H20 in gasoline won't be tolerated

The two family vehicles I have the responsibility of fueling each have more than 100,000 miles on their odometers. Therefore, I constantly pay attention to the performance of my vehicles with a keen awareness if anything's awry. With the economy the way it is, it's doubtful I'll be trading for latermodel vehicles anytime soon, so these cars must continue to serve me well for several more years.

Lately, however, I've noticed the engines in both cars suddenly running roughly. Acceleration has been compromised by sputters, and my engines are "missing" while idling and in cruise mode. The problem seems to get worse as my gas gauge dips below the halfway point.

My suspicion is that I'm getting "bad" gasoline from my neighborhood retailer. This problem didn't seem to exist a month ago, but suddenly it's occurring in both of my vehicles.

Thinking that I might solve the problem, I chose to fill up with a higher-octane fuel during my last two visits to the pump. I wanted to determine if the 87-octane grade possibly was compromised. My engine performance improved slightly, but the problem persisted. And it pains me to know the station profited an extra 10 cents a gallon because of my up-grade.

Friends have told me similar stories. My colleagues at the office are complaining of the same engine-performance symptoms. The newspaper has gotten several phone calls inquiring about stations selling "bad gas."

Gulf Breeze News contacted the Florida Department of Agriculture and Commerce about a particular Midway station, and a test was conducted late last week to explore whether water is being added to gasoline to increase the station's supply. Results were pending as the newspaper went to press Monday night.

The fuel crisis is causing people to take unscrupulous actions. It's bad enough that we're paying $4.10 a gallon for 87-octane fuel that's possibly watered down. If such practices are happening, it's despicable and the public should not tolerate it.

On the flip side, rental companies are reporting incidences of customers refilling the tanks of rental vehicles with water, resulting in costly engine repairs and, likely, higher rental costs for the consumer.

Are you experiencing poor engine performance you suspect might be caused by "bad gas?" Pop me an e-mail (joe@gulfbreezenews. com) and let me know.

I'll gladly expose the low-life stations that dare bilk the vulnerable public with unethical practices.