RE: Wrong Fuel
Discussion
Kentish said:
<They won't drain the fuel on the spot but can arrange to take the car to your dealer, and if you are especially lucky, they will be able to drain the tank and clean the hoses, purge the fuel from pumps and replace the filter.>
My dad managed this once using a hired van and the AA (or was it the RAC) towed him to a "discrete location" and emptied the fuel out all over the floor!!!
I had so much water in my petrol form a filling station that my car wouldn't run after a few miles so I called the AA and the guy very kindly emptied the petrol and water into an area of pebbles in the car park where I work
With fresh petrol and a few turns of the starter I was up and running again.
Not wishing to hijack the post, but where does the water go that forms as condensation in your average fuel tank? I try to fill my tank when I leave my car unused for a long period to stop condensation. Does the water get supped up by the motor in tiny quantities that don't affect the running?
black-k1 said:
I’m so humbled by all the posters on here who have never made a mistake and can be so critical of those who do. I just wish I could be half as perfect! 
I have never made this mistake myself. I do agree that if you put the wrong fuel in your vehicle, it’s your fault but, we are all human and we all make mistakes. Simply standardising the colours of pump handles and hoses would make life sooooo much easier. Likewise, if it were Europe (world?) wide, it would also help when touring abroad. Could this actually be something constructive for an EU regulation???
I too have been known to make mistakes occasionally, but when I'm putting fuel in my car I make a point of concentrating and thinking "right, this is the petrol dispenser, it says petrol there, this is the hose, and this is the correct hand set filler thing"
Then I KNOW I'm putting the right juice in, rather than make a half asleep assumption such as "this is probably the right one but I'll take the air headed chance on it".
I have been to a petrol station where some festering feckwit has put the hand sets in the opposite orifices! Obviously not a mistake as there is no reason to ever have two out of their holes at the same time. Most say Petrol or Diesel on the handset, but not all, so I can see where the occasional non-automobile aware blond could make the mistake
I am a roadside breakdown mechanic. My company brings in the vehicles of these myopic morons into our workshop and myself and a few others drain and re-fuel them. With respect to the replacing filters, parts and even engines, I can honestly say that this is scare mongering of the highest order. I have never needed to do anything other than drain, flush, prime and start. Sometimes they might need some smelling salts in the inlet, but lets be fair, if the drivers had some under their collective noses before they picked up the wrong nozzle it would save everyone a lot of time and effort. For your amusement, if you do this, the going rate is about 200 quid including about 20 litres of fuel.
black-k1 said:
I’m so humbled by all the posters on here who have never made a mistake and can be so critical of those who do. I just wish I could be half as perfect!
I have never made this mistake myself. I do agree that if you put the wrong fuel in your vehicle, it’s your fault but, we are all human and we all make mistakes. Simply standardising the colours of pump handles and hoses would make life sooooo much easier. Likewise, if it were Europe (world?) wide, it would also help when touring abroad. Could this actually be something constructive for an EU regulation???
You can't be "half as perfect" you are either perfect or you're not. It's an absolute thing. Anything less than perfect is imperfect. I've never filled up with the wrong fuel and it's easy to do if you avoid ever buying a diesel...
ergo, I'm perfect.
itarzanuk said:
myopic morons
That's a bit rich! Let me give you something to consider. I've got four cars, three petrols and one diesel. I fill up each car at least once a week, which equates to 200 times per year. In ten years I must have filled the cars up 2000 times. 1500 times petrol and 500 times diesel. On one occasion I accidentally put petrol in the diesel car, while thinking about work, or some such. So, I get it right 99.998% of the time and 0.002% I cock it up - and I'm happy to laugh at myself, as I shell out £400 quid to people like you, who call me a myopic moron.
once got away with because I noticed in time (only put in 15%) I won't be as rude as some posters here, as I understand that people *do* make mistakes, but you've got to be pretty far away to get it wrong. Either that, or simply not caring enough about the task at hand or the consequences, and just 'auto-piloting' the job.
You see, there are two separate senses involved in fuel discrimination - in all cases the type of fuel will be written on the pump, and in most cases the hoses / filler nozzles will be colour coded. That's sight covered. Secondly, petrol smells much nicer than diesel and they are very distinctive. Any self-proclaimed 'petrolhead' here must know the smell of petrol FFS (can you tell the difference between Optimax and Tesco 99 by smell alone? ) - so that's smell as well.
Ignoring both smell and sight whilst doing a task indicates that either the task is simply not worth spending any attention on, or you're daydreaming.
I haven't misfuelled ever - this does not mean that I think I'm perfect, merely that refuelling my cars is a task that I pay attention to. You won't misfuel if you're paying even the slightest attention, with both visual and smell cues to go on.
You see, there are two separate senses involved in fuel discrimination - in all cases the type of fuel will be written on the pump, and in most cases the hoses / filler nozzles will be colour coded. That's sight covered. Secondly, petrol smells much nicer than diesel and they are very distinctive. Any self-proclaimed 'petrolhead' here must know the smell of petrol FFS (can you tell the difference between Optimax and Tesco 99 by smell alone?
) - so that's smell as well. Ignoring both smell and sight whilst doing a task indicates that either the task is simply not worth spending any attention on, or you're daydreaming.
I haven't misfuelled ever - this does not mean that I think I'm perfect, merely that refuelling my cars is a task that I pay attention to. You won't misfuel if you're paying even the slightest attention, with both visual and smell cues to go on.
I dont think its a case of getting to the pump and just not being able to pick up the right pump - ie ones green, ones black/blue. If you live a busy life, in a hurry and have been in the car for a while and own one petrol and one diesel car then its quite easy to do when your not really concentrating..
Incidentally, I do now have a good look at the options and the car I'm in
>> Edited by TimmyArt on Thursday 18th May 10:54
Incidentally, I do now have a good look at the options and the car I'm in
>> Edited by TimmyArt on Thursday 18th May 10:54
As a psychologist, I'd say filling a car with fuel is a routine process that contains lots of highly associated cues, is typically performed during periods of high attentional and cognitive load (during journeys to and from work), and does not demand much in the way of attentional or cognitive resources. As such, the behaviour is likely to rely on automatic processes. Where the system leaves substantial room for error (on a 3 fuel pump, 1/3 of the possible options result in damage), you are certain to see a regular occurence of slips. Whilst there are methods to change behaviour by targetting the individual, if you just need to reduce the number of errors, blame/change the system.
Most likely the cost of implementing change exceeds the cost to the system of the results of ongoing slips, so diesel owners will be left bearing the brunt of costs that are the result of a system that doesn't fit well with its users' use.
Alternatively, perhaps diesels are so uninvolving, it's no wonder their drivers are asleep when filling them up. Most likely they are daydreaming about something less agricultural.
Most likely the cost of implementing change exceeds the cost to the system of the results of ongoing slips, so diesel owners will be left bearing the brunt of costs that are the result of a system that doesn't fit well with its users' use.
Alternatively, perhaps diesels are so uninvolving, it's no wonder their drivers are asleep when filling them up. Most likely they are daydreaming about something less agricultural.
Mekon said:
Alternatively, perhaps diesels are so uninvolving, it's no wonder their drivers are asleep when filling them up. Most likely they are daydreaming about something less agricultural.
On the contrary, as my diesel has such a narrow power band, I find driving it MORE involving than my petrol car.
I do agree with the gist of your post though.
Those of us who regularly fill up cars with differing fuels, do need to concentrate a little more at the pump. Worked for me so far.
grahamw48 said:
Alternatively, perhaps diesels are so uninvolving, it's no wonder their drivers are asleep when filling them up. Most likely they are daydreaming about something less agricultural.
On the contrary, as my diesel has such a narrow power band, I find driving it MORE involving than my petrol car.
Me thinks that Mekon has not driven a modern high powered diesel. My BMW 330d (turbo) is not a whole lot slower than my TVR.
this happens to all sorts of people, none of them looked to me like they should be locked up in a padded cell, just ordenary people making a mistake like all the rest of us do every day, no ones perfect, think about it, what did you do wrong today?. by the way i do go to the stranded car and fix it on the spot. ultra-evac.co.uk
suckerpat said:
this happens to all sorts of people, none of them looked to me like they should be locked up in a padded cell, just ordenary people making a mistake like all the rest of us do every day, no ones perfect, think about it, what did you do wrong today?. by the way i do go to the stranded car and fix it on the spot. ultra-evac.co.uk
Classic spam mods - this chap should be PAYING to advertise, surely?
srebbe64 said:
itarzanuk said:
myopic morons
That's a bit rich! Let me give you something to consider. I've got four cars, three petrols and one diesel. I fill up each car at least once a week, which equates to 200 times per year. In ten years I must have filled the cars up 2000 times. 1500 times petrol and 500 times diesel. On one occasion I accidentally put petrol in the diesel car, while thinking about work, or some such. So, I get it right 99.998% of the time and 0.002% I cock it up - and I'm happy to laugh at myself, as I shell out £400 quid to people like you, who call me a myopic moron.
Well said, that man...
Eloquently put, for a myopic moron....
Must be about time for another oh shit moment, isn't it...?
theres a few companys around now that can come to you and pump your car out where you are and even put correct fuel in and get you going, i know cos wife did it other week,cost £120. but was great service by fuel drain in the north west cheshire, phone number is 07772008807 if anyone in north west needs help, car still running great,
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