Petrol into Diesel Car

bbability

Just wondering if its ok to drive the car. Almost half a tank of petrol went in to car. I topped it up to the max then with Diesel. So I reckon its half and half mixture.

colm_mcm

I think you already know the answer.

rebel.ranter

Do not drive it! Get it towed & drained. You may have recovery services with your insurance policy if necessary.

fryup

jayus man, don't drive!! get it drained asap

let me guess you were distracted by some hot lookin chick at the service station??

bbability

Its been one of those days weeks and years rolled into one today...:o

I'll drain it myself tomorrow.

Typewriter

Is it still in the petrol station or did u drive it home?

rugbyman

I did the same some years ago . the yoke sputtered and misfired for a while and was ok. drive it a good bit and top it up.

Rugbyman

bbability

I drove it home. I done 15 miles since. I think I'll drain it though just to be sure. I know its ok putting a few litres into a tank in cold weather or for the NCT but not half a tank.

colm_mcm

On a car with a common rail diesel engine, you don't want to have to replace a set of injectors or a fuel pump.

alias no.9

What is the car? Older diesels will tolerate petrol to a certain degree, in fact some manufacturers used recommend putting some petrol into diesels in cold weather to stop the diesel gelling. In a modern common rail, it's a big no no as Colm said.

Typewriter

Id say just pump/syphon a few liters out of it then top up with diesel, should be alright by the end of the week.

lifer_sean

alias no.9 wrote: »

What is the car? Older diesels will tolerate petrol to a certain degree, in fact some manufacturers used recommend putting some petrol into diesels in cold weather to stop the diesel gelling. In a modern common rail, it's a big no no as Colm said.

+1

Unless it's a very old diesel car DO NOT DRIVE IT or even start it.

Diesel is a lubricant ... it's more oily than petrol. Modern high pressure injection pumps have very little clearance internally and rely on the lubricating properties of the diesel. If used with petrol, the pump wears, small metal particles recirculate in the fuel system (unused fuel is returned from the engine to the tank), so the metal particles get everywhere in the system. Potentially the full fuel system could need to be replaced.

Just because the car drove home does not mean that you are in the clear. If damage has been done you may not know for a while. Potentially components could fail in a weeks time due to damage caused now.

I'd drain it immediately and keep my fingers crossed. Ideally it should have been pushed away from the fuel pumps and drained at the service station, without being started.

However, if it's a pre-2000 diesel car then you are more likely to get away with this.

Lex Luthor

first thing today, get it drained and do not drive it any more...

alias no.9

lifer_sean wrote: »

+1

Unless it's a very old diesel car DO NOT DRIVE IT or even start it.

Diesel is a lubricant ... it's more oily than petrol. Modern high pressure injection pumps have very little clearance internally and rely on the lubricating properties of the diesel. If used with petrol, the pump wears, small metal particles recirculate in the fuel system (unused fuel is returned from the engine to the tank), so the metal particles get everywhere in the system. Potentially the full fuel system could need to be replaced.

Just because the car drove home does not mean that you are in the clear. If damage has been done you may not know for a while. Potentially components could fail in a weeks time due to damage caused now.

I'd drain it immediately and keep my fingers crossed. Ideally it should have been pushed away from the fuel pumps and drained at the service station, without being started.

However, if it's a pre-2000 diesel car then you are more likely to get away with this.

Just to add... You've probably not done anything serious yet so no need to panic. During your journey home, the concentration of petrol getting to the injectors will have been very low because of the capacity of the fuel lines / fuel filter / injection system, which will have been full of undiluted diesel at the outset. The concentration will have been gradually increasing during your journey so at 15 miles, you're probably ok, but the further you drive the higher the risk of damage.
What this also means is that you now need to change the fuel filter, purge the fuel lines and the injector system because there'll now be a high concentration of petrol in them, and simply draining the tank won't change that.

Number Nine

rebel.ranter wrote: »

Do not drive it! Get it towed & drained. You may have recovery services with your insurance policy if necessary.

Do not drive until you have drained the tank and the fuel lines and change all fuel filters , including the one in the tank .

If you have done damage , it will cost big money to repair .

Buy as ranter referred to your insurance , i would also add if you have comp insurance you can claim for the damage .

I had a 2005 530d . The same thing happened to it . But no one knew until it was to late . The bill was £5500 stg . I very nearly paid it myself , until I discovered it was covered.
If you are going down the road of claiming , do not attempt any repair yourself , you must leave it in a garage that would be able to do the Insurance claim . If you start repairs yourself you will only give the Insurance company a way out of having to pay .

I wish you luck .

snowman707

bbability wrote: »

I know its ok putting a few litres into a tank in cold weather or for the NCT but not half a tank.

not advisable putting unleaded into diesel,

you also need to change your fuel filter.

Lex Luthor

this happened to me last wednesday...15 litres of unleaded onto 15 litres of diesel. Stopped filling as soon as I realised and pushed the car to the corner of the forecourt.

Rang TI Autos for his opinion and he said as long as I didn't start it, which I didn't, then I'm ok to have the tank emptied and lines cleaned thro. If I had started it, totally different scenario. In the end it cost me the labour to have it drained and cleared at my local Alfa dealer, the tow was covered under insurance.

I wouldn't gamble my engine for any more driving. I was also told that this story about putting 1 or 2 litres of petrol into a modern diesel is NOT advised under any circumstances. I think this is recommended by some arm chair mechanics on older diesels prior to NCT

bbability

Guys just to update, I rang the AA on Monday Morning. They put me in touch with a company called Cladda Cars. They were out to the house in just over an hour after the call. It was very impressive They emptied the tank with a very impressive machine, flushed the system with a solution and put 30 litres of clean diesel into the car. All in all in set me back just under 300 euro but it was well worth it. No damage done thankfully but he told me he's flat out most of the time. Would have no problem recommending them to anyone.

And for the record anything over 8 litres is a problem. Lots of people have opinions on what should be done but this guy seemed to be very experienced in this field.

nhlrules

bbability wrote: »

Guys just to update, I rang the AA on Monday Morning. They put me in touch with a company called Cladda Cars. They were out to the house in just over an hour after the call. It was very impressive They emptied the tank with a very impressive machine, flushed the system with a solution and put 30 litres of clean diesel into the car. All in all in set me back just under 300 euro but it was well worth it. No damage done thankfully but he told me he's flat out most of the time. Would have no problem recommending them to anyone.

And for the record anything over 8 litres is a problem. Lots of people have opinions on what should be done but this guy seemed to be very experienced in this field.

8 Litres ????????

I filled my Volvo D5 with petrol and drove about 2 miles b4 it conked out

i drained it and refilled the tank and all is well....that was a few months ago

Think its just the luck of the draw tbh

Leo Demidov

Any truth then that a couple of litres of vegetable oil or nut oil added to counteract the effect of petrol would resolve issues where minor quantities of petrol were added? Havent had to use it but have heard anecdotal evidence that it works.

ChristyCent

A chap in the petrol station filled his moped with diesel by mistake on saturday. He asked me to help him flip it over to drain the tank so I did. It was only when i got home i was thinking could he have done more damage by turning the engine upsidedown? Oil going where it shouldnt and the like

Cillian13

ChristyCent wrote: »

A chap in the petrol station filled his moped with diesel by mistake on saturday. He asked me to help him flip it over to drain the tank so I did. It was only when i got home i was thinking could he have done more damage by turning the engine upsidedown? Oil going where it shouldnt and the like

It was probably a two stroke engine so I doubt it. They love being turned upside down

Alanstrainor

Cillian13 wrote: »

It was probably a two stroke engine so I doubt it. They love being turned upside down

Please don't drag up old threads.