Christmas Day mishap - W124 to the rescue, now properly fixed

[Peter C]

4:30pm on Christmas Day, waiting for family to arrive, I get a phone call from my brother in law, he has just slapped 50 litres of unleaded into his diesel Vulva and needs rescuing. Helpful chap at the petrol station gave details of a man who could come out within the hour and drain the tank in exchange for £175. Bit rich but then again it’s Christmas.

Luckily I had not had a drink yet so I was ok to jump in my 200E and provide assistance.





The three mile tow back to mine was easy, there was hardly any traffic.

Now the sodding thing is parked outside my house and we need to drain the tank. Any ideas how best to tackle this job?

[jonathan_dyane]

Lift rear seat and you should be able to remove the sender unit/fuel pump from the top of the tank to suck or syphon it out.

 

Nice save!

[jonathan_dyane]

Best of all the Merc will drink the misfuel but I’d not run it on 100%

[Rocket88]

Pay the £175..................if he's an A.A member, may get it cheaper. OR.....if the fuel pipe from the tank is get at able, undo and drain. I presume he hasn't started it?

[Wingz123]

I had the job of draining an xc90 some years ago - was quite a bit of fuel in in (wrong fuel) and you will laugh, it was horrendously time consuming but we pulled a pipe and just kept flicking the ignition on and off (as when ignition flicked on it primes for about 5-10 seconds and pumps some fuel out) once this stops, ignition off again and then back on to get another 5-10 seconds. Took some time but we got there in the end.....not sure if any damage would have been done to the pump through relentless repetitive use....

[Peter C]

Lift rear seat and you should be able to remove the sender unit/fuel pump from the top of the tank to suck or syphon it out.

 

Nice save!

That sounds easy, will try this first.

[Peter C]

Best of all the Merc will drink the misfuel but I’d not run it on 100%

There was approx 5 litres of derv left in the tank before 50 litres of unleaded were added. If I mix whatever we drain out 50/50 with fresh fuel, the 200E should be happy.

[Peter C]

Pay the £175..................if he's an A.A member, may get it cheaper. OR.....if the fuel pipe from the tank is get at able, undo and drain. I presume he hasn't started it?

I think we’d rather save the £175 and do it ourselves.

 

No, not started since incident.

[Peter C]

I had the job of draining an xc90 some years ago - was quite a bit of fuel in in (wrong fuel) and you will laugh, it was horrendously time consuming but we pulled a pipe and just kept flicking the ignition on and off (as when ignition flicked on it primes for about 5-10 seconds and pumps some fuel out) once this stops, ignition off again and then back on to get another 5-10 seconds. Took some time but we got there in the end.....not sure if any damage would have been done to the pump through relentless repetitive use....

Sounds like a faff and not gentle on the pump.

[somewhatfoolish]

I had the job of draining an xc90 some years ago - was quite a bit of fuel in in (wrong fuel) and you will laugh, it was horrendously time consuming but we pulled a pipe and just kept flicking the ignition on and off (as when ignition flicked on it primes for about 5-10 seconds and pumps some fuel out) once this stops, ignition off again and then back on to get another 5-10 seconds. Took some time but we got there in the end.....not sure if any damage would have been done to the pump through relentless repetitive use....

None whatsoever, although if the pump or the wiring to it is accessible hotwiring with a spare battery or long bits of wire is less of a ballache. Finding enough space to put 50 litres is the hard bit unless you've another vehicle with less fussy tastes handy; even as a serial hoarder I only have six 1 gallon/5 litre cans and there's generally something in at least 2 of them.

 

 

There was approx 5 litres of derv left in the tank before 50 litres of unleaded were added. If I mix whatever we drain out 50/50 with fresh fuel, the 200E should be happy.

Your BIL likes playing fuel light roulette?

[N Dentressangle]

These are handy things to have:

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/oil-fluid-extractor-6ltr/21663?kpid=21663&ds_kid=92700023753053055&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1243318&ds_rl=1249481&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6ozhBRC8ARIsAIh_VC1-DwvzgVUKgOtX_zIFbVI0zAekmKUPCmjsmN8ktZp8XsRmZG7uV2IaAmyWEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Sounds like there's a knack to getting into the tank:

 

https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-v70-13/help-petrol-diesel-draining-tank-46088/

[Wingz123]

I have a few 20litre drums if you need any and will be over there again tomorrow afternoon Pete...

[lesapandre]

W124 looking handsome. Funnily...there was a comedy on Christmas Eve with Stephen Merchant which involved diesel in a petrol. Solution was glossed over so no technical help. Driving both diesel and petrol cars I know just how easy it is to have a vacant moment - not done it though yet....yet...yet...

 

The £175 sounds a nice little urner for the petrol attendant bet it happens once a week if its a busy place.

 

Next...I put petrol in my electric car?

[Peter C]

I have a few 20litre drums if you need any and will be over there again tomorrow afternoon Pete...

Thanks mate but I have three empty 20 litre drums down the side of my garage.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Run a car battery direct to the pump with a couple of bits of wire into a big watering can and pour direct into the Granitewagen.

[Peter C]

 

Your BIL likes playing fuel light roulette?

Not BIL, his dopey girlfriend always returns the cars with the fuel light on.

[Peter C]

Run a car battery direct to the pump with a couple of bits of wire into a big watering can and pour direct into the Granitewagen.

Where is the pump?

[Guest Hooli]

Where is the pump?

In the tank, under the back seat.

 

Careful when you put it all back together as I recall a couple of these new where the float on the sender unit was trapped in the wiring for the pump at the factory. So they turned up brand new, went out on demo and run out of fuel with the gauge on half.

[Isaac Hunt]

I think we’d rather save the £175 and do it ourselves.

No, not started since incident.

Oh come all ye faithful....Poor chap is already £55 ish down. When you've sucked the mix out, make sure the BIL doesn't ask you for £55 for the super mix.

 

Do these things have anti siphon in the filler neck ?

[beko1987]

The not starting it's probably the key good thing here, good luck getting the misfuel out though! Shame it's modern as the high pressure will not be your friend

[MikeR]

our local garage splits into a pipe in the engine bay and connects a pump , and then into  barrel

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Where is the pump?

In the tank I expect.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Td-rNmGGjk0

[DodgeRover]

If you find the fuel pump relay and just bridge it with a piece of wire the pump will run continuously. Just disconnect a pipe and wait for it to fill your drums

[Lacquer Peel]

Drill the tank and plug it with a ripe Brussel sprout.

[Cavcraft]

Run a car battery direct to the pump with a couple of bits of wire into a big watering can and pour direct into the Granitewagen.

 

I'd be very wary of using anything electric/battery operated when petrol is involved.

[vaughant]

If you find the fuel pump relay and just bridge it with a piece of wire the pump will run continuously. Just disconnect a pipe and wait for it to fill your drums

This would be the least painful method.

[Guest Hooli]

I'd be very wary of using anything electric/battery operated when petrol is involved.

 

That's why all* cars have mechanical pumps...

 

It's fine if you're not stupid & make sparks in the vapour etc.

[rantingYoof]

That V70 looks mighty handsome. My S60 was the same colour and on the same wheels, so I'm not at all biased.

 

In my even-less-intelligent days I managed to put £20 of petrol in my 45 diesel before realising what I was doing and paid over £200 to have it drained by the AA. I had to wait two hours at a busy snowy petrol station fo this to take place. I was a little irritated when I reported this to whatever MG Rover forum I was on at the time, and they all said that as I was putting petrol in on top of diesel already in the tank, if I'd brimmed the rest of the tank with top of the line diesel it'd have probably 'run alright, if a bit lumpy'.

 

While I have yet to know of anyone who has actively trialled this suggestion, it's good to know the L-Series was possibly built with complete muppets like me in mind.

[Cheggers]

There are some jobs I'm perfectly capable of doing myself but would happily pay someone else to do just for the amount of mess, fuss and general pain in the arsedness involved.

 

This would 100% be one of those jobs.