Florida Warns of Contaminated Fuel Ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia

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

“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.”

Citgo says the following stations may have been affected:

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.

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.

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