The state of Florida is warning drivers that some may have purchased contaminated gasoline that could damage their engines over the weekend. The warning comes as Tropical Storm Idalia heads for the area. The National Hurricane Center expects the storm to hit the Gulf Coast early Wednesday morning.
Related — Preparing Your Car for a Hurricane: An Emergency Checklist
Diesel, Gas Mislabeled
“Human error” is to blame, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Washington Post explains, “Workers at Citgo, which supplies fuel to the greater Tampa area, accidentally switched diesel and gasoline in a shipment to stations on Saturday.”
List of Affected Stations:
Citgo says the following stations may have been affected:
- Big Dan’s Car Wash: 39522 US Highway 19 N., Tarpon Springs
- 7-Eleven: 3437 US Highway 19, Holiday
- 7-Eleven: 13411 Fish Hawk Blvd., Lithia
- 7-Eleven: 4325 Lee Blvd, Lehigh Acres
- 7-Eleven: 12750 South Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers
- 7-Eleven: 290 Lakeland Park Road, Lakeland
- 7-Eleven: 720 Chiquita Blvd., North Cape Coral
- 7-Eleven: 2604 Skyline Blvd., Cape Coral
- 7-Eleven: 940 S Broad St., Brooksville
- 7-Eleven: 1626 Meadow Road, Lehigh Acres
- 7-Eleven: 2401 James Redman Parkway, Plant City
- 7-Eleven: 601 Pine Island Road S.W., Cape Coral
- 7-Eleven: 6050 Dean Dairy Road, Zephyrhills
- 7-Eleven: 714 Burnt Store Road, Cape Coral
- BJ’s Wholesale: 1929 Pine Island Road N.E., Cape Coral
- BJ’s Wholesale: 9372 Ben C Pratt Six Mile Cypress Pkwy., Fort Myers
- BJ’s Wholesale: 13585 NE 86th Path, Lady Lakes
- Handy Foods Store #86: 21321 Palm Beach Blvd., Alva
- Handy Foods Store #87: 3205 Lee Blvd., Lehigh Acres
- Superday CITGO: 1595 South McCall Road, Port Charlotte
- Bolton One LLC: 15434 US Highway 19, Hudson
- JHW #310 – DBA Avenue CITGO: 11867 N. Williams St., Dunellon
- AL Prime – Daytona Beach: 1898 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach
- Quick & Easy Stop: 4529 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota
- Palmers Easy Stop: 903 Cattleman Road, Sarasota
- Faulkenburg CITGO: 5320 Faulkenburg Road, Tampa
- Choice Food & Gas: 310 N Central Ave., Umatilla
- 2K Express 5: 6202 N 40th St., Tampa
- Perfection Station 5: 9931 N Florida Ave., Tampa
The Wrong Fuel Can Do Damage
A gasoline engine cannot run on diesel fuel. A gasoline engine won’t ignite diesel fuel, so the engine will quickly stall, and the car will not run. To fix the problem, a mechanic must fully drain the fuel tank and engine, replace the fuel with regular gasoline, and inspect to ensure the denser diesel hasn’t done any damage.
Related – Types of Gasoline Explained: Learn the Differences
A diesel engine cannot run on gasoline. Regular gasoline ignites more easily than diesel fuel, which can damage an engine and require significant repairs.
Misfueling is rare because diesel and gas dispensers at gas stations use different diameter pump nozzles to prevent it. But there’s no way for you to know if the tank supplying the fuel has been filled with the wrong stuff.
State Opens Help Hotline
The agency says it “has opened up the consumer hotline to receive complaints from impacted consumers. If you believe you were sold contaminated gasoline, you can file a complaint by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA online at www.fdacs.gov.”
If you recently fueled up at one of the affected stations, we’d urge you to act now. Your car won’t function with the wrong stuff. The worst time to find out it won’t start is after the evacuation order comes.
