Arden station shuts down pumps because of bad gas

ARDEN, N.C. (WLOS) — A gas station in Arden closed all of its pumps Tuesday evening after reports of fuel problems.

One consumer said diesel fuel was put in the regular gas tanks at the Fastop on Airport Road, causing issues for drivers.

State officials took samples of the gas. They said the station shut down the pumps voluntarily.

We spoke to a representative from Fastop's corporate office who would not confirm what the issue was, but said they were aware of the problem, and were working to fix it.

Several viewers told us their cars were filled with diesel when they tried to pump unleaded fuel.

The owner of the Skyland Exxon, David Lindsay, said he has been slammed with business from people coming in with the wrong fuel in their tanks. He offers this advice to drivers who may have suffered from the mix-up.

"Number one, get a tow truck," Lindsay said. "Don't try to drive the vehicle. (The diesel fuel) just circulates it through the injectors, through the spark plugs, ends up ultimately in the catalytic converter. It's just really rough on the internal workings of the engine."

Repairs for this issue can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars up to several thousand, and the issue is much worse if unleaded fuel is put into a diesel tank.

The corporate office is working to make this issue right and are asking people to call their corporate office so they can file insurance claims. The number is 423-586-7090.

We'll continue to follow this story and will have additional updates Thursday night.