Contaminated Fuel

The Great UK Petrol Crisis

Contaminated Fuel > Silicon Fuel Contamination Problem

Silicon Contamination Problem

The story begins with cars breaking down all over Southern England, but nobody being exactly sure why...

According to news reports (example: Yahoo! News UK - Petrol contamination traced - 3 March 2007) the problem was eventually traced to silicon contamination in unleaded petrol from four petrol storage tanks in Essex. It seems the contamination was not detected earlier because routine tests on petrol did not including testing for the presence of silicon.

Modern cars apparently include an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system that provides electronic feedback to the "Engine Control Unit", which in turns adjusts the fuel/oxygen mix in the engine. The affect of the silicon was to cause this sensor to fail and the car to misbehave. Drivers experienced this as loss of power, juddering, misfiring, or in some cases, the failure of their car to start at all.

Unfortunately the silicon contamination can cause damage to the car's systems, requiring expensive repairs. If you believe that your car has been affected, it is best to stop driving immediately (to prevent further damage) and seek advice from a garage.