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Bad Exxon Gas and my car problems
Posted on 4/4/14 at 7:45 pm
Posted on 4/4/14 at 7:45 pm
to start off with I don't watch the news and cut the cord on cable so I'm out of touch a bit. I was completely unaware of the whole Exxon bad gas thing.
I have been having the strangest problems with my wife's trailblazer. I am a good mechanic but was just stumped by what her car was doing.
When first starting it sounded beyond sick. Once it would start it would run like crap for about 30 seconds and it would finally run fine. I test drove it and everything was fine and it had all the power it should.
Every time it would sit for a while it was the same thing. It sounded horrible and was hard to start.
I decided I had a bad fuel injector that was leaking the fuel pressure from the line when into the cylinder when it was turned off. I ordered new fuel injectors (I do all my own work) and went to change them today. While I had my plugs out I decided to run a compression check. I had 3 cylinders with 200psi and 3 that made no compression. A lack of compression is the hallmark of a bad engine. I couldn't explain the lack of compression but there it was.
I called the dealership to price a new engine. While he was looking it up, I explained what was happening and said "have you ever heard of anything like this". He said "absolutely we have a shop full right now".
The problems that the bad gas is causing is "sticking" valves. When the valve sticks open it causes a lack of compression. If caught early enough it's not a big deal and can be fixed easily. If you have a valve with an "interference" type engine. (the valves have the ability to hit the pistons if the valve timing is off or the valves stick) You can absolutely "crater" your engine with this problem.
If you catch it early you can just spray "upper end" cleaner into one of the vacuum ports on the intake and it should clean it out.
Exxon has set up a hotline to deal with this. The number is 855-300-2659.
14
Posted on 4/4/14 at 7:46 pm to eitek1
Grwat post, thanks. 
Posted on 4/4/14 at 7:48 pm to eitek1
so your first thought is to call the dealership and price an engine?
Posted on 4/4/14 at 7:49 pm to potent357
Errybody deserves a new car.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 7:54 pm to eitek1
Where did you purchase the gas?
Posted on 4/4/14 at 7:56 pm to potent357
3 cylinders w/ no compression is generally a bad sign. 
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:01 pm to Kramer26
I've got a vehicle at AllStar right now and the lady there said Exxon has contacted them and they are simply covering any vehicle that comes in with engine problems. She said the people have to let them know which Exxon the fuel was purchased at, cause Exxon knows which stations got the bad gas. She said Exxon is covering the vehicles, no questions asked. Said that they have 4 company trucks come in that had over 120k miles and Exxon is covering brand new engines for them. Also said that most of the ones that they've fixed were not damaged to the point of needing total engine out replacements.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:02 pm to eitek1
quote:
cut the cord on cable
Subtle brag
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:04 pm to guttata
That's good to hear
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:07 pm to guttata
That's cool that Exxon is being stand-up about It.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:13 pm to potent357
quote:
so your first thought is to call the dealership and price an engine?
No my first thought was to run a compression check. Any good mechanic knows this...
If your engine fails a compression check, it's typically new engine time. I don't have time to rebuild an engine.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:16 pm to eitek1
quote:
I am a good mechanic
Wish I could say the same. You should have seen me putting an old worn out gasket that goes in front of cowl panel today for a Tacoma. Embarrassing, I have stock in Exxon btw.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:17 pm to Kramer26
quote:
Where did you purchase the gas?
Exxon in Zachary.
I called them and they said that they weren't one of the stations with bad gas. Based on what my car is doing I ain't buying it. There is literally only one single thing that would cause my car to do what it is doing and that is bad fuel.
keep in mind once it warms up and the valves unstick it runs fine. It's not "mechanical".
Also the trailblazer has the straight 6 with an overhead cam. V-8s have push-rods and apparently the pushrods are getting bent on the V-8's due to valves sticking.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:23 pm to eitek1
quote:
V-8s have push-rods and apparently the pushrods are getting bent on the V-8's due to valves sticking.
That's some seriously bad shite if it can gum up a valve to make it stick against spring/push-rod pressure.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:24 pm to eitek1
Also, I rarely wish people ill BUT...
I wish the engineer that decided where to put the lower bolt on the ECM bracket gets an anal rash that itches so bad it drives him criminally insane.
I wish the engineer that decided where to put the lower bolt on the ECM bracket gets an anal rash that itches so bad it drives him criminally insane.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:25 pm to eitek1
quote:
to start off with I don't watch the news and cut the cord on cable so I'm out of touch a bit. I was completely unaware of the whole Exxon bad gas thing.
So you are gonna probably spend more fixing your car than you saved by cutting the cord? Congrats!
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:31 pm to lsu480
My car has 250K on the odometer and looks brand new. I completely replaced the interior added a gps/bluetooth receiver. Changed everything that could break except the engine about 4k miles ago. Total cost was 5,000 dollars.
I haven't had a car payment in years. Trust me I'm money ahead. I offered to buy my wife a new car but she declined she liked her TB.
I haven't had a car payment in years. Trust me I'm money ahead. I offered to buy my wife a new car but she declined she liked her TB.
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:33 pm to eitek1
So you're an Arfcommer too?
LC
LC
Posted on 4/4/14 at 8:49 pm to eitek1
Does anyone know if the bad gas is limited only to Exxon stations? I'd imagine some of the other stations may get their supplies from Exxon as well, but those are probably smaller gas stations and not the major rivals like Shell or Chevron.
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