Hey everyone,

It's been a sad week recently... I've got some choking and lack of power in my 13 MINI Coupe S. It decided to cut off when I was making a left turn and barely escaped oncoming traffic.

After two days of diagnostics, the dealer finally checked the gas. Car had E85 in it I checked the receipt and it said that I put 93 in. It turned out local Mobil gas station messed up.

The estimate so far is at $4409 and may increase depending. Exxon called me earlier and confessed the mistake and they told me to authorize repairs.

The questions I've got are:

Will this have any long term effect on the car? I've only put 2000 miles on it thus far.

I've read on the internet that when people would put diesel in their cars, all they needed was a flush that would cost $500 and that was all. Why almost $4500 on mine? Does it have to do with E85 damaging components?

Enclosed is the parts list. That + 16 hours of labor at $145/hour

 

The profile gasket is the valve cover gasket. Why did they put 4 on your bill

 

I think they are the four gaskets around the spark plug holes.

 

Back in 2010 I picked up my new Dodge 300 in Virginia and 2 days later drove to Minnesota. When I got there I filled up and a couple of hours later my car just died whilst taking a left turn at lights, as it happens right by a dealership. They diagnosed that I had put E85 in. They flushed the system, put a couple of new parts in and it was ready for pick up the next day. It cost me around $250...if my memory serves me well. As regards any long term effect...no problem other than being mad at myself (could never determine whether I had made the mistake or the gas station)...In my case no major parts were switched out as detailed on your invoice.....of course it's a MINI so goodness knows what MUST be done, what NEEDS to be done, and what the dealership FEELS should be done...

PHilip

 

UPDATE: Buchanan Energy (company who owns the franchise) called and told me that they will not pay... Apparently, it's too much money (the rest had their tanks flushed at $700 or so).

The dealer says that the pumps are shot and so is the filter and that if all of that won't be fixed, it will void my fuel system warranty.

OH and they had the ***** to tell me that the dealer is trying to rip me off and that the sample of fuel is wrong. There was no ethanol in it, just water (test shown 86% ethanol).

 

Keep us posted. This sounds like it will be a long drawn out process. Don't lose your cool as it will get you know where. You might want to talk to your attorney general in your state. That may get you some much needed help.

 

Wow@! I'm sorry you're going through such an ordeal with your new car, I hope you're able to get them to pay! I'm surprised it can do that much damage, jeez.

 

What Brahminator said. Reading your updated post made me extremely irritated already. I can't imagine what you're feeling...

 

What happens when the gas stations go to 15% ethanol as approved by our government? My owners manual says that 10% is okay but nothing higher than that. Not pleasant, but, you would almost have to expect a fight from the dealer. If Exxon claims fault then what liability does Buchanan have?

 

Buchanan is the owner of the Bucky's gas stations around here. I'm apparently supposed to talk to the owner tomorrow morning They're just trying to save their *** from paying out...

They even tried to convince me that they will warranty the car for me should anything happen in the future I gave you a simple trust of putting the right fuel, you now lie to me about the dealer and the samples and you expect me to believe you? HUH **** NO!

 

I'm glad I can still buy 100% gasoline here, although most stations have E10. I have never seen an E85 pump before.

Good luck with getting your Mini back.

 

Go get them! Stay firm. Keep us all posted. Good luck.

 

Can you put in a claim w/ your insurance carrier? And let them go after gas station?

 

It would show up as vandalism on Carfax and I definitely do not want that!

 

What are we all going to do when the EPA puts 15% ethanol in our fuel; no ones car will run on that.

Do we sue the EPA because our cars are ruined ???????????????????? Good Luck.

 

your dealership major repairs because of this will show up on Carfax....

 

This is a god reason to always get a receipt for the gas you buy. Gives you a leg to stand on legally if something like this happens to you.

Good luck with your repairs. Make sure the dealer realizes that someone else is paying. Anything in question should be replaced.

Hope all goes well.

 

I do not quite understand what you meant by that...

 

I think that he meant to add "reports" after dealership. Depending on the practices of the dealership, they may in fact report the issue as a note on the carfax. At times they will make records on the report for scheduled service and oil changes.

-Chase

 

If you got a tune specifically for it, E85 would be a blast. Lots of 335i guys run e85 or e100 and love it!

 

Fuel dragsters and super tuned track cars aside, I surmise there are danged few 335i guys on NAM so inclined. The problem is unsuspecting people putting 'poison' in their MINIs then being left with the fall out.
I hope you aren't enthusiastic about the idea of turning food into a negative energy fuel. It takes more energy to produce ethinol that it can deliver and wastes rivers of water doing it. Cargill is for the most part behind all this hoop-la and you may never know if you are, in fact, pumping E15 because in many places, gas stations are not required to post that information.

http://www.fuel-testers.com/state_gu...anol_laws.html

 

Corn is not the only source from which to make ethanol. I agree that it's a particularly stupid use of an otherwise good food source, but that's the corn lobby for ya.

Also, it is possible, depending on the source, to produce ethanol which gives more energy than is put into it.

 

...

 

I have ran E85 on my STI for 18+months, and it is just awesome. Gained 55whp & 82wtq over the 91 octane tune
I'm amazed it messed up a mini so bad, since all new car fuel systems have to be ethanol compatible due to the fact its in pretty much all fuel in some percentage.
Yes, without a E85 specific tune the car would run like hell (if at all), but to see a bill for 4 grand of damage would make me question the dealer motive, E85 on its own will not damage a fuel system.
Pumps & injectors were maybe maxed out due to running E85 with a gasoline mapping since E85 has ~70% of the energy per volume of gas, but again, that shouldn't cause the fuel system to be 'shot', should it?

 

I'm pretty sure the dealer is ripping me off big time (they say fuel pump is necessary to replace fuel filter ) but I also understand that they're trying to cover their asses in case more damages occur in the future.