Gas in Diesel

[Aluminator]

Last week I was comming home from a trip when my 05 Dmax started runnung like crap. Had to be towed to a dealer for repairs. Monday morning they called to say it was only the fuel filter($150) and it was running fine! Drove 3 hours to pick it up and headed home. I had one stop at a friends and when I tried to start it nothing but cranking. Back on a tow truck to the dealer for round two. Thye next day they said it was the injector pump and they changed it out for a new one. Went for a test drive and it was running as good as new. This time I only got a few blocks away and it lost power again but I was able to drive it back to the dealer. Went back to Ca and waited to hear from the dealer. They called to say they put somre parts on it and it was still running bad. Next day they called to say they found gas in the tank and that they would have to change out the fuel rail and that all repairs wouldn't be covered by GM and I owe them $3,500. I am waiting this morning for the call that it is finished and running again before I drive over to get it.

Question: What does gas do if mixed in and wouldn't it run like crap if it was there?

Does GM state that all these parts need to be replaced?

Should the dealer of checked for bad fuel before changing the parts?

Do I just shut up, pay the bill and be more careful next time?

Dennis

[DmaxMaverick]

First of all, it would take a pretty good concentration of gas to stop the engine, like more than 50%. While the effects of high concentrations of gas in these newer, high pressure fuel systems is still not conclusive, I'd suspect it could be harmful.

That dealer has a poor diagnostic procedure, and certainly not consistent with the book. The fuel quality should have been the first place they looked. Many dealers replace the filter first, as it is usually the problem. You should not be responsible for components replaced due to their missed diagnosis.

Resposibility?
How did the gas get in there, and is there, in fact, gas in your tank? How did they determine there was gas present? Did they have a fuel sample tested by a reputable lab? Go to the dealer and pull a fuel sample from the tank yourself and have it tested. If you pumped the gas in, from the "gas" nozzle, you are responsible. If you pumped gas from the "Diesel" nozzle, the fuel station is responsible, and should have insurance for just such reasons. Check your fuel receipt, if you have one. Always get a receipt, just for this reason. If you don't have a receipt, a witness may be necessary. The station would have to test their #2 tank for gas content. Do it soon, as it doesn't take long for them to dilute the fuel with later fills. A certain amount of contamination is acceptible.