Unleaded in a diesel
Discussion
What happens if you put unleaded in a diesel??
My wife ( honest it was her ) managed to get put about £10 of unleaded in the car and then topped it up with diesel £40. ( after taking her brothers advice )
Am i looking at trouble or not?
its a BMW 330D and it hasnt been moved since it happened.
My wife ( honest it was her ) managed to get put about £10 of unleaded in the car and then topped it up with diesel £40. ( after taking her brothers advice )
Am i looking at trouble or not?
its a BMW 330D and it hasnt been moved since it happened.
If it had been a couple of quids worth of unleaded I'd have said just run it and keep topping the tank up every 50 miles or so.
However you're looking at a 20% UL mix so unfortunately I'd get the tank drained and the injection system flushed through.
Pre Ignition is a terrible thing and can quickly destroy an engine,and I wouldnt want to run the risk of having a fuel line feeding Ul into a diesel engine.
Sorry,
Tony
However you're looking at a 20% UL mix so unfortunately I'd get the tank drained and the injection system flushed through.
Pre Ignition is a terrible thing and can quickly destroy an engine,and I wouldnt want to run the risk of having a fuel line feeding Ul into a diesel engine.
Sorry,
Tony
Friend of mine did it with a Range Rover. Rang a dealer whilst still at the pump and was told under no circumstances to start the engine.
It cost several thousands to put right. Had he started the engine his warranty would have been invalid as well as the damage caused. Apparently the computers can detect miniscule traces of the wrong fuel.
It cost several thousands to put right. Had he started the engine his warranty would have been invalid as well as the damage caused. Apparently the computers can detect miniscule traces of the wrong fuel.
Mrs SS7 did the same with a Golf Tdi. It was a company car so inspite of the horror stories I ran it gently for 100 miles and then topped it up, and did this several times. I did find it was difficult to start from hot (I guess the fuel was vapourising) but there seemed to be no long term ill effects.
SS7
SS7
Happened to my friends Seat Leon Cupra Diesel (well he did it)
He put £20 in. Basically it took about 15 seconds to start and he had to turn the key a lot of times (he thinks that helps prime the tank)
It then started ok with a puff of smoke and seemed to drive with a slight power loss, the dealer told him to top up and all will be fine !
put some sunflower oil in next time !
He put £20 in. Basically it took about 15 seconds to start and he had to turn the key a lot of times (he thinks that helps prime the tank)
It then started ok with a puff of smoke and seemed to drive with a slight power loss, the dealer told him to top up and all will be fine !
put some sunflower oil in next time !
DO NOT tell a dealer.
I remember reading a thread, either on here or Tyresmoke.net, where someone put petrol in a 320d, started the car for just 30 secs before they realised.
The dealer said that for the warranty to be valid, effetively a new engine was needed.
Total rubbish of course but once they have it on their system you're shafted.
I remember reading a thread, either on here or Tyresmoke.net, where someone put petrol in a 320d, started the car for just 30 secs before they realised.
The dealer said that for the warranty to be valid, effetively a new engine was needed.
Total rubbish of course but once they have it on their system you're shafted.
Philrose said:
Friend of mine did it with a Range Rover. Rang a dealer whilst still at the pump and was told under no circumstances to start the engine.
It cost several thousands to put right.
Sounds like the dealer has been a bit creative.
Surely if the car hasn't been started, then it's
a straighforward fuel tank out, empty tank, refit tank,
fill up with correct fuel job.
Sure if the car has been started then life gets expensive.
Can't understand it myself - black pumps for diesel, green for unleaded. If you can't figure that out perhaps it's best to let someone else drive ?
Except on BP courtyards it's light blue for Ultimate Unleaded and dark blue for Ultimate Diesel.
Presumably if you put Diesel in an UL car it does a lot more damage, otherwise they would have made the nozzles on the Diesel pumps smaller.
It seems some forecourt magnagers pour Diesel all over the pump handle to help us: If your hand doesn't feel silky and slick - you're holding the wrong nozzle!
Presumably if you put Diesel in an UL car it does a lot more damage, otherwise they would have made the nozzles on the Diesel pumps smaller.
It seems some forecourt magnagers pour Diesel all over the pump handle to help us: If your hand doesn't feel silky and slick - you're holding the wrong nozzle!
Don't start the car, get the fuel tank drained and flush all the fuel lines with clean diesel and renew the fuel filter. If the car is started even a small amount of petrol getting into the High Pressure Pump can damage it, when we get cars in at work the work carried out depends on if it has been started and if so for how long, when you clean out the tank check for small fine metal particles small amounts of brass are ok but any magnetic particles means the HP Pump is damaged and the electric fuel pumps, HP Pump,HP fuel rail and pipes, Injectors, and rail pressure sensors, fuel lines, filter and pre heater (if fitted) will all need to be replaced.
That said we have not had to replace an engine yet but it could be possible if driven too far on contaminated fuel due to pre-ignition.
Cheers Steve
That said we have not had to replace an engine yet but it could be possible if driven too far on contaminated fuel due to pre-ignition.
Cheers Steve
This used to happen all the time in Hampshire Police when we changed our Area Cars from Rover 820s to BMW 325tds. We had to call workshops to get them recovered! Very embarassing! I guess 8 or 9 yeras ago diesel was less popular than it is now, so it was less "natural" to reach for the diesel pump.
IIRC one driver drove away from the foprecourt, oblivious to her error, when the engine just stopped. I don't think any real damage was done, it just needed the fuel draining, new filters etc....
IIRC one driver drove away from the foprecourt, oblivious to her error, when the engine just stopped. I don't think any real damage was done, it just needed the fuel draining, new filters etc....
Obviously all thats been said above about draining is right with a modern high pressure TD.
£10 of petrol vs £40 of diesel it 'may' be ok but I woudlnt want to take that risk tho.
However funnily enough years back & with more basic diesel engines it was actually recomended in the VW handbook to put in a little bit of petrol in the tank when filling up in very cold weather to stop the diesel waxing up!
£10 of petrol vs £40 of diesel it 'may' be ok but I woudlnt want to take that risk tho.
However funnily enough years back & with more basic diesel engines it was actually recomended in the VW handbook to put in a little bit of petrol in the tank when filling up in very cold weather to stop the diesel waxing up!
Vee, not very good advice. When you're fuel system packs up and they find shards of metal in it from the bearings of the fuel pump, you will be made to look stupid for not doing anything about it. You will not be able to claim on your insurance at that point and you will end up with a big bill. Get it drained and checked and as long as you haven't driven far, you may get away with just a flush through.
Also, most people seem to be doing this at BP stations and I have heard of instances where people have claimed back repair costs from BP as the pump colours can be confusing.
Alternatively, ignore my advice and wait.......
Also, most people seem to be doing this at BP stations and I have heard of instances where people have claimed back repair costs from BP as the pump colours can be confusing.
Alternatively, ignore my advice and wait.......
Vee, not very good advice. When you're fuel system packs up and they find shards of metal in it from the bearings of the fuel pump, you will be made to look stupid for not doing anything about it. You will not be able to claim on your insurance at that point and you will end up with a big bill. Get it drained and checked and as long as you haven't driven far, you may get away with just a flush through.
Also, most people seem to be doing this at BP stations and I have heard of instances where people have claimed back repair costs from BP as the pump colours can be confusing.
Alternatively, ignore my advice and wait.......
Also, most people seem to be doing this at BP stations and I have heard of instances where people have claimed back repair costs from BP as the pump colours can be confusing.
Alternatively, ignore my advice and wait.......
If its an old type diesel you can somtimes get away with it, years ago lorrys put it in to stop diesel from freezing in the winter before modern fuels came out
If its a new CDI never chance it drain it out, they work on a differnt fuel system its very high pressure injection and you dont mess with it.crank a injector pipe undone with it running and that pipe is scrap it will never seal again.
On a Mercedes it can write the engine off. had two customers do it, cost them a lot of money
If its a new CDI never chance it drain it out, they work on a differnt fuel system its very high pressure injection and you dont mess with it.crank a injector pipe undone with it running and that pipe is scrap it will never seal again.
On a Mercedes it can write the engine off. had two customers do it, cost them a lot of money
I actually put some UL in my 98 clio diesel yesterday, as it helps clear the injectors out (smokes like a b'stard for a while though). It does however, have a mechanical fuel pump and the most sophisticated electronics on it probably involev the clock.
Would just get the tank drained in a newer car though. No major hassles. Not sure where people are getting £4k quotes from. Draining a tank costs about £250 max. Most recovery stations will do it for you (even on new cars).
Would just get the tank drained in a newer car though. No major hassles. Not sure where people are getting £4k quotes from. Draining a tank costs about £250 max. Most recovery stations will do it for you (even on new cars).
Fergus, The book time for instance for draining a tank, flushing lines through, replacing the filter, refilling with diesel, roadtesting and then removing the fuel pump sender to check for metal swarf in the tank is around 4 to 5 hours.
Petrol doesn't lubricate the pump as effectively as diesel and hence the pump bearing can break up. This allows small fragment of metal into the fuel system which could jam pumps, injectors and potentially valves. The only time a bill would exceed 4K is if metal IS found in the tank meaning the only way to warrant the entire fuel system is replacement. You can take the risk, but having seen an X5 owner that did and hear her terrifying story of complete loss of power, PAS and servo brakes at 100mph in the outside lane...........I think you get my drift.
I do hasten to add it is very rare to have to replace the whole system, I have known of only 2 so far. Your insurance company may pay for repairs and BP have also been known to contribute due to their slightly confusing pump coloration.
Don't flame me, I'm just telling you how it is!
Petrol doesn't lubricate the pump as effectively as diesel and hence the pump bearing can break up. This allows small fragment of metal into the fuel system which could jam pumps, injectors and potentially valves. The only time a bill would exceed 4K is if metal IS found in the tank meaning the only way to warrant the entire fuel system is replacement. You can take the risk, but having seen an X5 owner that did and hear her terrifying story of complete loss of power, PAS and servo brakes at 100mph in the outside lane...........I think you get my drift.
I do hasten to add it is very rare to have to replace the whole system, I have known of only 2 so far. Your insurance company may pay for repairs and BP have also been known to contribute due to their slightly confusing pump coloration.
Don't flame me, I'm just telling you how it is!
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