Unleaded In My Diesel Tank

ivanc

Went to the local garage today to top up.

Despite the clearly marked Diesel stickers the attendant put €15.00 worth of unleaded into my tank before I spotted what he was doing. (Approx 9 liters)

His response was to apologise and say that "it was okay" and he'd dilute it with €30.00 worth of diesel.

I let him do it.

I got him to write me a note saying that he had accidently put the unleaded fuel in.

Immediately drove to my very local mechanic who said that it would probably be okay but I should dilute it further.

Went to another filling station and put in another nine liters of diesel.

The car had about nine liters of diesel in it at the start.

By my calculations the car now has 45 liters of fuel in it - 9 of which are unleaded.

So, the question is: Is a 20% unleaded fuel ratio going to F**k it up and should I now get the tank drained - or will it be okay?

Have done a couple of miles in it since to get it home.

It's a properly maintained 2008 Laguna DCI with very low miles (30,000 miles - 50,000 Klms).

keithclancy

ivanc wrote: »

Went to the local garage today to top up.

Despite the clearly marked Diesel stickers the attendant put €15.00 worth of unleaded into my tank before I spotted what he was doing. (Approx 9 liters)

His response was to apologise and say that "it was okay" and he'd dilute it with €30.00 worth of diesel.

I let him do it.

I got him to write me a note saying that he had accidently put the unleaded fuel in.

Immediately drove to my very local mechanic who said that it would probably be okay but I should dilute it further.

Went to another filling station and put in another nine liters of diesel.

The car had about nine liters of diesel in it at the start.

By my calculations the car now has 45 liters of fuel in it - 9 of which are unleaded.

So, the question is: Is a 20% unleaded fuel ratio going to F**k it up and should I now get the tank drained - or will it be okay?

Have done a couple of miles in it since to get it home.

It's a properly maintained 2008 Laguna DCI with very low miles (30,000 miles - 50,000 Klms).

If it was me I would have got them to drain it and fill it again.

It will probably be ok though.

Cheensbo

If it was an Indirect injection diesel id say throw some 2 stroke oil in, just to keep everything lubed up. not sure how a modern diesel would take to 2 stroke though?

Or a good drop of dipetane, id imagine you should be okay though.





Used to work in a filling station, once filled a womans 320d to the neck with petrol, :mad:

As she asked for petrol "sure you knew i meant diesel" :rolleyes: ..and it had a replacement fuel filler cap that had a green sticker with unleaded and a ron number on it it was also debadged..

We just popped out the back seat and pumped all the fuel out, pumped a drop of diesel through then just to clean the lines out, and threw in a bottle of injector cleaner for her.. never heard back anyway so it obviously worked

Cash is king

Any amount of petrol in a common rail engine is looking for trouble, I would be getting it drained.

jetfiremuck

Id put 500ml of 2 stroke oil into the tank and work away. Wouldnt put dipetane into it.

creedp

Cash is king wrote: »

Any amount of petrol in a common rail engine is looking for trouble, I would be getting it drained.

As per AA -
If you've added more than 10% (5 litres in a 50 litre tank) petrol - Drain the tank and refill with diesel
If you've added less than 10% petrol (5 litres in a 50 litre tank) – Top up with diesel and run normally unless the manufacturer has advised otherwise

Cheensbo

jetfiremuck wrote: »

Id put 500ml of 2 stroke oil into the tank and work away. Wouldnt put dipetane into it.

Cen Fath?

brokenarms

2 stroke will help. You also risk fuel pump damage as petrol will not lubricate it like diesel will.

I think you should drain it and charge the repair to the filling station.

ivanc

Just to update as it may be useful to someone else.

According to those that know (Aviva Roadside Assist) no amount of unleaded is permissible in a modern diesel engine.

You cannot dilute your way out of it.

The car is now being recovered to a local garage for draining.

(The recovery is covered by my policy, the tank drain isn't).

Estimated cost of flush and replacement fuel - €200.00.

Going back to filling station now to get them to pay for it.

creedp

ivanc wrote: »

Just to update as it may be useful to someone else.

According to those that know (Aviva Roadside Assist) no amount of unleaded is permissible in a modern diesel engine.

You cannot dilute your way out of it.

The car is now being recovered to a local garage for draining.

(The recovery is covered by my policy, the tank drain isn't).

Estimated cost of flush and replacement fuel - €200.00.

Going back to filling station now to get them to pay for it.

Over a year ago my brother in law filled a diesel s-max with petrol and drove for about 2 miles until it started stuttering and stopped. We emptied the tank and flushed the lines and although it took some time to get it going again it finally did (after flattening the battery requiring it to be jumped by a second car). It hasn't given a days trouble since.

Supergurrier

If you had filled it yourself it wouldn't have happenned tbh, i wouldn't trust anyone else to fill my car up.

Now people are telling you to put everything but the kitchen sink in your tank

dgt

Hearing stories like this makes me appreciate my XUD even more, I often threw petrol in it

fasttalkerchat

Since you've already driven on it I would keep diluting it every 20 miles or so. Don't bother with adding lubricants because the garage could claim that caused any issues you may have later. Asssuming you're still driving it, draining it now would be a waste of money and fuel and any damage would be done.

CJhaughey

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Since you've already driven on it I would keep diluting it every 20 miles or so. Don't bother with adding lubricants because the garage could claim that caused any issues you may have later. Asssuming you're still driving it, draining it now would be a waste of money and fuel and any damage would be done.

You missed the bit that said:
The car is now being recovered to a local garage for draining.
It obviously broke down.

ivanc

CJhaughey wrote: »

You missed the bit that said:
The car is now being recovered to a local garage for draining.
It obviously broke down.

I didn't actually breakdown - no rough running or anything.

But the advice from Aviva Breakdown was to get it recovered and drained.

So I did.

All fine now.

Glebee

Done the same myself a few years ago in a golf. Mistakingly out €10 petrol into a nearly empty tank( I blame it being a Monday morning). Topped it up with diesel and drove 70 miles to Dublin where I topped it up further. Got it hard to start but eventually did. Drove it some more and topped it up further. This time no chance of starting at petrol station in Templeogue. Had to get it towed to garage for draining but no damage done to engine. Refilled with diesel and drive home. Lucky I guess that I did not completely screw up engine.

smcgiff

I once put about 15 litres of petrol into my diesel engine. I filled it up the rest of the way to 70l with diesel. The only difference i noticed was a better mpg for a while.

I've heard it said that truck drivers sometimes put a little petrol into their diesel trucks.

I think you over reacted, and the person that advised you was only ever going to play safe.

johnayo

smcgiff wrote: »

I once put about 15 litres of petrol into my diesel engine. I filled it up the rest of the way to 70l with diesel. The only difference i noticed was a better mpg for a while.

I've heard it said that truck drivers sometimes put a little petrol into their diesel trucks.

I think you over reacted, and the person that advised you was only ever going to play safe.

That's fine and well, but what if OP had to replace a set of injectors and high pressure pump in six months time. Not unheard of you know.

jomoloney

smcgiff wrote: »

I once put about 15 litres of petrol into my diesel engine. I filled it up the rest of the way to 70l with diesel. The only difference i noticed was a better mpg for a while.

I've heard it said that truck drivers sometimes put a little petrol into their diesel trucks.

I think you over reacted, and the person that advised you was only ever going to play safe.

No he didn't over react

it's like smoking the damage may not noticeable immediately ,

mad muffin

Why isn't the spout a different shape/size between petrol and diesel? I'm sure most countries have this?

Zcott

mad muffin wrote: »

Why isn't the spout a different shape/size between petrol and diesel? I'm sure most countries have this?

Diesel spout is much bigger than a petrol one to physically stop people putting diesel into their petrol cars.

mad muffin

Zcott wrote: »

Diesel spout is much bigger than a petrol one to physically stop people putting diesel into their petrol cars.

Interesting. So you can still put petrol into a diesel car. :pac:

Zcott

mad muffin wrote: »

Interesting. So you can still put petrol into a diesel car. :pac:

Yeah, because it's not as bad. Did it in my 307 years ago and it was fine. Just topped it up with diesel for a few hundred miles then changed the fuel filter anyway.

Still not recommended though...

CrowdedHouse

mad muffin wrote: »

Interesting. So you can still put petrol into a diesel car. :pac:

Depends - a narrow petrol nozzle won't open the 'trap door' on mine (BMW)

brokenarms

I often put a fiver of petrol in a full tank to clean the injectors in my van.

mad muffin

I must confess my ignorance when it comes to diesel as I have never owned or driven a diesel engined motor in my life.

michael999999

mad muffin wrote: »

I must confess my ignorance when it comes to diesel as I have never owned or driven a diesel engined motor in my life.

Thanks for informing us!

mad muffin

michael999999 wrote: »

Thanks for informing us!

Any time. :cool:

gregjregan

Put petrol in diesel.car recently and used www <snip> ie
They were 200 euro + vat
Sounds expensive but was cheaper than dealer and they came to where car was parked within a few hours on a Saturday.
Did not have to tow car or wait at dealers

Jesus.

There's a lot of resurrections going on today

Kristopherus

Jesus. wrote: »

There's a lot of resurrections going on today

Following what you did over 2000 years ago:D:D:D.

imurdaddy

Filled a mates new A4 TDI,to the brim with petrol a few years ago the day he collected it from the dealer! Needless to say may popularity dropped fast ha. We got it pumped out and no problems since, hes still driving the same car!

Terrontress

imurdaddy wrote: »

Filled a mates new A4 TDI,to the brim with petrol a few years ago the day he collected it from the dealer! Needless to say may popularity dropped fast ha. We got it pumped out and no problems since, hes still driving the same car!

Serves him right for not buying his own diesel. Tight arsed get.

PeteFalk78

I've just got my first diesel car and I'm scared ****less of making this mistake (especially since the 2nd family car is petrol)

Shouldn't it be possible to make it physically impossible to get a petrol fuel nozzle into a diesel tank and vice versa?

Markcheese

Usually can't get a diesel nozzle into a petrol - but you can the other way round -
Which is a bit daft really - petrol will wreck a modern diesel - but diesel won't wreck a petrol