Sam’s Club gas station mistakenly pumps diesel, stranding motorists

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WTRF) – The Sam’s Club gas station in St. Clairsville, Ohio, is currently out of 87 unleaded fuel, but not for the reason you might expect. 

Over the weekend, many drivers found their engines wouldn’t start. That’s because their unleaded tanks were mistakenly filled with diesel.

A third-party fuel supplier had inadvertently mixed up the fuel types while refilling some of the diesel and unleaded gasoline tanks over the weekend, according to Sam’s Club. The issue went unnoticed until customers began posting on Facebook that their vehicles would not start.

Jerry Witzberger, the owner of ASAP Auto Care, explained what happens to the engine when diesel fuel is used in an engine designed for unleaded gasoline.  

“Diesel is really, really thick for the gasoline engines,” Witzberger said. “Hopefully, it didn’t get through the whole system. But if you got it to the point where it won’t start, the whole thing is going to have to be flushed, and hopefully, you haven’t done any engine damage yet. But it will shut the car down.” 

In many cases, the engine is salvageable. But the process can be costly and may require your vehicle to spend a full day in the shop. 

An “out of service” notice is seen on a gas pump at an Ohio Sam’s Club location. (WTRF)

Sam’s Club stated that once they were notified of the issue, they began working to resolve it as quickly as possible. 

“We are actively working to address this situation and are dedicated to making things right for out affected members,” said Steven Zapata, director of corporate communications at Sam’s Club. “We strongly encourage them to contact the club directly to submit a claim.”

It remains unclear how many vehicles have been affected.