It is silicon which has been found in one of the storage tanks, it is apparently used to prevent foaming in diesel.
Tesco have also now stopped selling unleaded and are having their tanks emptied.
No wonder the public are confused, this is a quote from the Telegraph online.
[fieldset=Telegraph]The petrol contamination scare which has caused hundreds of cars in the South East to break down may be caused by silicone, it emerged today.
The contaminated petrol is reported to affect fuel sensors
The contaminated petrol is reported to affect fuel sensors
It is understood that the element - which should not be in petrol - has been detected in the fuel tanks of some of the affected vehicles. This may explain why they have been juddering and misfiring.
Testing agencies have not yet revealed in how many cars silicone has been found, or in what amounts. It is just one possible explanation for the contamination, the AA told Telegraph.co.uk.
Silicone has many industrial uses. In its basic form it is used in semi-conductors, and its compounds including silica are used to form glasses, cements, ceramics and lubricants.
Given the spread of petrol stations affected by the contaminated fuel, silicon would have to have entered the petrol at some point in the supply chain.[/fieldset]
And from the Independent.
[fieldset=Independent] Silicon found to be rogue element in petrol
By Barrie Clement, Transport Editor
Published: 03 March 2007
Scientists have pinned the blame on silicon as the rogue ingredient in petrol that has led to thousands of cars "hiccuping, juddering and misfiring".
The Trading Standards Institute said last night that a sample of unleaded fuel from a motorist in Cambridgeshire whose car had broken down showed that the element was present.
Silicon products are used as "anti-foaming agents" in diesel, but they can cause "serious problems" in petrol engines, particularly in modern vehicles with computerised fuel management systems, the institute said.
Trading Standards officers were now working with supermarket chains to ensure that motorists get "proper redress". They are also checking to find out how and why the petrol was contaminated. The institute's helpline had received 2,500 calls from concerned drivers. Geoffery Theobald, a local authority representative, said that motorists have a right to be "angry" over the problem.
Car makers were forced to send more spare parts after motorists complained.
Renault, Peugeot, Mercedes Benz and Citroën have made special orders for more oxygen sensors to replace those apparently damaged by "faulty" petrol. The delicate sensors have been affected by the tainted petrol causing engine management systems to switch to emergency settings.
Contaminated fuel is thought to have been supplied by Royal Vopak in the Thames Estuary at West Thurrock, Essex. It is used by at least two companies: Greenergy, which supplies Tesco and Morrisons, and Harvest Energy, which supplies Asda.[/fieldset]
