Got a bad batch of diesel at a truck stop in Ohio last fall

I filled up at a Pilot in Toledo around 3am on a Friday. By the time I got 80 miles down the road, my injectors started acting up and I lost power bad. Shop later found water and algae in the fuel, which clogged my fuel filter and cost me $600 in repairs and a tow. Now I always carry spare filters and check for water at the pump before I even fill. Has anyone else dealt with contaminated diesel at bigger chain stations?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole_robinson3d ago

Nah man, I gotta call this one. "Water and algae" in diesel? That sounds more like a bad tank at a mom and pop place, not a Pilot. Those big chains filter their fuel constantly, it's part of their whole deal. I've put thousands of gallons through Pilot and Flying J over the years and never had an issue. More likely you just got a bad filter from the start or someone put something in your tank at a previous stop. It's way more common than people think.

burns.ruby3d ago

Something else to think about is temperature fluctuations. If you're running a fuel tank that's half empty in cold weather, condensation builds up inside and water settles at the bottom. Even clean fuel from a big chain can pick up moisture over time if the truck sits for a few days. That water then becomes a perfect home for algae to grow inside the tank itself, not just from the pump. I've seen guys who religiously buy from major stations still end up with slime in their filters because they park the rig outside in the rain after a fill up.