If you were one of the thousands of drivers who filled up their tanks with bad gas a couple of weeks ago, by now you probably are well aware of it.
Millions of gallons of the "off-specification gasoline" was shipped to stations across the Chicago and Milwaukee areas, as well as Indiana, from BP's Whiting, Ind., and Milwaukee fuel storage terminals between Aug. 13 and 17. Many consumers who purchased the bad gas at one of the hundreds of gas stations affected experienced hard starting, rough idling and stalling.
According to BP, the problem was caused by the fuel containing a higher than normal level of polymeric residue.
Gas stations that sold the bad gas were not limited to BP-branded stations. Speedway, Thornton, Road Ranger, Citgo, Sam's Club and Meijer stores also were supplied with the bad batch, according to a Wednesday article in the Chicago Tribune.
Three Elmhurst stations were included in BP's database of stations that had sold the bad fuel. They are:
- BP, 217 E. Butterfield Road
- Citgo, 218 E. Butterfield Road
- BP, 1003 N. York Road
Four Villa Park stations also were included. They are:
- BP, 1 W. St. Charles Road
- BP 151 E. North Ave.
- Thornton, 250 E. Roosevelt Road
- BP, 350 E. North Ave.
Five stations in Bensenville, two in Addison, two in Westchester and one in Hinsdale all received the off-specification gas. A searchable list of all the stations affected can be found here.
Not all cars that received the bad gas will experience adverse symptoms, But, according to the Tribune article, BP is facing about 9,600 claims from motorists each trying to recoup hundreds of dollars for repairs. Typical repair bills for draining the fuel tank and cleaning the fuel system are $300 to $1,200.
If you believe you purchased the bad gas during this period and your vehicle has experienced problems, contact BP’s customer hotline at (800) 333-3991. You can also file a claim here.
BP representatives say all of the affected gas stations' tanks have been cleaned, and all are back up and running.
