Motor fuels
Verify motor fuel quality through inspections, tests and investigations
The Motor Fuels Program regulates the sale and quality of motor fuels in Louisiana. The program includes:
A Motor Fuels Laboratory whose primary function is to validate that all fuels sold in the state meet State and Federal requirements for
Octane ratings for motor fuel
Viscosity ratings for lubricating oil
A nd other chemical and/or physical requirements established by Louisiana laws and regulations
LDAF inspectors inspect over 73,000 devices at over 3,100 Louisiana locations once a year to ensure that consumers are getting what they pay for
Investigations of consumer complaints
In addition, LDAF Weights and Measures receives an average of 350 to 400 consumer complaints about retail motor fuels and devices every year, and investigates every one.
Services
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Complaints and enforcement.
LDAF Weights and Measures receives an average of 350 to 400 consumer complaints about retail motor fuels and devices every year, and investigates every one.
Complaints about watered-down gas or diesel fuel.
A common complaint concerns watered-down or contaminated fuel. If your vehicle “runs rough” or stalls after filling up at a particular station, there may be water in the fuel you bought.
Watered-down or contaminated motor fuel is illegal to sell because it:
Impairs engine performance,
damages fuel injection systems,
and robs consumers like you of the quality you pay for.
Before you submit a complaint
Report complaints sooner than later. It's easier for Weights and Measures to follow up on quality concerns if you submit them soon after they occur.
Save your fuel receipts. Documentary evidence demonstrating which fuel you bought, how much and when, helps support your case.
Ask about recent fill-ups. Ask the last person who filled the vehicle up what grade of fuel they added. If the last person to fill up the car doesn't know the vehicle's fuel requirements, and performance issues occur shortly after, it may be worth asking them what grade of fuel they added.
Sometimes car performance problems such as engine pinging and stalling mimic the effects of watered-down gasoline but actually result from a driver adding the wrong octane grade of gasoline for the vehicle. For example, a newly licensed teenaged driver might not understand the difference between ethanol-heavy 87 octane Regular and 91 octane Premium aside from price. By choosing the budget option, they unknowingly bring on engine problems.
Enforcement
If you file a complaint about fuel at a particular location, LDAF Weights and Measures will sample and test the suspect fuel in its onsite laboratory. If the sample tests positive for water or contaminants, the lab will “red tag” the fuel so the merchant is no longer allowed to sell it.
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