How do you know if you have bad gas in your car?

Question

I put a half a tank of gas in my Blazer to fill it up. I drove about ten miles then the engine stopped. I started the car again but it was running rough and I had to keep my foot in the gas or else it would stop. Black smoke was coming out the tail pipe.

Could this be bad gas or something else?

Answer 1

Usually black smoke is a sign of the engine flooding its self. Maybe an O2 sensor malfunctioned or something related to your ignition. Do you have any check engine lights on?  I wouldn't recommend driving too far. You could damage something in the engine.

Answer 2

sorry to say but 99.9 percent chance its something else. gas stations these days get audited by weights and measures and have to adhere to strict standards for the quality and so on

Answer 3

good chance... try a bottle of fuel treatment and chage the fuel filter

Answer 4

If you're in your car and you have to f**t a lot, and if it really stinks something nasty, then you probably have bad gas in your car.  Did you eat at Taco Bell?

Answer 5

Sounds like water in the gas>beat get some water remover from the auto parts store>

Answer 6

IT IS NOT OK TO USE DIESEL FUEL

Answer 7

If you think bad gas is the problem,get some dry gas and put it in your tank. If you got the gas from a gas station it may have had water in it causing your problem.

Answer 8

don't put anything other than gas in your tank.  drain some fuel from the fuel rail schrader valve into an empty clear water bottle.  let it sit for a couple of hours.  If there is any separation of the liquid, then you have contaminated fuel.  Go back to the station you bought it from and attempt to get them to pay to clean your tank and fuel system.  Usually, water contamination will cause more of a white smoke than black.  Check your EGR valve for proper operation, this could also cause your problem.