Petrol in a diesel

[sierraman]

Kind of know the answer in all likelihood to this. Say you filled a diesel up with petrol, ran it until it conked out, what would be the outcome of that? Would you get away with draining it or is pump likely to be fucked.

[320touring]

What age of Diesel is it?

 

Old indirect Derv you can probably get away with it by draining as much as possible and bunging some derv in

 

Newer common rail stuff may be more tricky

[sierraman]

2004 Astra 1.7 diesel

[Rusty_Rocket]

2004 was the cross over point from the old dti (with conventional injection pump) to cdti (with common-rail fuckwittery).

 

The earlier engine will most likely tolerate the misfuel and live again with a good purge.

The common-rail car is 50/50 in my opinion.  Yes, there are a lot more finely made components to damage but I have known people to get away with it.  I'd drain as much of the good stuff as possible, invest in a new diesel filter and see what happens.  I mean, it's broken now, so can't get any worse, right?!

[JayW]

Have drained and refilled 6 diseasals in 5 years or so with this issue, all were fine. Direct and indirect.

 

Edit: the key is to drain filters, fuel rail (direct) or hard pipes (indirect) instead of trying to push the bad fuel through with good.

[sierraman]

Ha ha no you are right there.

[DSdriver]

Would it work to turn the pump around and suck all the bad fuel back into the tank?

[sierraman]

No you'd not get it all out of the filters I shouldn't think.

 

Incidentally it's not my mishap but hopefully once it's drained out it will be running again. That's what the garage is doing anyway. It's got two chances it either works or it doesn't!

[cort1977]

I got away with pumping it out on a pd transporter 2006. Good luck.

[carlo]

I did it to our 2009 Fiat Panda diesel, drove about 600  yards before the thing conked out.  Considered myself lucky enough to get away with a bill for £130 all sorted.

[JayW]

Like I said, NEVER had a problem with it. Though it may be an issue booting it onto the motorway and it dying at 80mph.

 

I find a HUGE amount of scaremongering between garages, the AA and parts suppliers helping you to "expect the worst!!! OMG £600!!!!" only to make you feel better when the bill is "only" £250.

 

I bet my nans testicles it's fine.

[derskine]

I put £10 worth of petrol in my 205 TD. 

I brimmed the tank with diesel and drove it, it seemed to drive fine.

Not sure if it's related or not but my diesel pump started leaking like fuck a month or so later.

 

Though, this is a lot different to a modern diesel.

[Supernaut]

I put £10 worth of petrol in my 205 TD.

 

Heh, quite a few folk on the old 306 forums did this deliberately in order to prevent gumming when running on veg oil in winter. No catastrophic failures reported.

[stephen01]

​a few years ago now I was merrily filling up the citreon with petrol when I realised it was diesel-  fuck sticks- 20 odd bloody quid before I noticed. had a nice man come out and drain it for me, it was a very expensive morning 

[Zantimisfit]

I did it on a 93 ZX diesel I had years ago driving on a 200 mile trip....filled a near empty tank 10 maybe 20% with petrol. Spoke to kindly breakdown man who said brim it with diesel, and keep topping it up every 50 miles or so until its worked its way through. I dont know if that was good advice or the height of recklessness, but the car was fine anyway.

[hpi_matrix]

I did the opposite once, petrol car filled with diesel. Bought a multitool and petrol can at the garage and let the fuel pump drain most of the tank.

[sierraman]

Garage drained it and refilled it with diesel and it seems to be working so I'm told so alls well. Surprised at this though thought running it on petrol would have royally fucked up the pump.

[Hendry]

Guy at work a couple of years back ran a 2011 61 Insignia 2.0 CDTi SRi 160 Auto low and then chucked in 20quid of unleaded and continued using it the rest of the day and it seemed fine, next day it was running rough as shit when we went to use it, we checked his fuel receipt and it was unleaded, we simply stuck another 40quid of diesel in it and ran about in it for a couple of hundred miles and it was absolutely fine.

 

I think its if you do it the other way that you are really screwed. 

[derskine]

Heh, quite a few folk on the old 306 forums did this deliberately in order to prevent gumming when running on veg oil in winter. No catastrophic failures reported.

 

I've heard of that too. Fine on a Bosch pump I think, not sure I would risk it on a Lucas though. Given the need for diesel to act as a lubricant, and a Lucas being shit as it is.

[Lacquer Peel]

Are you still after a Lucas TD pump derskine?

 

A diesel pump leaking after 24 years (presumably) in a car isn't bad going, Bosch pumps can leak too.

[derskine]

Nah, thanks but I managed to get one from a member on here.

I fitted it last week coincidentally.

[Pillock]

Is it Internet Myth or Actual Fact that if you put some diesel in a petrol, you need to drain it all but pez in a diesel is OK because it sits on top - just don't let the level drop and keep filling it up with diesel until all the petrol has been sucked through

 

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[bunglebus]

I've seen many mis-fueled cars in for repair at dealers (VW/Merc) and have never known any age of diesel to be damaged by unleaded. Modern ones are supposedly prone to damage due to lack of lubrication for the pump and fine tolerances on the injectors, but again I have never known one to suffer a failure. Definitely best to drain all the filters and lines though.

 

While I'm here I might as well tell you a story;

 

Working at Chelmsford VW years ago, a fleet driver managed to fill his diesel Passat with petrol, it was towed in and we provided the driver with a petrol Polo to use. As it was driver error he was responsible for paying for the drain, new filters etc. Not long after collecting the Polo he complained that he's struggled to get fuel into the tank as the filler was too small  . Yep he'd managed to fill the loan car with diesel, so ended up with two cars in the workshop having fuel drains. I think he ended up with a bill for about £600 in the end.

 

I should also add that modern petrol VW engines do NOT like diesel, I have seen exploded pistons due to this, not recommended.

[twosmoke300]

^^^What a fucking clown - shouldn't be allowed to drive if your that stupid .

[JayW]

Is it Internet Myth or Actual Fact that if you put some diesel in a petrol, you need to drain it all but pez in a diesel is OK because it sits on top - just don't let the level drop and keep filling it up with diesel until all the petrol has been sucked through

 

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Yes it is.

[DodgeRover]

They just mix really really well. Fractional distillation preferably under vacuum should achieve some separation though

[trigger]

I remember during the fuel shortage around 1999-2000 time cars breaking down everywhere as they couldn't get the fuel they needed so just filled with what ever was available at the time. It kept many local garages in business for weeks.

[Eddie Honda]

2000 Trig.

 

On the Thursday of that week I was pissing myself laughing, because I could drive straight onto the empty forecourt of the local BP garage and stick some LRP in the turd on wheels.

 

SLM151W 001 by E Honda, on Flickr

[alf892]

^^^What a fucking clown - shouldn't be allowed to drive if your that stupid .

I said this once.....everytime I heard the maintenance controller giving order numbers for drain/refill.

 

Driver is twat I'd say.....

 

He would respond......could happen to anyone especially if they got a lot on their mind.

 

No says me....tis the action of a fucking idiot.

 

A few days went by and I had to use a pool car......while filling it I noticed a smell of petrol and while my brain recognised this was not quite right didn't stop me!

 

So guilty as charged. I just topped it with diesel and kept doing so for a few days.

 

Probably easier for company car drivers as they are not paying for fuel......so little attention paid to pump as not paying and refuelling is just a chore that takes time and brain goes into neutral.

 

Manufacturers are very tight on this if the car is in warranty...with Jag if the car is run till it stops it is a new engine....compete.

 

We had a 330d on fleet that it happened to.......it knackered the HP pump. Went in for drain and new pump and shortly after it knacked the new pump.

 

It had sent fuel down the return line that was contaminated with the filing from the HP pump.......which it then sucked up and sent back through the system. Expensive......mainly because main dealer so new pump, tank and fuel lines

[overrun]

I bang unleaded, parafin etc in with the veg oil in my Ssangyong. It loves it.