I put unleaded petrol into a diesel car.

UrbanSprawl · 23-04-2020 9:55pm #1

The tank was empty so I pulled into the garage to refill. Thinking of other things I filled the diesel car with e25 of unleaded. Realising my mistake I stopped and went into the shop to get advice. The girl said just full with Diesel which I did to the brim. Then I drove a considerable distance without issue. Today I found the car hard to start. I asked a mate to ask his mechanic would suggested getting the tank drained. I was driving today and I added another e15 of diesel.
Can anyone offer some advice? I'm inclined at this stage to not pay for the cost of the drain and just keep topping up with diesel as much as possible.
I have read various posts on the internet regarding the solvent effect of using this mixture.
Thanks.

SCOOP 64 · 23-04-2020 9:58pm

just keep driving it.

Atlantic Dawn · 23-04-2020 10:00pm

What car is it? Modern diesels will react badly to petrol, older cars might be ok.

Toyotafanboi · 23-04-2020 10:00pm

You're balls deep in the decision to keep driving now so you may aswell as the worst exposure to potential damage has already been done.

What car is it? Older yokes dont really take too badly to it but newer cars can be much more risky. A tank drain as soon as it happened was the thing to do, no offence but sure what would the shop assistant girl know about it to be offering advice.

UrbanSprawl · 23-04-2020 10:10pm

Thanks for the replies its a 2014 Hyundai

moonshadow · 23-04-2020 10:10pm

You took the advice of a cashier.....??

OU812 · 23-04-2020 10:11pm

accidentally put €12 of unleaded into my 09 Quashqai a year ago, guy in the shop said to fix it with diesel (upselling!!). It took another €60 to fill the tank at the time. went for a 30km drive & never had any issues. Hopefully you'll be ok too.

UrbanSprawl · 23-04-2020 10:12pm

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

You're balls deep in the decision to keep driving now so you may aswell as the worst exposure to potential damage has already been done.

What car is it? Older yokes dont really take too badly to it but newer cars can be much more risky. A tank drain as soon as it happened was the thing to do, no offence but sure what would the shop assistant girl know about it to be offering advice.

She did offer me contact details for a mechanic ..I made the decision to fill up.

standardg60 · 23-04-2020 10:22pm

In fairness she knew her stuff. Filling it up with diesel and drive it out is the usual advice.
It's the other way round that's bad (diesels are mad). you should be ok.

UrbanSprawl · 23-04-2020 10:27pm

I think had it being another tenner worth then it would be half the tank so caught in time hopefully. Yes I think I will drive away now.
I cannot even believe I did this ,driving that car for over 2 years now:rolleyes:

colm_mcm · 23-04-2020 10:27pm

I think you’d be crazy not to drain it and change the fuel filter - if there’s a mechanic that can do it.

Drifter50 · 23-04-2020 10:38pm

Don`t keep topping it up, if its running OK, drive the car untill the tank empty. Fill it with diesel and drive it 20 k again. Should be OK
If you stop the engine it will be very hard to start again if ever

colm_mcm · 23-04-2020 10:41pm

Drive the car nonstop until the tank is empty?
Is that really a suggestion?

Darc19 · 23-04-2020 10:44pm

UrbanSprawl wrote: »

I cannot even believe I did this ,driving that car for over 2 years now:rolleyes:

It's easily done.

I've driven a diesel for almost 30 years. Only had a petrol car twice - 1st 2 cars.

Nearly put unleaded in yesterday, noticed just in time.

Iodine1 · 23-04-2020 11:02pm

Did just that with a new 2 ltr Mondeo, so topped it up with diesel and drove 130 km home. Neighbour sucked the most of the fuel out of the tank with a hand pump, didn't touch the filters or fuel lines, filled it with diesel and off I went. (It was late night and I had to get home). Car never missed a beat and went on to do over 350,000 kms without the engine being touched except for routine service.

FDave · 24-04-2020 2:07am

Add 200ml of TCW3 2 stroke oil to the tank to help with lubricity.

antodeco · 24-04-2020 9:32am

I did this a few weeks ago coming back from Belfast. Mind wandered about put in about 1/4 with unleaded. I filled it up with diesel and put in the diptaine. Drove it about 100kms, and brimmed again. Never had an issue. In fact, the car actually ran better for a while. Assumed the petrol corroded off any crap in the lines

Tropheus · 24-04-2020 9:40am

Did it myself a few months back. Have owned my diesel Audi Allroad for 17 years and for the first time put unleaded in instead of diesel. I had put about €30 in before I realised my mistake. The car probably had about 10l in it before the unleaded went in.

It was 10 p.m. at night and rang the AA for advice as I'm a member. They offered to tow it to my house that was only about a mile away from the garage. Decided to do that and then got one of those emergency fuel extractor guys to drain the tank. All done by 11 a.m. the next morning at the cost of €250. That included the drain and 20 litres of diesel. I then went and immediately filled up the car.

I did find the car hesitant to start while driving on the tank of diesel after the drain. Once I filled it again, it was grand and has been grand since. I also changed the fuel filter to be on the safe side.

I sounds like you've already made your decision so I'd continue driving it. My car has a VP44 Bosch injector pump that is notoriously fragile. I had just had it refurbished at a cost of €900 and knew that petrol wouldn't do it any favours as it relies on the diesel for lubrication. Pretty sure i got away with it, but it was a large factor in me making the decision not to drive it.

UrbanSprawl · 25-04-2020 11:51pm

Still going ok ,apart from a few days when it was slow starting seems fine now. Will let the tank get half empty and fill it again hopefully with diesel

Meant to have NCT yesterday but obviously that didn't happen, wonder would have happened had they detected the mixture in the tank.

jmreire · 26-04-2020 12:15am

Drifter50 wrote: »

Don`t keep topping it up, if its running OK, drive the car untill the tank empty. Fill it with diesel and drive it 20 k again. Should be OK
If you stop the engine it will be very hard to start again if ever

Happened me one time, and as draining, filter changing was not possible ( long way from home, and at night time) I kept topping it up, diluting the mix each time, and drove away normally. Never had a bother on it after that.

JimmyChew · 30-11-2021 7:41pm

Happened me at the weekend. Peugeot 3008 2010 1.5 Had é20 into a pretty much empty tank before I realised.

Took a chance, Paid the lady told her I'd be back on a minute, went out and topped it off with Diesel. Drove probably 60km since then. No issues so far but every knock and bump has me shuddering with Santa taking charge of my wages the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to ride this one out and run it down to a reasonable level then go for filter & plugs change while the mechanic points and laughs.

Keep topping it off or running it down is my next decision also any advice in an additive?

OU812 · 30-11-2021 10:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/113253194#Comment_113253194

Strange this popped up, I'm just back from the garage where it cost me €92 to fill the same car (all diesel this time) €72 19 months ago !!

Esel · 30-11-2021 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118248089#Comment_118248089

Are they still selling leaded petrol? 🙂

mikeecho · 01-12-2021 3:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118248221#Comment_118248221

Yes..

https://www.murraymotorsport.com/vp-racing-fuels-c12-leaded-race-fuel--19-litre--vprc12-19

116 RON

costacorta · 01-12-2021 6:24pm

I thought all cars now wouldn’t allow you to put petrol in diesel or vice versa ?

I know men doesn’t as last Saturday night I was trying to put hose in car and it wouldn’t go in then realised I had petrol hose instead of diesel!!

FishOnABike · 01-12-2021 7:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118252419#Comment_118252419

Petrol nozzle is smaller than a diesel nozzle so you shouldn't be able to fill up with diesel in a petrol tank but a petrol nozzle will fit into a diesel so you could fill a diesel tank with petrol.

mikeecho · 01-12-2021 8:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118252756#Comment_118252756

Where's there's a will there's a way.

A family member managed to fill their petrol car with diesel... And drove till it stopped.

Fuel tank pumped, and fuel filter changed, some fresh petrol, and away in a hack. Never a days trouble since.

kippy · 01-12-2021 9:01pm

Missus did similar years ago. Mind you was into a 00 diesel and about 30 quid of diesel. Was advised by mechanic buddy (as car had been driven home) to top up with diesel and keep topping up with diesel for a while after the initial issue. Car was a bit more difficult to start for a couple of days, I assume while the petrol was going through the system but after that was sound.

I would say there are a lot of variables involved here. Age of car, specifics of engine, percentage of petrol etc.

costacorta · 01-12-2021 9:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118252756#Comment_118252756

I had sons diesel Ford Focus 08 and when mistakenly trying to put petrol nozzle in it wouldn’t go in otherwise id have made a genuine mistake so that’s why I was wondering? .

Sexual Chocolate · 02-12-2021 1:14am

I know someone who filled their petrol with what they believed was diptaine or a another version. Got a few miles down the road and car dies after leaving the petrol station.

Tow truck driver arrived the next morning to pick up the car and looked in the window at a bottle on the seat and says to my friend, " is that what you put in ???" To which my friend says "yes". Tow truck driver then says " Thats fcuking Ad-Blue" 😂

Got away lightly in the end. Tank had to be dropped and drained/cleaned. Fuel lines were either replaced or cleaned and new injectors.

Supposedly his wife picked it up, one for her car and one for his after the lad behind the till in the petrol station assured her that it was "like diptaine".

Sexual Chocolate · 02-12-2021 1:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118253269#Comment_118253269

Aren't Ford's different though ? My ST has this special nozzel for if I was to run out of fuel and need to use an canister.

I put unleaded petrol into a diesel car.

Comments