Carrynhot

Yes I did! Now to get past my stupidity.
HELP, is there any way to drain my tank, pump the fuel out at the fuel rails or siphon the contents of the tank out. I've been researching this and I've learned that,
1. There is a drain plug in the tank but no one can tell me where it is. Dealer says there is no drain plug.
2. You can remove the valve stem (like in a tire) on the fuel rail and use a jumper wire on the fuel pump relay to drain the tank. (would love to find out this is correct, It would drain the fuel rails also).
3. You can unbolt the fuel line at the banjo fitting on the passenger side and drain it that way.
4. Or you can buy a gas tapper and get around the rollover valve in the fill line.
Does anyone know if any of these are feasible or have another suggestion.
Just so I don't appear completely stupid. The gas station had black covering on the diesel fuel nozzle, had the diesel sign covered with a large sticker, and had the wrong size fuel nozzle on the diesel fuel hose. Also had a green covering on the fuel nozzle on the gasoline side of the pump. I am looking to see if I have any legal avenues in this matter since I no more pulled away from the pump when the suv died and a man pulled up to inform me he had a shop where he could remove the tank and fix my problem.
How convenient!!!
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Randy B

Diesel fuel nozzles are larger in circumference than unleaded fuel nozzles. So unless you stood there and made a mess down the side of the GX, this didn't happen. Nice first post!

Randy B

Carrynhot

Thanks for the reply RandyB. But if you'll look again, you'll see l mentioned that the nozzle on the diesel tank was the small one not the standard diesel one. That's why I think the store owner should be liable. Oh well, in the end I did squeeze the nozzle. But I got lots of pictures...

Carrynhot

JT4

I can't really help you with how to get the diesel out of your fuel injectors, fuel rails, gas tank etc. Since it seems you didn't get far there probably isn't any major damage.

But IMO you shouldn't attempt to fix this yourself, because if this isn't done right you may do more harm then good. You need to make sure all of the diesel is removed so my advice is to have the GX towed to the dealer or reputable shop to have this taken care of by technicians that are familiar with this.

You should also contact your insurance company and explain what happened, send them pics etc and see what they say. Who knows maybe they'll cover it..

I would also Immediately have this gas station reported, I would contact the DEP and explain what happened. If they can't help I'm sure they could steer you in the right direction to an agency that will help. There should also be a phone number on the pump to file a complaint with, contact your local news too..

See the link below of a similar issue that happened to someone years back.. Good Luck

http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/101344139.html

Bluto

My other car is a diesel, see this all the time with gas on the diesel forums. I would contact your insurance company. This won't be cheap, and it sound like the gas station has some liability (and they have insurance too). A dealer may need to drop the gas tank, then remove and clean the fuel lines, pump, injectors, etc. I'd also contact Lexus corporate for assistance if you dealer is no help. A dealer should have procedures for a contaminated fuel system.

Craigyyy

Tow to mechanic.

You will probably have to sue the gas station to get anything out of them. You should consult an attorney in your area.

Carrynhot

Thanks guys
I appreciate your info and after tearing into the GX a little bit I see this is a job for the dealership. I am seeking legal advice on the situation. Apperantly I have to go through justice court to file any type of claim.
Thanks again for all your help.
Carrynhot

bigsley18

I did this once, on a car I had to deliver to a company. It hurts me every time I think back about it...So stupid. I had to get it towed to the closest dealership and they emptied the gas tank, flushed all the diesel they could in the fuel lines, replaced the fuel filter, replaced the fuel pump and replaced the injectors. These can all be done if you're a skilled mechanic. If you're not, you may want to have the dealership do it.

Anyway, because it was my fault, I paid for it out of my pocket. You, yourself, mentioned it was YOUR own stupidity. I don't know how the pumps were set up or how deceiving it could've looked, but I think you've got to take the hit for this one. To my knowledge, there is no law that states the gas pump must be of a certain color or size. If it's your own negligence, why bother suing? Nobody wants to be held accountable anymore.....

fuenfer

Actually, regulation requires fuel nozzles to be different sizes precisely to avoid this type of issue. And having someone conveniently there to propose fixing the problem sounds almost as if the failure to maintain proper sizes were done on purpose.

I'd contact the insurance company and have them handle it. If they choose to sue the gas station, it'll be out of their pocket.

jjscsix

I have to agree with others. I'm a big believer in taking responsibility for ones own actions, but as has been said, there is a really good reason for different size fillers and different colored handles. I think the station is culpable.

JT4

OP - any update on this??