Help: Put Petrol In Diesel Car

S

shrek

Registered User
Messages
42
Folks
Need Advice Here. Put €20 Worth Of Pertrol Into Diesel Car In Error This Morning. Drove Car About A Mile To Drop Kids To School Before Car Started Spluttering Etc.
Only Then Realised Mistake I Had Made.
Do We Leave Car Where Is It Parked At School Gate And Have The Garage Come To Collect It Or Can We Fill It With Diesel Completely And Hope For This Will Work.
Petrol Has Already Gone Through As I Had Driven Car For A Mile Or So.................help..........what Can Go Wrong Has Done This Week Please Give Me Some Advice.
Do I Call Garage To Come And Transport It To Be Fixed(cost !)
Do We Take A Chance And Fill Up Completely With Diesel
Or Do We Try And Get Somebody To Drain Diesel From It!!!!!!!
Any Advice Please
Thanks
 
Re: Help Put Petrol In Diesel Car

Don't drive it any more!!

This happened a while ago to a relative - car was simply drained of petrol and refilled - but it hadn't been driven so no harm done.

AFAIK, it's worse if you put diesel into a petrol car and some armchair mechanics even advise putting €5 of petrol into a diesel in order to clean the enigine!

Cost? possibly towing + labour of emptying tank - I'm guessing - €150 - 200?

It may be that not much harm is done particularly if you have a large tank. But I would advise that you don't drive it if possible.
 
Re: Help Put Petrol In Diesel Car

20 euro is a lot regardless of age of diesel engine (even with full tank probably 25-33 % mix - in the past with old non common rail low pressure diesel you would get away with 5% - it is too late now to top - you will only cause further damage)

Best bet is to get the car towed - the tank will need to be dropped and fuel lines flushed - new fuel filter needed. If old diesel - then that should be all - if new common rail high pressure diesel then you could be looking at a new fuel pump or at worst new injectors - best to drop, empty and flush and then see how it performs (rough idle - smoky exhaust) - then you could decide to flog or fix

Sorry but that is the fact - any new diesels in last five years (DCI, TDCI, TDI) just don't like petrol - reason is that the engine uses the diesel fuel to lubricate moving part (pump damage) and it runs hotter (injector
damage) petrol strips diesel of lubricant and burns at higher temperature

TOW IT AND GET A GARAGE TO DROP, EMPTY AND FLUSH - NEW FILTER - THEN CROSS YOUR FINGERS

PS no bull - did this myself a few months ago - luckily did not drive off - that is when big problems happen
 
Re: Help Put Petrol In Diesel Car

Hi

Did exactly the same thing myself, but put 50 euro worth of petrol in and then drove for about a mile.

Got it towed to garage, they drained it and filled tank for me, no problems since. Cost 135 euro.

Hizzy
 
for newer common rail diesels , apparently even turning the key in the ignition can do damage as this starts the fuel pump.
for older engines it doesnt make much difference. siphon it out and refill.
i dont know about any changes over the years but the vw tdi engine has been about since 1992
 
Any other views on this...I did this tonight (completely my own stupidity)..filled up with diesel - 07 model - and drove for half a mile...

I've googled the topic generally and some UK sites have terrified me regarding the prices of fixing fuel pumps etc.....I dont want to be ripped off but I want to do the right thing...I dont have any relationship with a decent mechanic who could be honest with me and I fear the main dealer will fleece me simply because he can!!

Sorry to renew thread but welcome any Irish views...car is parked up in north city

thanks
 
Some more info will help the people who know about these things (not me!):
How much petrol/diesel?
What car/engine spec?
 
Re: Help Put Petrol In Diesel Car

derryman said:
TOW IT AND GET A GARAGE TO DROP, EMPTY AND FLUSH - NEW FILTER - THEN CROSS YOUR FINGERS
Click to expand...
What derryman said above. Don't drive it, don't put any more fuel in it, don't even put the key in the ignition. With 07 car, call main-dealer / rescue service, sit back and wait for bills - sorry, no other options.
 
I hope they're not still sitting there since 27th September 2007 wondering what to do! :)
 
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