petrol in a diesel car

domurtag78

Hi,

I just realised I filled my diesel car with petrol. On the way home from work yesterday I put €20 of petrol into the tank which was almost empty. I drove home from the garage (about half a kilometer) and noticed nothing untoward.

I then drove to work this morning and there was obviously something very wrong with the engine and a lot of smoke coming from the exhaust. I just about made it the 1 kilometer distance to work.

So, all in all, I've driven it about 1.5km since I made the mistake. The car is now parked outside my office. I don't know what to do now, please help.....

ION08

Fill it up with diesel!! What car is it?

MarkR

domurtag78 wrote: »

Hi,

I just realised I filled my diesel car with petrol. On the way home from work yesterday I put €20 of petrol into the tank which was almost empty. I drove home from the garage (about half a kilometer) and noticed nothing untoward.

I then drove to work this morning and there was obviously something very wrong with the engine and a lot of smoke coming from the exhaust. I just about made it the 1 kilometer distance to work.

So, all in all, I've driven it about 1.5km since I made the mistake. The car is now parked outside my office. I don't know what to do now, please help.....

AA can help. http://www.aaireland.ie/AA/AA-Membership/Fuel-assist.aspx

I'm sure an independent garage would be able to help. Should get it towed, drained, and checked out.

domurtag78

It's an Opel Astra

sean1141

ION08 wrote: »

Fill it up with diesel!! What car is it?

it might be worth a shot but seeing as the petrol has gone almost undiluted to the injectors it might be too late

EPM

I wouldn't drive it anywhere, why did you drive it all the way to work when it wasn't running right?

What year astra is it?

ION08

Happened to my dad in an old Peugeot 406 (non HDi model) ... he filled it with petrol by mistake (about 20 litres) - car broke down , I towed him to the nearest station, filled it up with diesel and away she went without a bother

I'm not sure how fussy astras are but its worth a shot and I hope you get sorted OP

EPM

ION08 wrote: »

Happened to my dad in an old Peugeot 406 (non HDi model) ... he filled it with petrol by mistake (about 20 litres) - car broke down , I towed him to the nearest station, filled it up with diesel and away she went without a bother

I'm not sure how fussy astras are but its worth a shot and I hope you get sorted OP

I'm really hoping for the OP's sake it's not a common rail engine.

sean1141

ION08 wrote: »

Happened to my dad in an old Peugeot 406 (non HDi model) ...

them old engines would run on anything!! a modern diesel will not. if the op had realised what they did at the petrol station and then filled it they might get away with it, but if they fill it now they risk the car not running and the garage may empty the full tank and not use it again.

domurtag78

EPM wrote: »

I wouldn't drive it anywhere, why did you drive it all the way to work when it wasn't running right?

"All the way to work" is only a journey of about 1km. By the time I realised there was something seriously wrong I was nearly there.

EPM wrote: »

What year astra is it?

2008

Filling with diesel won't suffice, you've petrol in the fuel system now needs to be towed to a garage and not started again in the interim.

domurtag78

I called the AA's fuel service. They're going to drop out and drain the tank (I presume). I told the woman on the phone that I'd already driven it a short distance and she assured me that they'd be able to get all the petrol out. Why don't they make the nozzles of petrol/diesel pumps different shapes so that you can't put petrol into a diesel engine (or vice versa). I realise that only a samll percentage of the population is stupid enough to make this mistake, but us idiots need to be protected from ourselves.

Some truly woeful advice on this thread
Good thing you didn't follow it.

RoverJames

RoverJames wrote: »

Some truly woeful advice on this thread
Good thing you didn't follow it.

Roverjames, would you mind clarifying what would be good advice in a situation where you put petrol in a diesel tank? I've just bought a diesel car and I'm TERRIFIED I'm going to be one of those numpties (sorry OP!) who puts petrol in the diesel tank.

I went into a motor factors to get diesel stickers for the fuel cap. They had none so the guy rang the stores and said "do you have any diesel stickers for a petrol tank". What hope have I got if the people in the business can't get it right :pac:

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Roverjames, would you mind clarifying what would be good advice in a situation where you put petrol in a diesel tank? .............

Don't start engine, get tank drained by a mechanic who can also determine is any other action required.

RoverJames

RoverJames wrote: »

Don't start engine, get tank drained by a mechanic who can also determine is any other action required.

So topping it up with Diesel is useless? (dependent on ratios of course)

Darsad

You have done the correct all be it the more expensive option of getting the AA .

It happened to me last year in newish Rav 4 i put € 20 euro of petrol in realised my mistake after about 2 kilometers went back to the petrol station and filled up with diesel about €50 from memory and took the car for an low revving long run and problem rectified itself after a couple of kilometres. Car still running grand with no issues a year later .

Bit of a risk driving a modern diesel around with 12/14 litres of petrol in the tank, many diesel pumps etc would take extreme offence to that.

d3exile

EPM wrote: »

I'm really hoping for the OP's sake it's not a common rail engine.

I FILLED the tank on my tdci...

Luckily realised it the second my wheels touched the road outside the forecourt so I'd only moved a couple meters, pulled right in and called the garage,

it was only a fuel filter change for me and the car was sick for a while afterwards but if petrol gets inside the injectors on a common rail I think you have to replace almost half the engine? Something about the high pressure diesel system being fragile as fck...

domurtag78

The guy from the AA fuel service is outside draining the tank as I type. It'll cost me around €250 in total. He said he alone gets about 15-20 of these calls a week, and it's not as big a deal as the Internet would have you believe.

He said in most cases, people have driven for a short distance after making the mistake. But once the tank is drained and refilled there's generally no damage done.

dmc17

domurtag78 wrote: »

It'll cost me around €250 in total.

If you parked it on the street with the cap open I'm sure someone would have drained it for free

MarkR

Deleted User wrote: »

Roverjames, would you mind clarifying what would be good advice in a situation where you put petrol in a diesel tank? I've just bought a diesel car and I'm TERRIFIED I'm going to be one of those numpties (sorry OP!) who puts petrol in the diesel tank.

I went into a motor factors to get diesel stickers for the fuel cap. They had none so the guy rang the stores and said "do you have any diesel stickers for a petrol tank". What hope have I got if the people in the business can't get it right :pac:

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_557009_langId_-1_categoryId_212454

Oral Surgeon

domurtag78 wrote: »

"All the way to work" is only a journey of about 1km. By the time I realised there was something seriously wrong I was nearly there.

1km !! You could have walked in all fairness

Oral Surgeon

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

1km !! You could have walked in all fairness

I think the OP only realised 'twas petrol that they had put in after the car giving trouble

MarkR

MarkR wrote: »

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_557009_langId_-1_categoryId_212454

oh god, that's hilarious!

domurtag78

domurtag78 wrote: »

...............

He said in most cases, people have driven for a short distance after making the mistake. But once the tank is drained and refilled there's generally no damage done.

So this chap plans on lashing in diesel and allowing you start the car again without getting the petrol out of the fuel filter and injectors?

No wonder he is saying 'tis grand in most cases

Ask him is he going to change the fuel filter, from your earlier posts it's quite likely there is petrol all the way to your injectors by now.

domurtag78

RoverJames wrote: »

I think the OP only realised 'twas petrol that they had put in after the car giving trouble

correct

domurtag78

RoverJames wrote: »

Ask him is he going to change the fuel filter, from your earlier posts it's quite likely there is petrol all the way to your injectors by now.

I'll ask him about this when he's finished. If there was petrol all the way to the injectors and he doesn't change the fuel filter, what would be likely to happen?

The diesel injection system could be damaged, pump, injectors etc could all have their lifespans shortened quite drastically, car might run like a pig for a while too, intermittent engine warning lights.

It sounds to me like the chap they sent out plays the odds rather than doing a proper job. May or may not get away with that. Of course, seems as you ran it on more or less straight petrol for a few hundred yards damage may well be done already.

domurtag78

RoverJames wrote: »

It sounds to me like the chap they sent out plays the odds rather than doing a proper job.

That's a bit harsh. To be honest, I don't even know exactly what he's doing out there, so it's a bit unfair to pass judgement on him without the relevant information

Of course, seems as you ran it on more or less straight petrol for a few hundred yards damage may well be done already.

Actually, it was more like 2.5km that I drove it for on almost straight petrol.

domurtag78

domurtag78 wrote: »

The guy from the AA fuel service is outside draining the tank as I type.................

He said in most cases, people have driven for a short distance after making the mistake. But once the tank is drained and refilled there's generally no damage done.

domurtag78 wrote: »

That's a bit harsh. To be honest, I don't even know exactly what he's doing out there, so it's a bit unfair to pass judgement on him without the relevant information............

I'm only going on what you have said he is doing

domurtag78

RoverJames wrote: »

I'm only going on what you have said he is doing

Yes, but that information should not be relied upon, because it's incomplete and possibly inaccurate. I'm not having a go at you, your advice has been the most helpful and authorative.

sean1141

domurtag78 wrote: »

Why don't they make the nozzles of petrol/diesel pumps different shapes so that you can't put petrol into a diesel engine (or vice versa). I realise that only a samll percentage of the population is stupid enough to make this mistake, but us idiots need to be protected from ourselves.

some stations have biger nozzles on the diesel pumps so they wont fit in to a petrol car but its not very helpful when you drive a diesel

domurtag78 wrote: »

Actually, it was more like 2.5km that I drove it for on almost straight petrol.

it would be a lot less than that. it took that long for the petrol to come up the fule line and into the filter, pump and injectors

sean1141

sean1141 wrote: »

.............


it would be a lot less than that. it took that long for the petrol to come up the fule line and into the filter, pump and injectors

Indeed, hence the few hundred yards comment from me

R.O.R

domurtag78 wrote: »

Why don't they make the nozzles of petrol/diesel pumps different shapes so that you can't put petrol into a diesel engine (or vice versa). I realise that only a samll percentage of the population is stupid enough to make this mistake, but us idiots need to be protected from ourselves.

Deleted User wrote: »

I've just bought a diesel car and I'm TERRIFIED I'm going to be one of those numpties (sorry OP!) who puts petrol in the diesel tank.

New Fords (and Jags, and Land Rover) are now fitted with mis-fuelling prevention systems. Apparently (and I aint going to be the one to try) you can't put petrol in a diesel with this system.

If you are truly terrified of putting petrol in to your diesel, then there is a retro-fit solution - http://www.misfuellingprevention.co.uk/

Welease

My own experience is it's not always as terminal as people try to make out.

For the first time in my life, I put petrol is my diesel engine this xmas eve.. €50 into an empty tank.. Noticed before I drove off, so just filled up the rest of the tank with diesel.. about €35..

It was a little inconsistant/sluggish on power for the next couple of days and a little harder to start (took 2-3 goes). As i used the fuel I topped up every day or so (€20 quid a go), and used 1 bottle of STP Injector cleaner.. Everything was back to normal after 2-3 days, and absolutely no issues with the engine since.

........ and your car is a ...... ?
Diesel pumps are lubricated by diesel, the damage and wear may take more than a month to show in lots of cases.

Welease

L200

Just saw your addition.. Re: the lubrication.. Yeah, thats why I topped it up (and kept topping up) with diesel to ensure the injectors had as much lubrication as possible.. The injector cleaner also had lubrication added.

sean1141

RoverJames wrote: »

sean1141 wrote: »

.............


it would be a lot less than that. it took that long for the petrol to come up the fule line and into the filter, pump and injectors

Indeed, hence the few hundred yards comment from me

Missed that rj!

Welease

Welease wrote: »

L200

Hardly a modern common rail diesel engine in fairness, they run on veg oil happily enough
Try it on a 2.0 A6 from 2005 on and see how it goes.

sean1141

sean1141 wrote: »

Missed that rj!

... thought you were after seeing it and agreeing with me :pac:

domurtag78

sean1141 wrote: »

it would be a lot less than that. it took that long for the petrol to come up the fule line and into the filter, pump and injectors

I'm pretty sure it was running mostly on petrol after about 0.5km, because it was smoking like a bastard from the exhaust with a very noticeable reduction in power. It was only then that I realsied what I'd done.

Anyway, the AA fuel service guy arrived within an hour of calling him. He was all done within a further hour and it seems as good as new now. Obviously there may be some damage that only shows up in the long run, but sure, in the long run, we're all dead.

... did he change the diesel filter?

Welease

RoverJames wrote: »

Hardly a modern common rail diesel engine in fairness, they run on veg oil happily enough
Try it on a 2.0 A6 from 2005 on and see how it goes.

Actually my bad.. I thought I had specified in my original post that it was a pickup.. I'm not sure I'd try it on a car..

But the L200 is still a modern common rail deisel pump though isn't it?