Wrong fuel, how to drain tank

superhooop

Hi guys looking for some help, nephew put petrol in a 2000 diesel vectra. Lucky enough he noticed what he had just done and did not start the engine. We towed it home and tried syphoning fuel out but to no avail, there seems to be some sort of anti-syphoning device on the tank. Any ideas on how to drain the tank? Thanks in advance lads.

dgt

superhooop wrote: »

Hi guys looking for some help, nephew put petrol in a 2000 diesel vectra. Lucky enough he noticed what he had just done and did not start the engine. We towed it home and tried syphoning fuel out but to no avail, there seems to be some sort of anti-syphoning device on the tank. Any ideas on how to drain the tank? Thanks in advance lads.

How much petril and is it a DI?

MAJJ

Also, how much diesel in it? You need to find the ratio of how much petrol in with diesel.

barura

Insurance companies usually sometimes cover mis-fueling for free, ring your broker and find out.

seanmacc

I've anecdotally heard that you can run a diesel car on a 50:50 mix of diesel to petrol, supposedly it gives you a fair whack of speed. I'd imagine it couldn't be good for the engine.

dgt

Not good for the pump

barura

dgt wrote: »

Not good for the pump

Isn't the fuel tank the same as the vectra you had? Can it be accessed from under the passanger seats?

dgt

barura wrote: »

Isn't the fuel tank the same as the vectra you had? Can it be accessed from under the passanger seats?

Should be..... Was thinking of he diesel pump itself hough, petrol isn't good for it!

superhooop

There was roughly 10 litres of diesel left in the tank and 20 litres of petrol put in. Ideally would really like to empty tank to make sure minimum damage done. Someone mentioned under the rear seat to me, is it a big job or is it handy enough to do. Don't want to mess around to much, will get the experts in if its to much hassle.

dgt

superhooop wrote: »

There was roughly 10 litres of diesel left in the tank and 20 litres of petrol put in. Ideally would really like to empty tank to make sure minimum damage done. Someone mentioned under the rear seat to me, is it a big job or is it handy enough to do. Don't want to mess around to much, will get the experts in if its to much hassle.

Messy job, been there done that

What engine???

TheChizler

What's the capacity of the tank? If its big enough you might get away with watering it down with the correct fuel. Get someone else to confirm first though...

dgt

TheChizler wrote: »

What's the capacity of the tank? If its big enough you might get away with watering it down with the correct fuel. Get someone else to confirm first though...

IIRC around 60 litres

Ronnie Beck

TheChizler wrote: »

What's the capacity of the tank? If its big enough you might get away with watering it down with the correct fuel. Get someone else to confirm first though...

Need to know what engine is in it to know if you'll get away with just topping it off with diesel and a litre of veg oil or whatever your brew is.

20 litres is alot of petrol though regardless.

superhooop

Sorry its a 2litretdi afaik.

EDIT..Sorry its a 1,8di i just rang him.

Soarer

Just did this myself in a 01' 1.7dti Astra.

Probably only a gallon (if that) of diesel left and I put in €20 (12.5 lt.) of petrol. Haven't started the car. Insurance company don't cover incorrect fuel. Any suggestions?
Think there's only a 50 litre tank, so if I brimmed it with diesel, the mixture would be 4:1. Too dangerous?

Ronnie Beck

Soarer wrote: »

Just did this myself in a 01' 1.7dti Astra.

Probably only a gallon (if that) of diesel left and I put in €20 (12.5 lt.) of petrol. Haven't started the car. Insurance company don't cover incorrect fuel. Any suggestions?
Think there's only a 50 litre tank, so if I brimmed it with diesel, the mixture would be 4:1. Too dangerous?

10:1 would do no harm at all really.
If I had to chance it at 4:! I'd throw in a litre of rape seed oil for lube, the usual ratio of dipetane and brim it with diesel and leave it settle, and brim it again. Do that a few times. Then keep filling it up with diesel every day for a week or so.

Soarer

To bookend this...

Couldn't get a hose down the filler, so ended up lifting the backseat and getting at the fuel pump. Lifting that slightly gave me enough room to get the hose into the tank, and after a mouthful of petrol, she flowed away nicely until empty.
Put everything back the way I found it, brimmed her with diesel and after a 20 mile spin, there's not been a peep.

Have 3 gallons of petrol that I don't know what to do with now though. Would it be ok to use in the other car? There's probably a litre of diesel, if that, mixed into it.

Wossack

in the mower perhaps?

Soarer

Wossack wrote: »

in the mower perhaps?

Was thinking the same. It'll take a while to get through 3 gallons though!

If I chucked it in the Prius ,brimmed the tank at the pump and added some Diptene, would that water it down enough? Or is any tiny bit of diesel bad for a petrol car?

Wossack

Im not sure (ie, dont blame me if yer car explodes - and perhaps modern cars a touch less forgiving), but small bit of diesel will just make it run a bit poorly, and with a bit of a smokey exhaust

Soarer

Wossack wrote: »

Im not sure (ie, dont blame me if yer car explodes - and perhaps modern cars a touch less forgiving), but small bit of diesel will just make it run a bit poorly, and with a bit of a smokey exhaust

Lawnmower it is then!

Jesus.

Filled the car full of petrol today from near empty.......unfortunately its a diesel. Had to get it pumped out which cost e190. Then filled it full of diesel. Today's fuel up cost me 6 times what it should have done (300 vs 50)

James Bond Junior

Did you not try the water to wine trick? Same principle surely?

biko

Misfuelling is an easy mistake to make. Hopefully it won't happen again.


Old thread lock though.