In recent months, several workshops in Rome have reported an increase in cars, motorbikes and scooters breaking down shortly after refueling. The suspect? The presence of contaminated fuel, with water or impurities that could compromise the operation of the engine. After the complaints collected by an Adnkronos investigation, the Financial Police carried out checks on the capital’s distributors to verify the quality of the fuel sold.
But what exactly happened? And how can a motorist realize that he has filled up with non-compliant fuel?
The alarm arises from the workshops: “never so many cases”
The story started from reports from some Roman mechanics who, in recent months, said they had received an increasing number of vehicles with problems that appeared immediately after refueling.
According to what was reported by the Adnkronos investigation, several professionals in the sector have noticed an increase in cases compared to the past, with estimates that in some workshops could reach up to 25-30% more.
The most frequently encountered problem would be the presence of water in the fuel or other foreign substances, capable of causing malfunctions especially in more modern engines, which are more sensitive to the quality of the fuel.
Symptoms reported include vehicles suddenly shutting down, starting difficulties and damage to fuel systems. In some cases, according to the mechanics interviewed, the vehicles arrived at the workshop a few kilometers after being full.
The reports come at a time when the price of fuel has once again weighed on motorists’ pockets. In recent months, petrol and diesel have reached high levels again, with diesel returning close to the 2 euro per liter threshold in some surveys, especially in some areas and during summer travel.
Precisely this increase in costs has led some observers to hypothesize a possible link between the high cost of fuel and the growth in reported cases, even if at the moment there is no evidence directly linking the two phenomena.
Altered fuel can result from various problems: accidental contamination in the tanks, water infiltration, poor management of the systems or, in the most serious cases, outright fraud. The investigations will establish the causes.
The risks for motorists
The presence of water in petrol or diesel represents a problem because the fuel must have precise characteristics to guarantee the correct functioning of the engine. If it becomes contaminated with water, sediment or other impurities, the fuel system can face various problems.
In fact, water can promote corrosion and damage delicate components such as the fuel pump and injectors, as well as interfering with the combustion process. Even solid residues such as rust, sand or deposits present in the tanks can be sucked in and reach the engine, causing wear, obstructions and malfunctions.
More modern vehicles can be particularly vulnerable because they use very precise fuel systems, designed to run on fuels that meet expected standards. In the event of contamination, the consequences can range from starting difficulties and loss of performance to more serious failures and costly repairs.
The controls of the Guardia di Finanza
After the investigation and the reports collected by the mechanics, the Financial Police began a series of checks on the capital’s fuel stations.
The checks concern various aspects: from the correctness of the prices displayed to the correspondence with those communicated to the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, up to the quality of the product supplied.
Fiamme Gialle operators check the presence of any foreign liquids in the tanks and take fuel samples directly from the pumps, which are then analyzed in the laboratory to ensure compliance.
According to what was declared by the Guardia di Finanza, in the first months of the year the Rome provincial command had already seized tens of tonnes of non-compliant fuel.
Codacons also intervened in the matter, asking for more intense controls on the distributor network. The consumer association recalled that the sale of altered fuel can constitute various offenses and that motorists, in addition to paying for a non-compliant product, can find themselves incurring significant costs for repairing damage to the vehicle.
The problem, however, is that for those who refuel it is not easy to immediately understand whether the petrol or diesel is contaminated, because the verification requires specific tools and analyses.
What can a motorist do if he suspects contaminated fuel
If the car presents sudden problems after refueling, it is advisable:
