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I just wanted to send a general warning out to all those owners of diesel vehicles fitted with modern common rail fuel systems and Piezo Style Injectors.

Be very careful to avoid water contamination in the fuel system. I recently filled my diesel vehicle with water contaminated diesel fuel from a retailer. Fortunately I had purchased all recent fills from the same station and had kept receipts. This enabled me to make a claim for repairs totalling $12,000 !!!.

If you experience any engine performance issues after a fill, get the fuel tested promptly for water contamination and act quickly before corrosion has the chance to set in.

Al

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 14 December 2009

Thanks for the warning.

With common rail technology the fuel is being cycled through the entire system so any contamination means a strip down from the tank through to the injectors and back to the tank. Injector pumps do not like any contamination as the diesel fuel acts as a lubricant for the pump internals.