absent

It would be hard to find a stronger proponent of ICE on this site then myself so it is even more shocking for me that I even consider electric car so seriously as I do now.
All because I got slapped hard and was forced to open up to other options.
My perfect S63, built at a great expense to 850HP and the best daily driver I have ever had, with super comfort and performance of my 2014 991TTS, is no more.
You can buy, build the best ICE car ever but then you forget that you are still at the mercy of a gas station.
About a month ago filled up my car with Premium 93 at one of the 4 stations I usually frequent, paid cash, since I forgot to take my wallet from my wife's car and for the life of me could not remember which location I went to.
Did not drive it immediately after, drove home to park it and went to the airport for a week trip so did not realize the problem I had.
When I resumed driving the car was running rough and started to lose power rapidly so I just continued to drive straight to my dealer.
They gave me a nice S560 to use and next day gave me the verdict, heavily contaminated gas with unknown substance, turbos (Renntech) shot, injectors shot, the entire fuel system in need of a thorough flush and clean.
With labor the total cost about $20k and a loss of my Renntech mods, since replacement parts would be stock only.
I can purchase new Renntech parts but they would need stock units in exchange so the total cost would be beyond ridiculous.
I will fix it as stock, with ECU only, and continue to drive until I find a proper electric appliance for daily driving., put a deposit for the upcoming Lucid Air.
End of the World indeed........

stever500

That's awful... what a nightmare. Sorry to hear. All from filling up with gas? Would us regular S63 drivers potentially have the same issue, or is the issue a result of the Renntech upgrades you did? Never heard of such a thing. It's got to be 1 in a million.

Wow, had to google it. Never heard of it. https://www.caranddriver.com/lucid-motors/air
Overview Lucid Air sounds more like an '80s cover band or a type of meditation than an all-electric luxury sedan. Then again, Tesla Model S probably sounded like an obscure electrical invention from the late 19th century when it debuted. While Tesla has established itself as the preeminent EV automaker, Lucid is currently best known for supplying batteries to Formula E race cars. Now, the upstart company looks to challenge luxury alternatives such as the Model S and Porsche Taycan with its all-new 2021 Air sedan. While full details are pending, we're told it'll have a driving range of 517 miles, a top speed greater than 200 mph, and zip from zero to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds. Additionally, it'll have a spacious and luxurious cabin that will be covered by a glassy canopy that should help it live up to its atmospheric name.

What's New for 2021?

The Lucid Air has been in the works for several years now, with the start of production moved from late 2018 to late 2020. However, a video in which Lucid teases the Air suggests this time is the real deal. We're also told more specific details about the all-new EV sedan will be released in April at the New York auto show.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

• Air: $62,000 (est.)

Since the Air was first announced a few years back, the company has maintained that it will start at $60,000. However, that doesn't include the undetermined destination price and is calculated before the expected $7500 federal tax credit. Lucid also has said that the top-of-the-line versions will retail in the low six figures. We'll know more about the pricing structure once that information is announced in the coming months.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The Air is expected to offer single and dual electric motors, with the former providing rear-wheel drive and the latter providing all-wheel drive and a claimed 1000 horsepower. Still, the different variants likely won't be defined for at least a couple months. Likewise, we expect more specific powertrain specifications to be announced at the time. Until then, Lucid claims the Air will be able to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds and have a top speed of more than 200 mph. The electrified sedan will be supported by an air suspension, too, which the company says helps provide a smooth ride. Its low center of gravity is also expected to help its handling characteristics.

hyperion667

Gad damn! That's a lot to swallow man. That really sux! You're keeping the S after it's "fixed"? I've sen pics of Lucid cars and they look good and boast many E miles

chassis

Wow sorry to hear. How many gallons of strange juice went into the tank? I would think a couple of gallons would not have caused such damage.

What are your thoughts on reliability of a new carmaker and the service lifespan of a propulsion battery?

MBNUT1

They should take a sample of the fuel in the tank to determine what the contaminate was.

superpop

Wonder if your insurance would cover this as a claim.

2012 merc amg

Ya check with insurance that’s a horrible thing. Makes you wonder if someone coulda contaminated your gas when the car was sitting. Very rare that happens at gas stations. Normally all the water and dirt separates from the gas and sinks to the bottom of the underground tank. The pickups are normally at least 6 inches off the bottom of the tank. I had a station 20 years and never had a complaint and I sold over 1200000 gallons per month. Once a year we would draw the water off the bottom and it was generally less than a inch. I guess if a owner let it go a real long time it’s possible. We use to put this yellow paste on the dip stick and it would turn red in the presence of water.

absent

The entire content of the fuel tank was filled with strange smelling yellowish liquid (smelled like a dissolvent).
It could happen to anyone according to my dealer and had nothing to do with the mods themselves.
Made a claim with CHUBB and they are working on it, will have to pay my $5k deductible though.
One in a million indeed, another example of my bad lottery luck (I am the only known guy in US who broke a titanium tooth implant, supposedly odds are 1 to a billion)
Never won any money tough......

blkfxstc

Was it diesel by chance?

No need to give up on ICE engines due to a bad experience unless you just want an electric vehicle.

MBS63AMG

Typical 2020 disaster. My S63 misfired twice in the same day and I limped into the service department which I was lucky enough to only be one mile away from at the time it happened. They never got it to do it again and it never happened with me either ever again. It was very scary at the moment it happened. I blame it on bad gas.

2012 merc amg

I still think it was vandalized by some jealous idiot when the car was sitting parked maybe at the airport or something. Maybe they put urine in the fuel tank or something would be my main theory. You should have an analysis on the gas in the tank before discarding it. This may be helpful in your insurance claim if you can prove vandalism. I hear you on the bad luck. So far my 2017 S550 is my good luck charm but if the wrong jealous person has their way all my luck could change I am just very careful where I park the car. Lots of haters out there these days. If I have to go somewhere risky I bring my old pickup truck.

MBNUT1

Vandalism theory doesn't hold in my opinion.
a) Filled the tank and didn't drive it much afterward.
b) Entire contents of tank was filled with yellowish fluid

Vandalism would have required draining the tank. Nobody jealous person is going to do that.

Given that the tank was filled with the yellowish fluid, other people who visited that station would have had the same problem and going back to each of four stations and inquiring whether there were any issues might help get to the bottom of it.

I agree that a sample of the fluid should be tested.

If I was the insurance company and going to pay out on a claim of this nature I would want to understand how this happened.

2012 merc amg

All it would take though is someone with a full bladder pissing in the tank hence the yellowish liquid correct me if I’m wrong.

MBNUT1

"The entire content of the fuel tank was filled with strange smelling yellowish liquid (smelled like a dissolvent)."

That would be one impressive bladder.

Also it would have had to be somebody with the keys to his car otherwise the gas cap door would have been damaged.

2012 merc amg

Easy enough to pop open. The pee mixed with the gasoline that’s all it would take is a 700 ml dose.

hyperion667

I like where this is going

coolcamden

Turning into a pissing contest.

bkdc

It would be easy to determine which gas station you went to if you check your credit card bills. Unless you paid cash.
I’m surprised that a major branded gas station would be mistakenly given crap fluid. Does this kind of mistake happen? As MBNUT says, multiple complaints would have come in as many cars would have been damaged.

MBNUT1

He paid cash


"About a month ago filled up my car with Premium 93 at one of the 4 stations I usually frequent, paid cash, since I forgot to take my wallet from my wife's car and for the life of me could not remember which location I went to."

MBNUT1

Surprised to learn that you can open a locked S Class filler door cover without doing any damage. What is the basis for the claim that 700 ml of urine added to a full tank of gasoline will result in injector and turbo damage?

Mitch Alsup

Why can't ICE automobiles offer similar ?

2012 merc amg

Well I just did a google search and the answers I got for the question I asked what happens if somebody pees in your fuel tank were. 1). They get murdered. 2) Urine serious trouble. 3). Your car will leave a yellow trail if driving in the snow. Cant find much about how much damage it will do on a regular old carbureted car I suspect not much but on a complex car like these Mercedes I suspect a lot knowing these cars as I do. 700 ml is the average size of a trouble makers bladder. .

V222

Sorry to hear of your car trouble, but you are not the only one to break an implant. It is very rare, though. I have one patient (in 36 years of practice) who has also broken one.

superpop

Peeing approximately 1 cup of pee into a 25 gallon full gas tank would probably not do much of anything, pee is mostly water. Exhaust might be a little steamy but other than that I cannot image it would cause any damage. This sounds more like the gas station got a bad batch of gas or some other chemical by mistake deposited into the tank at the gas station. I would go back to the suspected stations and just ask them if they have had any issues with cars coming back and complaining about gas. I would also put in a claim with my car insurance for damage caused out of your control. I would also insist on new replacement parts that match what you had, not just Merc parts. Out of curiosity, what was your signature that is no longer needed?

Wolfman

It'll be brave to buy a Lucid Air once released. Given the financial difficulties the company had so far, I wonder about the quality, reliability and serviceability. Worst, having an accident and then not being able to fix the car due to missing parts. That was a big issue with Teslas in the past where it could take a year+ to fix a fender bender.