The newly opened Centex gas station in Bearspaw is off to a rough start after multiple drivers experienced car troubles after filling up with gas. On Thursday, the Centex – not Bearspaw Gas in Morely – shut its doors after multiple complaints of faulty gas that caused cars to work slowly or not at all. The owner, Rahim Jooma, said they've sent the gas to a lab to determine the problem. On Tuesday, Jooma said all of the gas station's gas had been switched out. "We're still waiting on the lab test to make sure it's 100 per cent right before we open," Jooma said. "We're going to make sure that everything goes right." Jooma added that anyone who filled up at the Centex and is experiencing problems with their car to give him a call but so far, he's grateful that everyone has been fairly understanding. In the meantime, drivers who filled up at the gas station are left frustrated with car issues. Matt Denney said his wife filled up their 2012 Ford Escape last Thursday morning and the car hasn't been the same since. "It started acting funny, it didn't have any power. It would kind of shake and stall out and stop," Denney said. "When it was low in the RPM it didn't really have any power to get up to start moving, it had to be in a really high gear." Anne Foley said she filled up her tank on Saturday and by Monday evening her 2013 Toyota Sienna engine light came on and her cruise control died. "I spent roughly $700 getting a diagnostic," she said. "My vehicle is still not running right, I'm actually taking it back to Toyota. Now that they've had so many people having the same issue, they're going to drain the tank and flush it all out." Barry Knobbe, a mechanic at Don't Panic Mechanic in Cochrane, already had a few customers drop by his shop after having problems with their cars as a result of filling up from the Centex. He said he suspects a moisture problem with the fuel. "Something's wrong – it's a brand new gas station. Either they've got lousy fuel delivered from whoever manufactured it or there's something wrong with the tank they have in the ground," Knobbe said. There is a range of symptoms that drivers might notice, Knobbe explained. "Some of the vehicles have been running pretty rough to running very poorly. And then you get to the extreme point like I have here with these vehicles that don't run anymore, the fuel pumps themselves are burnt out," Knobbe said. "The fuel essentially acts as a lubricant and it cools it. These pumps are designed to pump fuel not water so the pump will basically overheat and seize." Knobbe estimated that costs to repair damage from fuel problems can be upwards of $2,000. The Centex is hoping to be back in business as soon as lab results determine their new gas is clean. Damage to vehicles caused by the faulty gas is expected to be paid for by Centex. "We talked to head office and they will," Jooma said. If you are having issues call 403-547-0515.
