in the tank would have mixed with the diesel and been fine.
I know you probably feel better that it was flushed and whatnot. It just wasn't necessary.

[Keithfirefighter]

Been there done that at a BP station luckily i grabbed the green nozzle which was gas but pressed the diesel button so the pump didnt turn on! It took me a minute to figure it out but i was kinda pissed that there pumps were colored that way! You would think they would have all diesel pumps colored the same to avoid confusion!!

[Greg in East TN]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

There is no industry standard.

This would be so easy to do. I wonder why they don't do it?


Maybe there should be a law or regulation.

[Greg in East TN]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

Honestly, this is my biggest problem. Which version of unleaded would you like? Some say they are for flex-fuel vehicles only. Some say they are fine for any cars that are 2001 or newer.

And some pumps have 100% gas with no ethanol as an option for lawn mowers and chain saws, etc.

[eye95]

E-15 is also branded as “Unleaded 88” at some stations. I have never seen a restriction on its use in cars. I currently, for the first time, have a tank full of Unleaded 88.

Did some research at the pump before actually putting it in the car. It seems to run just fine—and (watching the needle go down while keeping an eye on the mileage) it seems to be getting better mileage. I saved almost 20 cents a gallon over the regular unleaded.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by capswin

Diesel is always yellow.

Not for pump nozzle handles as described above.

[Fmueller]

Has nothing to do with BP. No industry standards. Know your surroundings.

[smkauffman]

I don't have a diesel car or truck but do have a diesel lawn tractor.
I am already used to pausing and double checking the pump so I make sure I put at least 91 in the HD as called for in the manual. On the flip side I want to make sure I do not put that in the truck or car as that can be rather expensive at $0.60 or more per gallon above the 87.

I do follow the color standards for fuel cans in the garage...yellow for diesel, blue for kerosene and red for gas with permanent marker notes on the red cans if they are premix for 2 cycle.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Cantdrive55

This is why some states still have laws that prevent you from pumping your own fuel. If the station is branded then the colors are whatever the brand dictates. If its unbranded then they can use whatever color they want..

AFAIK, New Jersey is the only state that doesn't allow people to pump their own gas. Oregon switched a few years ago. Although I believe few counties in Oregon are still full-service.

Originally Posted by Greg in East TN

And some pumps have 100% gas with no ethanol as an option for lawn mowers and chain saws, etc.

There is a Casey's gas station near the CG I camp in and I would always get their zero-ethanol fuel for my lawn mower and golf cart. They just recently stopped selling it.

They apparently weren't selling enough of it to make it worthwhile.

[GChrist]

Originally Posted by Greg in East TN

And some pumps have 100% gas with no ethanol as an option for lawn mowers and chain saws, etc.

In Wisconsin the majority of our fuel stations carry a premium gasoline that is ethanol free for all the boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles, etc.

[walaby]

To accidentally pump gas into a diesel truck, you not only have to grab the nozzle (even if it is green), but you ALSO have to select which grade of unleaded to pump. So, there's two chances to stop you, or at least the one which is selecting what grade.


Now, if the gas station puts gas in the diesel tanks, and you pump that gas into your truck, I think it's on them.


But, if you grab the green handle at BP, assuming green is diesel, AND select a grade of unleaded to get fluid flowing, then your just Mr Dumass.


Mike

[Bhrava]

I nearly did that a few months back with my F350. Grabbed the green nozzle and stuck it in the fill. Thankfully I have a habit ingrained in me to put the nozzle in first before selecting the fuel because I have had it where some a-hole had the trigger opened and it started spewing gas the moment I hit the select button. When I put the nozzle in I looked at it for a moment as something didn't seem right, then I turned around to face the pump and saw where the diesel select was a realized my mistake. Thankfully no fuel leaked out, but it was still a lesson.

Another nono when fueling is to never leave both caps off when you need DEF. It is so easy to mistake one for the other and have some DEF leak in to the diesel, or for DEF to splash and get into the diesel. DEF and modern diesel HPFP do not go well. Def crystallizes in diesel and will destroy the HPFP in no time and when that happens, everything in the fuel system must be replaced, hence the $11,000 repair bill.

I think what signifies Diesel with the color green is, one, road taxed diesel is dyed green, two, road signs advertise diesel prices with the color Green. Majority of pumps at truck stops use green handle covers. I now use TSD to purchase fuel, so it is always at the truck lanes, so doesn't matter what color it is, it is only going to be diesel. Just started using it this past weekend and so far saved ~$15.

[brad10281]

I didn't read all the reply's but I don't see how this is possible. I almost made this mistake once myself in my boat (at a BP) by grabbing the wrong pump. But the pump wouldn't let me. Since I selected 87 octane it would not pump diesel because I did not select the diesel button at the pump. I pulled the handle several times trying to get it to start pumping until I noticed my error. I just assumed all gas pumps operated the same, it'll only pump what you select (gas or diesel). I guess that's not true.

[DJohn]

Hey NMWidcat, being from the great white north, what is REC 90 that I see on the pump picture? On our last trip to the States, the first time I went to fill up with diesel, I was confused because there where 2 choices of diesel, to many choices!

[GChrist]

Originally Posted by DJohn

Hey NMWidcat, being from the great white north, what is REC 90 that I see on the pump picture? On our last trip to the States, the first time I went to fill up with diesel, I was confused because there where 2 choices of diesel, to many choices!

DJohn the rec90 is premium 90 octane gasoline, typically no ethanol. It is used in boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles and high-end automobiles, like European.

We have two different diesel fuel pumps due to the cold weather.
#2 Diesel Fuel: is the most readily available fuel, it has the highest level of energy components so it gets the best fuel economy, it has the best lubricant properties so it is easier on engine components, it is less expensive because of less refinement, but because of the paraffin wax included in the chemical mix the fuel has a tendency to gel at lower temperatures.
#1 Diesel Fuel: is more expensive due to increased refinement, has less energy components so lower fuel economy, less lubricant properties so harder on the engine, but because there is no wax in the chemical mix the fuel remains liquid at colder temperatures.
Winterized Fuel Blends: is a local blend of #1 and #2 diesel to be used during cold weather