What happens if you use bad gas in a BMW?

Answer 1

BMW seems to use the "bad gas" defense to cover up defective high pressure fuel pumps. We have a new 2011 X5 that stalled out and/or went into limp mode while driving at speed. The first was on an interstate in Pennsylvania. The engine gave a warning light and then died while driving at speed. Used the BMW emergency road side service to call for help. However, about 2 hours later and just before a tow truck arrived, the car re-started on its own. Since the car seemed to work fine afterwards, we chalked up the engine failure to a computer glitch of some type. The second time the car re-started after sitting awhile. After that second time, we drove the car to BMW dealer and explained what had happened and left the car with them for service. Two days later, BMW said they could not replicate the problem and sent us on our merry way without performing any repairs. The third and last time, the engine died again while driving at speed and would not start again. We then had the car towed to dealer. This time BMW was obviously able to replicate the problem. The shop technicians diagnosed the issue as a loss of engine compression. They were vague on details but told me that the compression problem was fixed. However, they then told me that there was a problem with the fuel injectors. The next day, BMW told me that the fuel injectors were fixed but that there was now a problem with the starter. Later, BMW called me back and told me that they finally discovered the source of the problem. The service technician said that there was sugar in my engine! For the next 10 minutes, the service technician tried to convince me that "dirty gas" or "bad gas" from gas stations contaminated with sugar were the root cause. He assured me that sugar in gas from gas stations was a common occurrence and oftentimes caused engine failure. I asked him how he knew it was sugar in my gas tank. He told me that their garage has a machine that can measure the sugar content in gasoline. He then dropped the bombshell that because the problem was due to "dirty gas" that none of the repairs were under warranty. I told him that I am a chemist, and was curious to know how sugar could be so easily measured in gasoline, particularly in a car garage. He persisted and seeing no point in discussing the matter further, I agreed to end the conversation and speak to him and his manager the next day. About 2 minutes later, he calls me back and told me that it was not sugar in the gas tank, but alcohol. Using the same reasoning, he told me that because there was alcohol in the gas tank, none of the repairs were covered under warranty. I filed a lemon law suit last week. This is a 2011 X5.