Posted 23 January 2024
Half tank of diesel put into petrol car
My silly sister has filled up 23.5 litres of diesel in a 1.2 petrol nissan micra (2007 (57))
It coughed and spluttered all the way home.
Is my only option to call out rac or aa?
I was thinking is there anything I could siphon it out with?
or is it possible to “water is down” by filling the rest with petrol?
I know this isn’t a deal but you would probably be saving me a callout charge.
thanks in advance
It coughed and spluttered all the way home.
Is my only option to call out rac or aa?
I was thinking is there anything I could siphon it out with?
or is it possible to “water is down” by filling the rest with petrol?
I know this isn’t a deal but you would probably be saving me a callout charge.
thanks in advance
Community Updates
25 Comments
sorted byQuote:
"Putting diesel in a petrol car
Putting diesel in a petrol car is less serious than putting petrol in a diesel car.
After starting your engine, the diesel will coat spark plugs and the fuel system, which often leads to misfiring. Your engine may give off smoke, cut out, or fail to start at all.
You should drain the fuel system as soon as possible."
I'm not even sure if the RAC or AA would remove that much fuel, hopefully they would... no harm in asking I guess.
I remember about 1999 my mate had a Sierra Cosworth and put diesel in, he tried draining the fuel on the floor at the garage I remember the wife coming out and going mental with him! Honestly don't know what was going through his head!
Anyways we called his cousin who came with some tools and some bucket to get the fuel in, we pushed the car to the side of the garage and got the fuel out there. Luckily it was only a couple of quid worth when he noticed.
Shop around, fuel doctor is one I know a few people have used.
If you can't do that, remove the pipe from the fuel pump and let it drain the tank for you.
Have fresh petrol ready, and pour it in - the car may misfire for a while, but it'll soon clear.
Put the old juice into a clear container for a week, and it'll separate - use the petrol, and flog the diesel !
What happens if you put diesel in a petrol car?
The diesel pump nozzle is bigger than most petrol filler necks, so it doesn't really fit. That makes it far less common to put the wrong fuel in a petrol car than putting petrol in a diesel car.
Plus, it's not as bad for a petrol engine to have diesel in it so there's usually not as much damage.
Here's what happens when you put diesel in a petrol car:
Petrol ignites by a spark from the spark plugs.
Diesel in a petrol engine clogs up the spark plugs and fuel system.
That means the car simply won’t start.
It's a real pain. But it's not as bad as the damage that petrol can cause to a diesel engine. Your petrol engine shouldn't have any permanent damage once the fuel's drained out.
How long does it take to remove the wrong fuel from a car?
The length of time required to drain the wrong fuel from your car can vary based on the model and type of fuel system/engine. It can also depend on how the fault is reported. If you’re sure you put the wrong fuel in your car, then AA fuel assist will come straight to you. If you’re unsure whether you have the correct fuel, this may take longer as we’ll need to diagnose the problem.
I bought one of those voice message alerts when we went from a petrol engine to a diesel - it sticks to the fuel flap and keeps repeating "diesel fuel". I guess of no use to you though, accidents do happen, sadly it could turn out to be an expensive lesson.
My uncle filled up once and called the AA who came out to drain. He had put 50L in but they only removed 45... rest was in the pipe and buggered the whole engine. Luckily they paid out for an engine replacement. (edited)
Method 1 is probably the easiest/cheapest but if doing so I’d recommend a second person holding/feeling further down the hose so that when they feel the diesel starting to come through they can alert the “sucker” to stop sucking.