Petrol in a Diesel

Delta Kilo

Hi,

My father went to the filling station in my car to fill it up and accidentally put 9 litres of petrol in it instead of Diesel before realising what he did wrong. He then filled the remainder up with Diesel and I plan on keeping it topped up with Diesel for the time being.

Car is a mk4 golf TDI, 00. 55 litre tank.

I reckon it will be ok, but he is very bothered about it and wants to get the tank drained for me.

What do you reckon?

-Corkie-

Did he start the car after filling petrol. 9 litres is a lot..

Delta Kilo

Yeah he did, drove it about ten miles after too.

He rang a mechanic about it and he thought it would be ok, just keep topping up with Diesel for a couple of days to dilute the petrol.

MugMugs

Id just keep her brimmed and consider changing the fuel filter soon after. They're fairly resilient engines.

Delta Kilo

Its the injectors that are worrying me, as well as the fuel pump!

George Dalton

It should be fine. How does it start and run from cold?

quietsailor

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Hi,

My father went to the filling station in my car to fill it up and accidentally put 9 litres of petrol in it instead of Diesel before realising what he did wrong. He then filled the remainder up with Diesel and I plan on keeping it topped up with Diesel for the time being.

Car is a mk4 golf TDI, 00. 55 litre tank.

I reckon it will be ok, but he is very bothered about it and wants to get the tank drained for me.

What do you reckon?

Why don't you try and get the diesel out yourself?

Google for instructions on how to take out the pump in the tank - maybe its easy and you can do it quickly - remove all the diesel/petrol mix and replace with diesel.

Is there a fuel line underneath you can get to eassily - use a siphon (or siphon method) to get the mix out.

maidhc

12 year old golf should run fine on anything from Jameson to cooking oil. I can't see 9 litres of petrol doing much harm.

Delta Kilo

Thanks for the replies.

I think it will be ok too, if it was a newer common rail injected engine Id be worried but Ill keep it brimmed with Diesel and replace the filter next weekend.

Started fine from cold just there.

George Dalton

If it starts and runs ok from cold then you have nothing to worry about.

shawnee

maidhc wrote: »

12 year old golf should run fine on anything from Jameson to cooking oil. I can't see 9 litres of petrol doing much harm.

Yeah once it starts and runs should be no problem. Now the more modern cars could kick up more

argosy2006

Adding 2 litres of new vegetable oil would really kill off the kick of the petrol,

Mycroft H

I've heard adding two stroke oil does the same thing. However, I've never mixed up fuels in a car (yet, I hasten to add)

creedp

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Its the injectors that are worrying me, as well as the fuel pump!

Brother-in-law did this on Sunday .. put €50 petrol into a 09 S-max 1.8 TCDI (tank empty) and drove for about 2 miles before it chugged when he stopped immediately. He rang a friend an ex-machanic who came out and sucked the petrol out from the line feeding the fuel filter and put 20 ltr of diesel into tank. Then had a major problem with air locks as apparently there is no low pressure pump in tank of s-max to pressurise fuel in system so using a combination of a vacumn pump to suck fuel from the tank to the filter and the compressor to build pressure from the filter he eventually got it going. The whole process took 4 hours and flattened the battery (had to use my jump leads) but evartually she started and ran perfectly. It was filled with diesel and hasn't been a problem since. I had heard this would have destroyed the engine but it seems that may be overstated.

Lex Luthor

my sisters 08 Mitsibushi Grandis had €20 petrol put in from empty...car got a few 100m up the road before stalling. Brother in law just drained teh tank, replaced the fuel filter and pumped some diesel into her and she started up and no problems since