Bad gas?

JIM JIM2

MEMBER
2017 NISSAN ROGUE
2.4L
4 CYL
AUTOMATIC
96,105 MILES

My fuel was low, so I decided to add more gas. After filling up 10/15 minutes later my car started acting funny. I was losing power and the RPM gauges were going up and down. I pulled over and because the car was slowing down more and more, it was making a putting sound like something was clogged. I turned the car off and sat for 3 minutes. Turned back on but car was making a putting noise like it wanted to move but wasn't. I put my foot on acceleration pedal and it revved up with a putting sound not moving forward but then somehow it took off really fast. Once home I parked and now car won't move but will start and go in gear and continue to make a that putter noise like something is clogged.

1 Reply

AL514

MECHANIC
4,699 POSTS

Hello, having just been through this situation with another customer's vehicle, did you get gas a station you do not usually visit? Has the Check Engine light come on, or any other warning lights? If you suspect bad gas, and this seems to be happening frequently right now, you will need to take a fuel sample. It's best to take a sample in a container that is like a graduated cylinder, such as a soda bottle that is tall and skinny so the gas and whatever else is in the sample can separate. If there is water or alcohol in the sample it will separate from the gas, one will float on top of the other. If it is just old bad gas, it will have a dark color to it and will have lost its strong gas smell.

I don't recommend driving a vehicle like this. It will stress the Ignition system and the fuel injectors and possibly damage them. The last vehicle actually burned up an Ignition coil and then damaged the engine computer.
So, if the sample comes out bad, the entire tank needs to be drained. A fresh tank of gas, some fuel injector cleaner as well as some dry gas will help the system clear out everything that is in the fuel rail and the injectors. The engine has multiple misfiring cylinders right now because it can't burn whatever is coming from the tank. Getting a fuel sample can be tricky due to this vehicle having a push button ignition switch. The Starting system will need to be disabled and there is probably a screen in the filler neck for the gas tank. It is probably best to have the vehicle towed to a shop so they can drain the tank, you don't want to cause any more damage to either the fuel or ignition system.