I’ve just filled up with petrol and my car takes diesel…
One of the common phrases we hear at 247 Fuel Fix
- Don’t start the engine – call 247 Fuel Fix
- If you have started the or driven the car, stop it safely as soon as you realise you have the wrong fuel, the turn off the engine
- Petrol in a diesel car can cause serious enginer damage that’s not covered under warranty
Putting the wrong fuel in your car – often petrol in diesel car – is an easy mistake to make. It is also really easy to stop your mistake costing you thousands… by doing nothing.
If you realise during or after filling up that you’ve put the wrong fuel in, don’t start the engine. Instead call 07435 123247 to arrange one of fuel drain technicians to assist you.
Attempting to remove the fuel by yourself is not recommended – you wont be able to remove all of the fuel from the tank, and you could be putting your safety or the environment at risk. Some cars may come with anti-siphon technology to prevent theft.
If you started your car, or drove away before you realised the mistake, stop somewhere safe as soon as you can, and switch off the engine to minimise damage.
Putting petrol in a diesel car can cause serious damage to the fuel injection system and engine. A diesel fuel pump operates on very fine tolerance at high pressures and is lubricated by the diesel fuel.
When petrol is added to diesel, it reduces the lubrication properties which can damage the fuel pump through metal-to-metal contact, and create metal particles which can cause significant damage to the rest of the fuel system.
Serious engine damage may also occur due to detonation caused by uncontrolled petrol ignition under the much higher compression ration diesel engine.
What to do if you put diesel in a petrol engine
Inadvertently putting diesel in a petrol car is more difficult to do, because diesel pump nozzles are deliberately larger than petrol ones, so they won’t fit into the filler neck of most petrol cars.
The result of putting diesel in your petrol car is not quite as catastrophic as when it’s the other way around. The car will usually run roughly and the exhaust will be smoky. But it is better not to drive the car no matter which type of wrong fuel you’ve put in the tank.
Damage done to your car as a result of putting the wrong fuel is not covered under warranty and your car insurance policy may not provide the cover for the mistake either.
