The dangers of dodgy diesel and what you can do to avoid it

Several recent news reports have warned motorists that at least 70 petrol stations in South Africa are selling “contaminated” or “fake” diesel.

Many of these reports are causing significant concern among road users because few, if any, are accompanied by advice about how to avoid filling up with adulterated fuel.

Eugene Herbert, CEO of MasterDrive, says adulterated diesel has cost and safety implications for both private and commercial motorists.

“After filling vehicles with compromised diesel, motorists can drive away seemingly unaffected. At a later stage, though, you will likely find yourself stuck on the roadside with a seized engine. This exposes you to the risk of oncoming traffic collisions and criminals.

“Drivers will also be left seriously out of pocket when it comes to repairs. For fleets that fill up with adulterated fuel, costs can soar if several vehicles are affected at once. Warranties will be void, leaving operators responsible for repairing or replacing the vehicles.”

The question seldom answered is how motorists or fleet operators can protect their vehicles from adulterated fuel.

To obtain a better understanding of the issue, MasterDrive spoke to Lebo Ramolahloane, vice-chairperson of the South African Petroleum Retailers Association and a second-generation petroleum retailer and oil and gas tech specialist.

Ramolahloane said the issue is much more complex than a few petrol stations just trying to make a quick buck.

“In fact, the discourse around this issue needs to be changed to enable a better understanding and awareness of steps to take to protect oneself.

“In many instances, truck drivers are involved. Drivers that are allowed to choose where to fill up [their] vehicles [make] themselves vulnerable to refuelling with adulterated fuel. Filling stations and drivers come to an agreement where the drivers receive a rebate for fuelling up at their establishments,” he said.

Part of the solution is to take back control over where vehicles are refuelled.

“Establish relationships with reputable fuel stations. After that, implement requirements that drivers use only these fuel stations. Once you remove the opportunity for drivers to profit from adulterated fuel, you reduce your risk.

“The difficulty is determining which fuel stations are risky. There are three segments in the fuel industry. The first is franchised stations from well-known brands. While not impossible, it is highly unlikely these [would] sell adulterated diesel.”

The second segment is independent stations, which can be further divided into two groups.

“These are independent branded stations that are not part of a franchise and large wholesalers. Again, it is unlikely that these would sell adulterated fuel. The third segment is filling stations or truck stops without a brand or network behind them and diesel wholesalers who illegally sell diesel to the general public at fuel depots. This is where you are most likely to come across adulterated diesel.”

However, Ramolahloane said these guidelines were not hard-and-fast rules, and the actions of a few stations should not taint the reputation of all of them in the third segment. Likewise, it was only the real-time monitoring of a particular consignment of stock that provided reassurance in the first segment.

The issue of adulterated fuel was a complex one where there were no guarantees, he added.