Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Asda drivers filling up with unleaded petrol 'warned'

Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Asda drivers filling up with unleaded 'warned'
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Motorists and drivers filling up with petrol have been issued a warning over buying unleaded. It comes after one local resident claimed 'up to 100' people were affected by the issue at the BP garage in Essex last week, in the wake of Christmas.

Lee Pretlove, owner of Fuel Out, suspected the issue was in relation to "petrol contaminated with water". He also speculated that "as many as 100 people" could have been affected. John Wilmot, CEO of LeaseLoco, the most common signs include involuntary speed fluctuations, sputtering, failure to start, excessive exhaust smoke, a strange smell and an unusual appearance.

Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's remain popular places for road users to fill up across the country. Asda is another go-to for motorists, alongside Costco, with the supermarkets rivalled by the likes of BP, Esso, Shell, Texaco and more too.

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He added: "Fuel contamination can cause your vehicle to break down and lead to costly repairs depending on the severity of the damage. Inspecting the appearance of the fuel in the tank can also help identify contamination - fuel should look clear and bright, so if it appears dark, cloudy, and has a layer of sludge, it indicates possible contamination."

Wilmot warned that putting diesel in a petrol car can "clog injectors and filters". The expert continued, saying: "The quicker you respond to the initial symptoms, the easier and cheaper it will be to get the contaminated fuel out of the tank and fix any issues it may have caused."

He added: "We never see this many at all, the technicians pass jobs on to us and we have had loads of calls, we have been inundated. It is reversible and is a case of draining them out, a lot of these cars will need new spark plugs as this is damaging certain plugs and fuel filters."