Bad Fuel

[ISP-FL]

Just returned from a 12 day trip to Austin TX (from central FL). I fueled up about 30 miles outside of Austin on State Route 71. It was a older Shell station out in a rural area with no customers. Of course I got 93 octane.

Anyhow, the next morning the idle would surge to 1200 to 1800 and stay there. If I jacked the throttle I could get it to go back to a regular idle but within a few minutes it would do it again. After a couple of short trips I stopped in at Cowboy Harley (South Austin). They went through everything after getting me in right away. All was fine including everything to do with throttle body. No codes or history.

Finally the service manager decided to dump the tank and refuel with their fuel. It still was acting up on the test drive but he said to give it 40 or 50 miles and it should straighten out, which by the time I rode to Waco it was okay again.

He suspects that many vehicles owners are not using 93 octane because of the recent price increases, therefore some smaller stations may have that fuel sitting in their tanks for a couple months or longer. Not sure what fuel was bad that I pumped but I know the fresh fuel from their dealership did the trick.

The remainder of the trip I only fueled at busy stations and started putting a little additive in with each fill-up. I certainly hope this doesn't get to be an issue.

[Jack Klarich]

Joe that really sucks but your outcome turned it around

I hope you are right and we are not going to see a bigger problem coming, the wait and see will prove out about the 15% alcohol also, I think it is going to be a huge mistale and many uninformed folks will suffer

Have a great ride across America

[Zammy]

Sounds like the dealership really stepped up Joe, good to know.

[ISP-FL]

Yep, anyone in that area in/around Austin probably loves Cowboy Harley Davidson! They didn't know me from Adam but tell from my packed and dirty trike that I was traveling so they immediately had me pull it around the shop entrance. I was there for maybe a little over an hour, at least long enough for the DW to buy $70 worth of junk, and they were done. The service manager only charged me 1/2 hour labor and the total bill was $68. I'm guess the threw in the 5 gallons of 93 octane for free?

Needless to say I gave them a couple of 5 star reviews.

[1dn5up]

Yep, anyone in that area in/around Austin probably loves Cowboy Harley Davidson! They didn't know me from Adam but tell from my packed and dirty trike that I was traveling so they immediately had me pull it around the shop entrance. I was there for maybe a little over an hour, at least long enough for the DW to buy $70 worth of junk, and they were done. The service manager only charged me 1/2 hour labor and the total bill was $68. I'm guess the threw in the 5 gallons of 93 octane for free?

Needless to say I gave them a couple of 5 star reviews.

That’s a big problem today , even in bizzy fuel stations . I’ve got 2 cars that require premium fuel. Been using mid grade lately , (89) And they both run better than with 93 . Even if a station gets a fresh load of 93 , that’s probably old stuff

[cScjhb]

Your experience and mine may help others. My similar experience.......

I was trailering my bike behind my Buick returning home from 3 days of great rides in the Texas Hill country. I spent the night in a small town, Got up early and fueled at a small off-brand gas station that was a few cents less than others in the area. I was probably the first one to fuel up there that morning. After 50 or 60 miles, my Buick went into limp mode and the check engine light came on. Managed to get to an off ramp in the middle of no where in Western Texas. Called a tow truck and was taken to the nearest Buick dealership over 100 miles away. Clogged injectors! BAD FUEL!!! They did an injector flush and treated the fuel left in the tank.

This happened just over a year ago and I have had no problem with the Buick since. I now know to never try to save a few pennies using cheap gas from unknown stations. Especially first thing in the morning. All the bad crud in the gas settles to the bottom of the storage tank overnight and the first guy getting fuel in the morning pumps that crud right into his vehicle. Cost me over $800.00 to learn that lesson...... Jim

[cycle7447]

Yep, anyone in that area in/around Austin probably loves Cowboy Harley Davidson! They didn't know me from Adam but tell from my packed and dirty trike that I was traveling so they immediately had me pull it around the shop entrance. I was there for maybe a little over an hour, at least long enough for the DW to buy $70 worth of junk, and they were done. The service manager only charged me 1/2 hour labor and the total bill was $68. I'm guess the threw in the 5 gallons of 93 octane for free?

Needless to say I gave them a couple of 5 star reviews.

Glad they took care of you.

I think the service was free. $68 was for the gas (LOL)

[hydraglide]

Just returned from a 12 day trip to Austin TX (from central FL). I fueled up about 30 miles outside of Austin on State Route 71. It was a older Shell station out in a rural area with no customers. Of course I got 93 octane.

Anyhow, the next morning the idle would surge to 1200 to 1800 and stay there. If I jacked the throttle I could get it to go back to a regular idle but within a few minutes it would do it again. After a couple of short trips I stopped in at Cowboy Harley (South Austin). They went through everything after getting me in right away. All was fine including everything to do with throttle body. No codes or history.

Finally the service manager decided to dump the tank and refuel with their fuel. It still was acting up on the test drive but he said to give it 40 or 50 miles and it should straighten out, which by the time I rode to Waco it was okay again.

He suspects that many vehicles owners are not using 93 octane because of the recent price increases, therefore some smaller stations may have that fuel sitting in their tanks for a couple months or longer. Not sure what fuel was bad that I pumped but I know the fresh fuel from their dealership did the trick.

The remainder of the trip I only fueled at busy stations and started putting a little additive in with each fill-up. I certainly hope this doesn't get to be an issue.

I experienced something quite similar a number of years ago while riding through Canada and it was due to the addition of more than 10% alcohol in the fuel. That is what I suspect happened here.

I had filled up at a rural station in western Canada and while riding through Calgary my idle speed was up near 1800 rpm. I was like WT? My brother in law was riding a Goldwing and didn’t have the same issue.

Apparently, from what I could determine, the Harleys O2 system detected a lean mixture, which makes sense due to added alcohol and raised the engine speed to attempt to compensate for the lean mixture. Since the fuel injector system was controlled via computer and not just via jets as in a carbureted system, it did what it had to do to bring the O2 back within specs. That’s why when drag racers run alcohol they have to open (re-jet) considerably to get their engines to run correctly… alcohol relates to cooler burning and less power if the jetting remains the same as with normal gas. However with a computer controlled system, it just screams for more fuel to make up the difference, hence the high idle.

Not only did the engine idle high, but my mileage was rat crap. I could literally watch the fuel gauge move as I sweated needles hoping I’d make the next gas stop in rural Canada.

Seems Canada didn’t have the same 10% max alcohol limits as they do here… or these fringe stations mixed in a higher alcohol mixture to “save/make” more $.

Once I got some decent fuel back in it, everything was fine. No error code, nothing.

My money is on the odds you hit a station that was dispensing higher levels of alcohol in their premium. Water/old gas would have made it run rough or not at all.

[wlivin2]

Years ago stopped at a gas station I used all the time filled up .on my way home bike started running bad was running real hot .got home let it cool down.started checking to see why pulled fuel line off and wasn't sure what was in the tank.My neighbor who drives fuel truck gets home took a bottle to him and ask him what it was came to be fuel oil mixed with gas call the station told them was told driver out it in wrong tank and phone went dead last time I ever stopped there. Did a complete oil change and flushed fuel had the cleanest engine around