Petrol in diesel fuel tank - what should I do?
Discussion
Monty Python said:
Advice from the AA:
If you've added more than 5 litres of petrol – Drain the tank and refill with diesel
If you've added less than 5 litres of petrol – Top up with diesel and run normally unless the manufacturer has advised otherwise
I love this type of AA advice it's such BullsIf you've added more than 5 litres of petrol – Drain the tank and refill with diesel
If you've added less than 5 litres of petrol – Top up with diesel and run normally unless the manufacturer has advised otherwise
t.So 5 litres in a 40l tank is the same as 5l in an 80l tank is it ?
And why is 5 litres the magic number ?
paul78eu said:
....Having rented a car in Spain (Seat Ibiza 1.6 TDI 2010) and having 1/4 of the tank left I felt like filling it up. Stopped at the gas station, looked at the car's documents, read "gasoil". Thought to myself it was Petrol in Spanish for some stupid reason. Topped it resulting in a mixture of 1/4 diesel and 3/4 petrol...
the new VAG 1.6 diesel engine uses a common rail fuel system that is lubricated by diesel, and as others in the thread have pointed out, petrol does not provide sufficient lubrication.I'm not a mechanic, I don't drive a common rail car and, so far at least, I've not make this particular mistake so I have no actual experience of this situation, but a close friends did the same to his 2009 common rail E-Class with a similar 75% petrol mix and ended up with a new fuel system.
Having stopped at a petrol station with vague labeling and trying to run a hundred errands I put about 14 litre of ULP in a 2005 Range Rover (TD6 engine) before I noticed and swore A LOT.
I brimmed the 110 litre tank with diesel and continued on my way (ie about 15% ULP at worst).
Other than a bottle of new rape seed oil as a treat, I did nothing else, all is well so far. The only diference I noticed was less black smoke when I accelerate hard.
While I do not recomend this tactic to clean up your oil burner, it seems that at low % petrol mixes even modern crap contiues to work (better than before)!
I brimmed the 110 litre tank with diesel and continued on my way (ie about 15% ULP at worst).
Other than a bottle of new rape seed oil as a treat, I did nothing else, all is well so far. The only diference I noticed was less black smoke when I accelerate hard.
While I do not recomend this tactic to clean up your oil burner, it seems that at low % petrol mixes even modern crap contiues to work (better than before)!
Everyone: please pray for me..... It is 4th of May 2013 and I am sitting in London in my 3.5 tonne Fiat Ducato van. At home, 200 miles ago, I started to top up WITH PETROL - have a LOT on my MIND - and took on £51 worth of petrol. There was quarter of tank of diesel in there originally and I decided, as I was behind time ( and not thinking straight ) that the petrol would float on the diesel and that if I topped up with diesel before driving on maybe topping up evry 50 miles for the rest of the journey, I would try to syphon off the petrol from the upper part of my tank when I arrived.
Have detected no problem all the way here other than a slight hesitation when pulling off, and am REALLY hoping that no REAL damage has been caused. Each time I started up to drive away she didn't hesitate to fire and the ride was fine. On the most smooth sections of the motorway she ran like velvet. I am brickin' it after reading this thread. Gone cold all over but I've crossed the Rubicon now and am driving home tomorrow doing the same routine.
The van is currently on only 13,000 miles. Come on all you pious petrol heads get on your knees with this sinner and prey like hell. Watch this space for updates.
100kilo over and out.
Have detected no problem all the way here other than a slight hesitation when pulling off, and am REALLY hoping that no REAL damage has been caused. Each time I started up to drive away she didn't hesitate to fire and the ride was fine. On the most smooth sections of the motorway she ran like velvet. I am brickin' it after reading this thread. Gone cold all over but I've crossed the Rubicon now and am driving home tomorrow doing the same routine.
The van is currently on only 13,000 miles. Come on all you pious petrol heads get on your knees with this sinner and prey like hell. Watch this space for updates.
100kilo over and out.
4th time this threads been revived in a space of 9 years!
100kilo said:
Everyone: please pray for me..... It is 4th of May 2013 and I am sitting in London in my 3.5 tonne Fiat Ducato van. At home, 200 miles ago, I started to top up WITH PETROL - have a LOT on my MIND - and took on £51 worth of petrol. There was quarter of tank of diesel in there originally and I decided, as I was behind time ( and not thinking straight ) that the petrol would float on the diesel and that if I topped up with diesel before driving on maybe topping up evry 50 miles for the rest of the journey, I would try to syphon off the petrol from the upper part of my tank when I arrived.
Have detected no problem all the way here other than a slight hesitation when pulling off, and am REALLY hoping that no REAL damage has been caused. Each time I started up to drive away she didn't hesitate to fire and the ride was fine. On the most smooth sections of the motorway she ran like velvet. I am brickin' it after reading this thread. Gone cold all over but I've crossed the Rubicon now and am driving home tomorrow doing the same routine.
The van is currently on only 13,000 miles. Come on all you pious petrol heads get on your knees with this sinner and prey like hell. Watch this space for updates.
100kilo over and out.
a while back I was curious about petrol floating on top of diesel in a syphoning situation as well, not that i have ever done it Have detected no problem all the way here other than a slight hesitation when pulling off, and am REALLY hoping that no REAL damage has been caused. Each time I started up to drive away she didn't hesitate to fire and the ride was fine. On the most smooth sections of the motorway she ran like velvet. I am brickin' it after reading this thread. Gone cold all over but I've crossed the Rubicon now and am driving home tomorrow doing the same routine.
The van is currently on only 13,000 miles. Come on all you pious petrol heads get on your knees with this sinner and prey like hell. Watch this space for updates.
100kilo over and out.
, unfortunately according to this guy http://www.petrolindieseluk.co.uk/faq/does-petrol-... you will need more than the prayers of a bunch of satan worshipping petrol heads!Good luck with it - let us know how you get on
I put in £50 worth of petrol in our 1.3 diesel Astra van and drove about 300 metres before the car started kangarooing and I realised what I had done so stopped immediately .
I got a mechanic friend to tow me to his garage where he drained the tank, changed the fuel filter and stuck £20 worth of diesel in it and it has been fine ever since, luckily got away with it but I don't think I would continue driving a an with £50 worth of petrol in it.
I got a mechanic friend to tow me to his garage where he drained the tank, changed the fuel filter and stuck £20 worth of diesel in it and it has been fine ever since, luckily got away with it but I don't think I would continue driving a an with £50 worth of petrol in it.
Well. Here I am sitting at home after returning 200 miles from London in my 2010 3lt Fiat Ducato van having now done a round trip of 400 miles with £51 worth of petrol sloshing around in the tank!
Again, on the return trip, diesel was added each time the tank reached the 3 quarter mark. It didn't miss a beat. Either: there were a host of angelic Piston Heads a praying and a wailing to the Mighty Guy upstairs on my behalf, or: and I tell you from the heart - all the stuff on all the forums that I have read (and there are quite a few) is, for the most part, surmise. I am not advocating filling your tanks to half full with petrol - it is cheaper I suppose - but my van came home doing mostly 60 to 65mph and NO DRAMAS.
Will post an update on this "miracle" when I have time, but deep down I expect to be hit hard in the wallet for this reckless act.
Again, on the return trip, diesel was added each time the tank reached the 3 quarter mark. It didn't miss a beat. Either: there were a host of angelic Piston Heads a praying and a wailing to the Mighty Guy upstairs on my behalf, or: and I tell you from the heart - all the stuff on all the forums that I have read (and there are quite a few) is, for the most part, surmise. I am not advocating filling your tanks to half full with petrol - it is cheaper I suppose - but my van came home doing mostly 60 to 65mph and NO DRAMAS.
Will post an update on this "miracle" when I have time, but deep down I expect to be hit hard in the wallet for this reckless act.
Oh. Ps.
I hope to get samples off the top of the tank and from low down to find out if the contents are vaguely similar or if they are chalk and cheese (diesel and petrol).
It must also be said that each time the tank was topped up I turned the ignition off. After 4 days and nights standing in S. London, and my having hardly slept before turning the ignition key she started quickly and revved smoothly, just like there was nothing wrong in the world. Wont be using the spooky van for the rest of the week so who knows? maybe she'll self destruct or something next time she starts?
Am starting to think that Saint Christopher has me tucked under one of his wings......
I hope to get samples off the top of the tank and from low down to find out if the contents are vaguely similar or if they are chalk and cheese (diesel and petrol).
It must also be said that each time the tank was topped up I turned the ignition off. After 4 days and nights standing in S. London, and my having hardly slept before turning the ignition key she started quickly and revved smoothly, just like there was nothing wrong in the world. Wont be using the spooky van for the rest of the week so who knows? maybe she'll self destruct or something next time she starts?
Am starting to think that Saint Christopher has me tucked under one of his wings......
keep filling that tank with diesel, it sounds like the petrol or at least not a lot of it has gone into the system yet, but I'm no mechanic, I'd just be watering that petrol down with diesel as much as possible and be keeping my fingers crossed, you're either putting off the inevitable or you are going to be very lucky!
It's been a week now since I returned from London in my "petrol/diesel" van. As per the previous 3 posts, my experience has been both nail biting and enlightening. I have emailed a fuel testing lab to get an idea of the cost of 2 samples from my tank of mixed fuel. At £99 a throw I decided to pass up on that option so asked the technician what he made of it , and if the £51 worth of petrol was merely floating on top the diesel to the degree that it didn't mix sufficiently to get into the fuel pump.
He said that petrol will float on diesel but that if I continue topping up - "washing the system" - each time the tank reached about 75% full, I had every chance of getting away with it. He had experience of making this mistake himself so he too is one of the brotherhood of nitwits. He observed that I had been VERY LUCKY and that it may be down to the van having exceptionally strong injectors.
His parting comment advised me to use the premium diesel for a while to ensure that the engine received enough of the lubricating agents it required. Oh yes - he pooh poohed the idea of pouring a few litres of oil into the tank.
Happy motoring one and all.
He said that petrol will float on diesel but that if I continue topping up - "washing the system" - each time the tank reached about 75% full, I had every chance of getting away with it. He had experience of making this mistake himself so he too is one of the brotherhood of nitwits. He observed that I had been VERY LUCKY and that it may be down to the van having exceptionally strong injectors.
His parting comment advised me to use the premium diesel for a while to ensure that the engine received enough of the lubricating agents it required. Oh yes - he pooh poohed the idea of pouring a few litres of oil into the tank.
Happy motoring one and all.
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