water in fuel at Esso gas stations, dozens of broken down cars
At the beginning of the week, around forty cars reported a breakdown after refueling at Esso service stations in Marseille.
What happens at Esso service stations in Marseille? Since Monday morning, several motorists have suffered a breakdown after putting gasoline in their vehicle.
“I went to fill up with gas, as I normally do at Esso in Valentine (…) on the road on my way home, I broke down, right in the middle of the road”, explains a motorist at the microphone of BFM Marseille Provence.
On social networks, several Marseillais also testify to their misadventure.
“I’m waiting for the tow truck, in the middle of a day’s work”, exasperated a surfer on the private Facebook group of Marseille 7th, quoted by France 3 Regions.
Another, under the name of Cé Line, also wishes to alert the inhabitants of the 11th and 12th arrondissements: “I went to fill up with gas at the Géant Casino la Valentine station (Esso Express) and from there , my car breaks down cleanly”, she says on Facebook.
A confusion between SP95 and diesel?
Users have speculated that tanks of diesel and unleaded 95 were exchanged without the knowledge of customers.
“The repairman’s first diagnosis focused on the fuel”, explains Thierry Bruneau on Facebook. Or, he assures with “certainty of having put the right fuel”.
A mechanic who took charge of a motorist’s broken-down vehicle was surprised to find water in the car’s fuel.
“We see it in relation to the texture to the color”, he explains at the microphone of BFM Marseille Provence. Water in the fuel, he says, can cause engine failure.
Céline had confirmation of this by having the fuel tank of her car examined. “The garage tells me that my tank is full of water and it has damaged my spark plugs and possibly even my engine,” she wrote.
Water in the tank of the delivery truck
After these serial failures, the petrol nozzles concerned were closed by Esso.
Contacted by BFM Marseille Provence, the oil company thinks it has identified the problem. It explains that near its refinery in Fos-sur-Mer, during the loading which took place on Monday morning, water seeped into the fuel transported by the delivery trucks.
For the moment, the company estimates that 14 service stations are affected by this problem. Forty complaints have already been issued. Esso claims to be working on a compensation system, if it turns out that the fuel is indeed the cause of these breakdowns.