Costo Gas- Oppps
05-14-2010, 11:35 AM
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Costo Gas- Oppps NANUET — Hundreds of drivers who thought they were buying premium-grade gasoline at Costco this month might actually have filled their tanks with ethanol, damaging some of the cars, Rockland County officials said.
More than a dozen cars sustained some type of engine damage after owners bought gas at the Nanuet retailer.
From May 1 to 3, hundreds of people may have filled up on what they thought was 93 octane gasoline but which is suspected of being E85, a mix of 85 percent ethanol, which is made of corn, and 15 percent gasoline.
E85 is intended for flexible-fuel vehicles and is not supposed to be used in engines not designed to run on it.
"A single bad delivery may have caused this problem," said Terry Grosselfinger, director of Rockland's Office of Consumer Protection and Department of Weights and Measures.
The Consumer Protection Office has received eight complaints since last week from residents about cars bucking and riding rough, Grosselfinger said.
They blamed "bad gas" from Costco, and many were driving higher-end cars, such as Acuras and Audis, he said.
Scott Silverstein said he filled his 2004 Acura MDX on May 1. The Nanuet man noticed the car was running poorly, and four days later the engine light came on. It's been at his mechanic since Saturday, and he's been told the fuel injectors are clogged.
"It was running so badly I think my wife barely got it down there, and we're only a mile from the (garage)," said Silverstein, noting he spends hundreds of dollars a month on gasoline at Costco.
Silverstein intends to file a complaint with Costco since the retailer has told customers it will reimburse them for repairs.
A message left at company headquarters seeking comment Wednesday was not returned.
Costco is one of the largest sellers of gas in the county, with prices typically 20 cents per gallon cheaper than other Rockland gas stations, often selling at prices that rival stations in New Jersey.
On May 4, the county tested the premium gas at Costco, which had stopped selling the gas following customer complaints, Grosselfinger said. Inspectors also went to dealerships and took samples from cars whose drivers claimed they were damaged by the fuel. The test results are due back any day.
Costco also took samples of the gas around the same time and shared its test results with the county. No water or contaminants were found in the gas.
Based on what Grosselfinger called an "eyeball and smell test," county inspectors suspect 7,500 gallons of E85 was pumped into the 10,000-gallon tank on the evening of May 1. Two nights later, another 7,500 gallons of what appears to be 93 octane gas was delivered, which might dilute the sample the county has tested.
Cars experiencing engine failures began showing up at dealerships in the area last week, including eight cars at Ramsey Acura in New Jersey and five vehicles at Honda of Nanuet.
Robert Cohen, service director of Ramsey Acura, said diagnostic testing and customer interviews indicated common attributes.
"All came out of the same pump during the same time frame," Cohen said.
Dominick Garretson, assistant service manager of Honda of Nanuet, said his mechanics have "had our hands full of vehicles."
He said whatever is in the tanks has been "eating up" the engine. There is damage to catalytic converters, fuel systems and spark plugs. Repair costs could range from $500 to $5,000.
"If you go start doing value work and engine work, that could get pretty costly," Garretson said.
Some cars may have run rough for a while on an ethanol-heavy blend but sustained no damage, Grosselfinger said. They would have returned to normal after drivers put in a new tank of gas.
Anyone who bought premium gas at Costco from May 1 to May 3 and has experienced problems is asked to call 845-708-7600.
More than a dozen cars sustained some type of engine damage after owners bought gas at the Nanuet retailer.
From May 1 to 3, hundreds of people may have filled up on what they thought was 93 octane gasoline but which is suspected of being E85, a mix of 85 percent ethanol, which is made of corn, and 15 percent gasoline.
E85 is intended for flexible-fuel vehicles and is not supposed to be used in engines not designed to run on it.
"A single bad delivery may have caused this problem," said Terry Grosselfinger, director of Rockland's Office of Consumer Protection and Department of Weights and Measures.
The Consumer Protection Office has received eight complaints since last week from residents about cars bucking and riding rough, Grosselfinger said.
They blamed "bad gas" from Costco, and many were driving higher-end cars, such as Acuras and Audis, he said.
Scott Silverstein said he filled his 2004 Acura MDX on May 1. The Nanuet man noticed the car was running poorly, and four days later the engine light came on. It's been at his mechanic since Saturday, and he's been told the fuel injectors are clogged.
"It was running so badly I think my wife barely got it down there, and we're only a mile from the (garage)," said Silverstein, noting he spends hundreds of dollars a month on gasoline at Costco.
Silverstein intends to file a complaint with Costco since the retailer has told customers it will reimburse them for repairs.
A message left at company headquarters seeking comment Wednesday was not returned.
Costco is one of the largest sellers of gas in the county, with prices typically 20 cents per gallon cheaper than other Rockland gas stations, often selling at prices that rival stations in New Jersey.
On May 4, the county tested the premium gas at Costco, which had stopped selling the gas following customer complaints, Grosselfinger said. Inspectors also went to dealerships and took samples from cars whose drivers claimed they were damaged by the fuel. The test results are due back any day.
Costco also took samples of the gas around the same time and shared its test results with the county. No water or contaminants were found in the gas.
Based on what Grosselfinger called an "eyeball and smell test," county inspectors suspect 7,500 gallons of E85 was pumped into the 10,000-gallon tank on the evening of May 1. Two nights later, another 7,500 gallons of what appears to be 93 octane gas was delivered, which might dilute the sample the county has tested.
Cars experiencing engine failures began showing up at dealerships in the area last week, including eight cars at Ramsey Acura in New Jersey and five vehicles at Honda of Nanuet.
Robert Cohen, service director of Ramsey Acura, said diagnostic testing and customer interviews indicated common attributes.
"All came out of the same pump during the same time frame," Cohen said.
Dominick Garretson, assistant service manager of Honda of Nanuet, said his mechanics have "had our hands full of vehicles."
He said whatever is in the tanks has been "eating up" the engine. There is damage to catalytic converters, fuel systems and spark plugs. Repair costs could range from $500 to $5,000.
"If you go start doing value work and engine work, that could get pretty costly," Garretson said.
Some cars may have run rough for a while on an ethanol-heavy blend but sustained no damage, Grosselfinger said. They would have returned to normal after drivers put in a new tank of gas.
Anyone who bought premium gas at Costco from May 1 to May 3 and has experienced problems is asked to call 845-708-7600.
05-15-2010, 09:47 AM
#3
