hello, i drive a '98 volvo s70 glt, and i usually fill it up with regular gas. but today i decided to fill it up with regular plus. my gas tank had 1 bar left so i decided to fill it up. for some unknown reason after 10 seconds after filling it up with regular plus the car just died on me, the check engine light came on and i barely pull over to a parkin lot, away from the street. the car couldnt start than. had to call towing company so they could drive it to my mechanic. he told me that there was water in the gas pump . anyway he said that he can suck it somehow out of the engine to make it work again... so i was wondering wat is the danger of this, am i going to have to replace the whole mottor? or is it an easy fix? and have this ever happened to anyone?

 

If you actually had water in your fuel, it won't cause any lasting problems. This is also a very unusual thing to have happen, and it had nothing to do with what grade of fuel you were using, but rather, how the company selling it maintains their tanks. As for fuel grade, you really should be running premium in your car- the owner's manual will tell you that you CAN run regular, but that premium is recommended- Most Volvo mechanics will tell you that even though your car has knock sensors and can retard ignition timing, this system isn't perfect, and if you use regular, your car WILL experience some preignition. Besides, you'll see more power and better mileage if you use premium. Just don't get it from that station anymore.

 

i also frogot to write that there was a sign "10% Ethanol" on the gas pump... isnt it supposed to be better for the engine?

 

Ethanol shouldn't be a problem... it's added as an oxygenate/ octane improver. Some people complain that it reduces power... but I really think that's just the placebo effect. Ethanol in that low of a concentration should have no noticeable effect.

 

wierd...