From Cocktales/Victor Agustin PDI 18 July 2003
BMW Philippines sent a statement denying that its fleet of Bimmers suffered engine knocks when they gassed up in the Subic Freeport zone, as was reported in this column July 9.
"Of the 13 BMW vehicles we used during that time (Feb. 24-28 clinic), not a single one suffered from any 'knocks and pings' due to contaminated fuel or otherwise," the BMW statement said. "Furthermore, we have not had any report of a BMW user in the Subic area whose car had 'conked out' after filling up his tank in a Subic gasoline station."
Strange denial, since even BMW dealer Prestige Cars of Makati has acknowledged the Subic gas problem.
"The roughness in the engine could be caused by the quality of the fuel at Subic as observed by BMW Philippines when doing a car clinic there a few months ago," a concerned Prestige Cars president Jose Alvarez Jr. wrote to a BMW owner. The BMW owner sent his car to Prestige for service after the 318 developed a "groaning sound" after filling its tank, apparently from the same gas station.
"All cars returned with a knocking sound after having used fuel from Subic," Alvarez added.
The good news is that the knocking sound stopped altogether after the car's fuel tank was emptied and replaced with non-Subic gasoline.




Reply With Quote
