Collective wisdom required...

[ianboydsnr]

This was a very common additive to fuel back in the days of carburettors. However, for fuel injection, it is not a good idea. The manufacturer makes great efforts into adding fuel filters that catch any moisture as the moisture will corrode the injectors. By using the additive, the additive makes it possible for the moisture to penetrate the fuel filter, and is a sure way to damage the injectors by corrosion...

Except fuel already has alcohol in it, that’s what ethanol is.

And it won’t corrode the injectors, because it’s absorbed by the ethanol,

Petrol contains a large amount of water, that’s where the steam comes from out of the exhaust.

 

[Gordyman]

Maybe "your" club are trying to tell you something?

Seriously, without your 911 you are just guessing. Apart from the inconvenience and time wasted surely there were some good things to come out of your travels?

Not sure that anything good came out of the day that shakey had compared to the day he actually planned to have; that is unless he enjoys unplanned train journeys and not having his bike for what probably is going to be the best weekend weather this year so far.

 

[wessie]

It would have been an act of desperation to save my weekend and whilst it might not have been of benefit, I doubt it would have done any harm.

A bit of research on water in fuel suggests that rubbing alcohol might be a good way to adsorb the water and help it pass through the injectors.

Anyway, I should know for wure on Monday but a bit of speculation is always entertaining.

the fuel already has 5% "rubbing alcohol"

if it is crud that has caused the problem then this may have already been in the tank and you stirred it up when refuelling - the fact that others are unaffected suggests this fill was not a problem.

Hopefully you just have a blocked fuel filter or a kink in a pipe that is now blocked.

 

[Alan R]

Except fuel already has alcohol in it, that’s what ethanol is.

And it won’t corrode the injectors, because it’s absorbed by the ethanol,

Petrol contains a large amount of water, that’s where the steam comes from out of the exhaust.

School boy chemistry makes me think that petrol - hydrocarbon, contains the hydrogen bit of water and the chemical reaction, the combustion in the cylinder, combines the hydrogen with the oxygen in the air to produce H2O. Hence the ‘steam’ is one of several end products of combustion rather than a preexisting component of petrol.
Alan R

 

[leadfarmer]

School boy chemistry makes me think that petrol - hydrocarbon, contains the hydrogen bit of water and the chemical reaction, the combustion in the cylinder, combines the hydrogen with the oxygen in the air to produce H2O. Hence the ‘steam’ is one of several end products of combustion rather than a preexisting component of petrol.
Alan R

Not quite, you’re right there is no water in petrol, but there is in air

Fuel mixture in a petrol engine is about 15 parts air to 1 part petrol, the water vapour comes from the air

I was told that for every litre of petrol burned about a liter of water comes out of the exhaust

 

[Alan R]

I’m not sure you are correct. What about an engine running in arid air such as found in the Atacama desert. Air is about 21% oxygen 79% nitrogen and traces of carbon dioxide and other gases. In such circumstances your posited statement would have the engine produce no water whatsoever. I stand by the position that combustion of hydrocarbons and the oxygen in air produces water vapor.
Alan R

 

[wessie]

Not quite, you’re right there is no water in petrol, but there is in air

Fuel mixture in a petrol engine is about 15 parts air to 1 part petrol, the water vapour comes from the air

I was told that for every litre of petrol burned about a liter of water comes out of the exhaust

You need to go back to school and study the combustion of organic molecules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustion#Chemical_equations has the generic formula and a specific example for propane. Petrol will have a similar equation only the C part of the equation will have a higher number.

I’m not sure you are correct. What about an engine running in arid air such as found in the Atacama desert. Air is about 21% oxygen 79% nitrogen and traces of carbon dioxide and other gases. In such circumstances your posited statement would have the engine produce no water whatsoever. I stand by the position that combustion of hydrocarbons and the oxygen in air produces water vapor.
Alan R

Your description was correct

 

[leadfarmer]

You need to go back to school and study the combustion of organic molecules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustion#Chemical_equations has the generic formula and a specific example for propane. Petrol will have a similar equation only the C part of the equation will have a higher number.



Your description was correct

Gentlemen, I stand corrected

 

[Wapping]

I’d have a look at the coils or some such electricals...

A friend of mine did pump a load into his bike of that German corn syrup stuff that they flog off as petrol in Krautland. His Yamaha Fazer thing was not at all happy as a result. We siphoned it down a drain in a disused lorry park and refilled. All was then well. Asked why he bought it.... “It was cheap”. Happy days.

 

[brummy bloke]

maybe go back to the petrol station and ask for a tank gauge report off the veeder route machine..the veeder route machine is what the cashier uses when a fuel delivery arrives, the report prints off like a till receipt and shows things like available space in tanks and if theres any water volume in the tanks..if its a modernish petrol station it will have a system that records what fuels have been dispensed into what tank..ie if the tanker driver has delivered diesel into an unleaded fuel tank the system will detect the mistake..My 2019 1250 gsa has had a new fuel pump under warranty as it was faulty, nowt to do with bad fuel..hope this helps a bit

 

[SBD]

Many years back, I refuelled my diesel boat from a fuel barge in the Thames. I don’t know how much water I got along with the diesel I paid for, but the cost of cleaning the fuel tanks and replacing the filters was not trivial. Diesel & water can provide an environment where a bug (I think it’s a slime mould) grows on the interface between the two. It simply blocked up the filters. Happily this did not happen for a week or so, we had completed the journey home, so rescue was not needed. Unfortunately I could not prove the source of the contamination, so had to swallow the cost.

The mould thing doesn’t happen with petrol, but bikes won’t run on petroly water.

If you have purchased contaminated fuel, I’d definitely be seeking recompense if you’re able to prove the source.

 

[BobT]

Many years back, I refuelled my diesel boat from a fuel barge in the Thames. I don’t know how much water I got along with the diesel I paid for, but the cost of cleaning the fuel tanks and replacing the filters was not trivial. Diesel & water can provide an environment where a bug (I think it’s a slime mould) grows on the interface between the two. It simply blocked up the filters. Happily this did not happen for a week or so, we had completed the journey home, so rescue was not needed. Unfortunately I could not prove the source of the contamination, so had to swallow the cost.

The mould thing doesn’t happen with petrol, but bikes won’t run on petroly water.

If you have purchased contaminated fuel, I’d definitely be seeking recompense if you’re able to prove the source.

The "mould thing" certainly happens in jet aircraft. But jet fuel is very close to diesel. Many a night shift spent inside a VC10 fuel tank at Brize Norton cleaning the stuff out.

 

[ShakeyGS]

Due to Covid, i didn’t get a receipt for the fuel so apart from on board camera footage of me arriving at the station, I can’t really prove anything. I did call him and tell him what has happened and suggested he dipped his tanks or whatever.

 

[ShakeyGS]

BMW have confirmed fuel contamination and will gladly have me part with the thick end of £400 to fix it. Apparently they’ll need to take the tank off in order to drain it. New spark plugs required but the injectors are probably OK.
It could have been a lot worse I suppose.

 

[Winjar]

BMW have confirmed fuel contamination and will gladly have me part with the thick end of £400 to fix it. Apparently they’ll need to take the tank off in order to drain it. New spark plugs required but the injectors are probably OK.
It could have been a lot worse I suppose.

very nice of BMW, pump most of old fuel yourself out, jerrycan new fuel change plugs, go ride 100kms should be fine, cost new fuel and 10 euro plugs.

 

[leadfarmer]

very nice of BMW, pump most of old fuel yourself out, jerrycan new fuel change plugs, go ride 100kms should be fine, cost new fuel and 10 euro plugs.

This !

 

[CPJS]

very nice of BMW, pump most of old fuel yourself out, jerrycan new fuel change plugs, go ride 100kms should be fine, cost new fuel and 10 euro plugs.

Do this. Use a high ethanol content fuel as it will help remove any water contamination.

 

[Kaybe]

Interesting this talk of ethanol as a remedy.
Ethanol is hydroscopic, that is it "likes water" and will absorb water from the atmosphere.
Suggest not a problem if its in tank for a short while but I would strongly recommend you never have the higher E10 in the tank over its winter lay up.
It can also phase out from the petrol if it gets enough water but that is another bit of chemistry we don't need to get into. But this new phase can become a corrosion material.
With some (older) bikes with plastic tanks etc., use of higher based ethanol fuel is a complete no no.

 

[Bear]

Due to Covid, i didn’t get a receipt for the fuel so apart from on board camera footage of me arriving at the station, I can’t really prove anything. I did call him and tell him what has happened and suggested he dipped his tanks or whatever.

If you paid by card then your bank should be able to trace the transaction. Whether it's worth the grief to press the garage for compensation for your cost and inconvenience is another matter.

 

[ShakeyGS]

very nice of BMW, pump most of old fuel yourself out, jerrycan new fuel change plugs, go ride 100kms should be fine, cost new fuel and 10 euro plugs.

Unfortunately I would have to take a day off work and hire a van to go down to Dundee and fetch it so as much as I agree with you, that’s not practical.