KEY POINTS:
Drivers unwittingly put the wrong fuel in their cars after a Tauranga service station blunder in which diesel was pumped into an underground petrol storage tank.
An unknown number of customers at Caltex Otumoetai were left struggling with vehicles that coughed and spluttered, lost power and chewed through the gas after their tanks were filled with diesel instead of petrol.
Elaina Pope put $48.92 of what she thought was 91 octane petrol into her car at 11.20am on Friday and drove to Waihi, where she stopped for lunch before re-starting the car.
"As I went through the major intersection, it spluttered and died," she said. "It was so dangerous because I was doing 100km/h back from Waihi and my car started spluttering."
Sharon Buckland, a spokeswoman for Chevron New Zealand, which markets the Caltex brand, said the 91 octane tank was filled with the wrong product about 9.45pm on Thursday and the mix-up confirmed about midday the following day.
Ms Buckland did not know how many cars were mistakenly filled with diesel over this period.
On Saturday morning, Mrs Pope called the AA and was told her 2000 Honda Odyssey had diesel in the tank.
She contacted Caltex Otumoetai, where staff told her they were aware there was a problem and that a mechanic would be available to flush out her car and give her replacement petrol.
But Mrs Pope said no compensation was offered and the fuel filter was cleaned rather than replaced as recommended to her by the AA technician and required under her vehicle's warranty.
After she insisted, a replacement filter was ordered and fitted in the car.
Ms Buckland said no further compensation would be offered to customers.
They were being reimbursed for the fuel and any mechanical costs associated with the mix- up.
She said it was the company's understanding that the diesel fuel would not cause any long-term damage to vehicles.
"We're sorry about the mistake [but] we're not a money bank," she said.
Another Caltex Otumoetai customer - who did not wish to be named - said she bought $40 worth of fuel from the station's 91 octane pump around 9am on Friday.
"I hardly got to Brookfield and it was chugging," she said.
Her engine filter was also flushed and she was reimbursed for fuel, although she is unhappy at the way she has been treated by the service station.
"I don't think that my car's completely better. It still seems to be sluggish.
"The amazing thing is that no one will tell us what's happened," she said.
Ms Buckland said it appeared there had been some miscommunication between Caltex Otumoetai staff and affected customers.
"Staff do not appear to be aware of what is a clear policy," she said.
"Our customers do have the right to expect that a mistake will be put right."
An adviser from Consumer NZ, Angus McLeod, said it was difficult to establish whether reimbursement was enough.
If there were further problems with the cars, then the questions would be around whether they were a result of the diesel going through the cars and if the resulting problem was foreseeable.
He suggested if people were concerned, they should get a mechanic to do a report on the car sooner rather than later.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
