Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Am I SKREWED???

[WorkinStiff]

I live in Oregon, where it's illegal to pump your own fuel... . A few years ago I stopped a gas station attendent from putting gas into my rig... Recently I had to run to the john so I did not make sure that the attendant grabbed the right hose. . Well He pumped 10 gallons of gas into my tank then then pumped nearly 20 gals of diesel on top of it... It's less than a mile to my house & I didn't notice anything..... I have a locking gas cap so it had to come from that station.....

Next day she started coughing and smoking & lost all kinds of power, so I took it into Cummins Northwest... It took them about three days to get to it. . They called me & said that my vp-44 was shot and that they found 40 QTs of gas in the tank. . They wrote me up a document stating that the gas was the cause of the failure... 2700 bucks worth...

When I had pulled into the station I had let the tank get lower then I usually do. . It holds 35gals. . I expected 100+ dollars to fill it up... I hadn't checked the receit right away and after I got the truck back from Cummins, I pulled the receit from the cubby hole I stick them in and saw that it was only for 64$ worth of Diesel...

I had handed the kid my debit card which he ran, then handed it back and I ran to the mens room... somehow he, (They) changed the transaction & restarted it on the diesel pump... My bank statement merely says 64$ with the date & address of the station... But my receit says diesel. . So they pulled a fast one...

In discussing this at work, a coworker related that he had taken a 2 gallon jerry can to that station to get lawnmower gas. . THEY filled it up & charged him for 2 1/4 gals, which is what the pump said. . When he got home he saw that the jerry can was filled to exactly the 2 gallon mark... So they're dishonest and their pumps are miscalibrated to charge for more then they're delivering... So I don't expect the station manager/owner to come clean... ...

One other thing; I got the truck back fixed from Cummins at 5:30 on the night before I left at 4am on a 4wk trip up the Alcan to fairbanks... I just got back and have yet to call the station...

A wag at work says I should look on the bright side... . I got 10 free gallons of gas:{... ..... Any ideas on how I might possibly be able to document this before I go after the station???

 

[16919]

Talk to a lawyer, get repair bills from cummins, see, if that guy at work will testify your behalf, and tell them what happened. You have the proof and will take them to court if need be. They should pay not you.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Forget it WAY too much time has passed, and all you'll get now is heartburn if you try to get the station involved. Just change stations, and keep a closer eye on station attendants...

 

[wtfd6]

wow, I never knew that there were states that wouldnt allow you to pump your own fuel.

 

[JRBurton]

No way I am to particular with what goes in my tank , I either pump it myself or I will stand there to make sure the right stuff goes in there. I do not care what the station attendant has to say on the matter. Its my truck , my money or I take my business elswere . What for kind of idiots do they have pumping fuel? can't even tell the difference between fuels.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

wow, I never knew that there were states that wouldnt allow you to pump your own fuel.

YUP - in Oregon at least - although it IS legal for a motorist to pump *diesel* fuel here, but not many station attendants OR motorists know it...



I believe the waiver is due to the trucking industry and their use of diesel fuel...

 

[BTowler]

I wouldn't give up, take the station to court if you have to, you should be able to recover attorneys fees as well if you win (but don't qoute me on that, Oregon is a weird place legally, look at the pumping rules).

 

[FYarcho]

Yeah I was just in Oregon on my way to washington and the attendant came over to pump my fuel, which I had already started. He told me that it was OK for customers to pump their own fuel as long as it was diesel.

 

[fmj]

Thats always made me nervous when traveling thru Oregon. The last two times I went up there I made sure I used my Pacific Pride and/or CFN card at cardlocks. That way I pumped the fuel and got the tank full, not like the attendents where it clicked at first foam which was 3 gallons out. My card prices were even under posted prices for a change.

 

[Warpig]

I would gather the receipt from the gas station and from Cummins Northwest and go see the Management of the gas station (have a concealed recorder). Present your facts to management and wait for an official response from them. If they will not take responsibility for the mishap take them to court. Where I live (ct, lib central) we have small claims court. You can file a suit yourself and present your case. Chances are the employee who pumped your fuel does not work there anymore, and they will have a tough time calling him as a witness. Or, they will not show up and you will get a deficiency judgment.

 

[16919]

Fight it... ... ..... I would be *&^%% off if I had to pay to get a new injection pump because of some dumb *** kid. Its one thing if they did it and then told you about it and offered to resolve it but its another to hide it and pretend like it did not happen.

 

[Beast2B]

no matter how ****** off you are, you still have to decide if you have the proof to back up your claim. not to mention the time and money to invest in going to court.

 

[MStrain]

I say talk to the owner of the station, maybe he will be reasonable, if he is not willing to pay for his mistake (he is responsible to show his genius employees the difference between gasoline and diesel), well then I would come up with some way to get even. Revenge is a dish best served cold as they say.