Fuel has stopped flowing at a Centex gas station in Bearspaw, Alta., after customers complained of car trouble after purchasing bad gas.
Centex told Global News it had stopped fuel sales at the station Thursday until the company can determine what the problem with the gas is.
“We have petroleum contactors investigating the issue and we are awaiting lab results for all fuel grades,” Centex spokesperson Shafiq Bhura said in an emailed statement.
Centex said the problem only seems to be affecting regular grade fuel.
Anika Somerville said she knew something was wrong with her five-year-old vehicle just a few minutes after filling up with the contaminated gas.
“Basically at the halfway mark home, it started rambling,” Anika said. “It was like Christmas, it was lighting up in the car and all of the engine lights and all that kind of stuff was lighting up.”
A number of the Centex customers have been going to Cochrane Toyota when their vehicles start acting up from the bad gas.
“It’s growing by the hour and I would suggest we are well over 10 now and it may be more than that as we speak,” Alex Baum said.
Baum said the high-tech engines that most newer vehicles have are equipped with indicators that will alert drivers of a fuel delivery problem.
He added that depending on what the actual fuel issue is, the damage could vary.
“If it’s simply water, you can clean out and run a fuel conditioner through and be in a pretty good position,” Baum said. “But if it’s contaminants that are actually in the fuel system, that’s a different story.”
Centex said the station wouldn’t open again until the company is sure there won’t be any further issues.
Any customers that bought the bad gas and saw adverse effects to their vehicles will be reimbursed for their expenses, Centex said.
— With files from Jill Croteau
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