Wrong fuel question

[pcn1]

After 6 years of driving my diesel Grand Cherokee, I finally did the wrong thing and stuck petrol in it the other day !
Realised straight away, drove it 30 metre's out of everyones way and just parked it up at the station. Had a company pump it out and filled it with fresh diesel and ran fine, and still is 25 miles later.

They kind of read you the riot act about what might or might not happen after doing this. One thing he mentioned was to replace the fuel filter (about £30 for this Jeep). Im happy to do that if required, but just thought the fresh diesel would wash through any slight petrol contamination and is it really necessary or just a hypothetical box ticking exercise.

Thoughts ?

[Bennachie]

Driving that 30 metres was not a good idea if petrol was lifted into the diesel delivery system

[GreenV8S]

Did that company flush through the fuel system, or just drain and refill the tank?

[pcn1]

GreenV8S said:

Did that company flush through the fuel system, or just drain and refill the tank?

Just pumped it out, then we put in fresh fuel.
It started striaght away, we had a very small amount of white smoke for say 5 seconds then all clear after that.

Edited by pcn1 on Thursday 21st September 11:33

[TooMany2cvs]

Problem is that the tolerances in the high-pressure common rail pump and injectors are massively tight to allow the very, very high fuel pressures. The oiliness of the diesel provides the lubrication. Put some nice solvent through there to strip off the oiliness... like petrol... And the fuel not injected? That's returned to the tank...

That's why virtually every manufacturer requires COMPLETE fuel system replacement to retain warranty after a petrol-into-diesel misfuel.

You will probably be OK. But it wouldn't surprise me at all if the life of the pump/injectors was reduced.

Once you've started and driven it after it's been drained, there's probably not much point in replacing the filter - it's there to catch lumps, not a thinner liquid than the diesel, and it's all thoroughly mixed by now anyway.

[Megaflow]

30 meters will hardly have makes a dent in the amount of diesel that was already in the fuel lines, filter, etc. Draining the petrol and replacing it with diesel probably left you with nothing more than winter diesel mix in %age of petrol to diesel.

[227bhp]

Megaflow said:

30 meters will hardly have makes a dent in the amount of diesel that was already in the fuel lines, filter, etc.

Mmm, no. There would have been none at all in the lines, when you put the wrong fuel in you push it off the forecourt and drain the tank then everything will be ok.

[pcn1]

Ive read about the state of the fuel in the forcourt tanks not allways being pure.
Cross fuel contamination, water and debris in the tanks etc. Can you ever be sure the fuel you put in is 100% correct ?

[paintman]

pcn1 said:

After 6 years of driving my diesel Grand Cherokee, I finally did the wrong thing and stuck petrol in it the other day !
Realised straight away, drove it 30 metre's out of everyones way and just parked it up at the station. Had a company pump it out and filled it with fresh diesel and ran fine, and still is 25 miles later.

They kind of read you the riot act about what might or might not happen after doing this. One thing he mentioned was to replace the fuel filter (about £30 for this Jeep). Im happy to do that if required, but just thought the fresh diesel would wash through any slight petrol contamination and is it really necessary or just a hypothetical box ticking exercise.

Thoughts ?

Just carry on driving & deal with any issues if/when they arise.
I might know someone who filled a Mercedes Sprinter with petrol & only realised when it started to cough & splutter. Drained, fuel filter changed & started. IIRC that was probably 50k miles ago & so far the sun still comes up & the sky hasn't fallen down.

[Penelope Stopit]

paintman said:

pcn1 said:

After 6 years of driving my diesel Grand Cherokee, I finally did the wrong thing and stuck petrol in it the other day !
Realised straight away, drove it 30 metre's out of everyones way and just parked it up at the station. Had a company pump it out and filled it with fresh diesel and ran fine, and still is 25 miles later.

They kind of read you the riot act about what might or might not happen after doing this. One thing he mentioned was to replace the fuel filter (about £30 for this Jeep). Im happy to do that if required, but just thought the fresh diesel would wash through any slight petrol contamination and is it really necessary or just a hypothetical box ticking exercise.

Thoughts ?

Just carry on driving & deal with any issues if/when they arise.
I might know someone who filled a Mercedes Sprinter with petrol & only realised when it started to cough & splutter. Drained, fuel filter changed & started. IIRC that was probably 50k miles ago & so far the sun still comes up & the sky hasn't fallen down.

I am of the same opinion as paintman
I might know someone who on an empty tank asked for diesel and got a couple of gallons of petrol before realising the filling stations mistake, that someone told the filling station to fill the rest of the tank with diesel and drove off with a mix, someone tells me the engine is still running as sweet as a nut 60,000 miles later

[Ken Figenus]

My missus did this to a 2005 530d. Phoned me in a panic - ascertained she's only put 2 quid in. Told her to fill it with Diesel and come home. It did another 120,000 miles. Sold strong at 220,000 :-)

[stevieturbo]

It'll be fine.

[Megaflow]

227bhp said:

Megaflow said:

30 meters will hardly have makes a dent in the amount of diesel that was already in the fuel lines, filter, etc.

Mmm, no. There would have been none at all in the lines, when you put the wrong fuel in you push it off the forecourt and drain the tank then everything will be ok.

There will be fuel in the lines. The low pressure system doesn't drain back to the tank the moment you turn the key off.

[227bhp]

Megaflow said:

227bhp said:

Megaflow said:

30 meters will hardly have makes a dent in the amount of diesel that was already in the fuel lines, filter, etc.

Mmm, no. There would have been none at all in the lines, when you put the wrong fuel in you push it off the forecourt and drain the tank then everything will be ok.

There will be fuel in the lines. The low pressure system doesn't drain back to the tank the moment you turn the key off.

I'm really not sure how petrol can replace diesel in the lines and filter when the ignition, hence the pump hasn't been switched on?

[pcn1]

paintman said:

Just carry on driving & deal with any issues if/when they arise.
I might know someone who filled a Mercedes Sprinter with petrol & only realised when it started to cough & splutter. Drained, fuel filter changed & started. IIRC that was probably 50k miles ago & so far the sun still comes up & the sky hasn't fallen down.

This is my take on the situation now. Ive had my moneys worth out of this jeep over the years of trouble free motoring (with me doing most of the maintenance).
Its not worth much now so even if it went bang tommorow I cant complain !

Cheers

[Megaflow]

227bhp said:

Megaflow said:

227bhp said:

Megaflow said:

30 meters will hardly have makes a dent in the amount of diesel that was already in the fuel lines, filter, etc.

Mmm, no. There would have been none at all in the lines, when you put the wrong fuel in you push it off the forecourt and drain the tank then everything will be ok.

There will be fuel in the lines. The low pressure system doesn't drain back to the tank the moment you turn the key off.

I'm really not sure how petrol can replace diesel in the lines and filter when the ignition, hence the pump hasn't been switched on?

You obviously didn't read the OP. He turned the ignition on and drove 30 meters across the forecourt out of people's way.

The engine will still have been running on the diesel in the lines and filter for that distance. Therefore no petrol will have made it to the engine. It might have sucked some petrol into the back of the lines, but this will have been mixed with the diesel when he refilled it, and probably diluted it to something like a standard winter diesel mix.

[227bhp]

Megaflow said:

227bhp said:

Megaflow said:

227bhp said:

Megaflow said:

30 meters will hardly have makes a dent in the amount of diesel that was already in the fuel lines, filter, etc.

Mmm, no. There would have been none at all in the lines, when you put the wrong fuel in you push it off the forecourt and drain the tank then everything will be ok.

There will be fuel in the lines. The low pressure system doesn't drain back to the tank the moment you turn the key off.

I'm really not sure how petrol can replace diesel in the lines and filter when the ignition, hence the pump hasn't been switched on?

You obviously didn't read the OP. He turned the ignition on and drove 30 meters across the forecourt out of people's way.

The engine will still have been running on the diesel in the lines and filter for that distance. Therefore no petrol will have made it to the engine. It might have sucked some petrol into the back of the lines, but this will have been mixed with the diesel when he refilled it, and probably diluted it to something like a standard winter diesel mix.

I read it quite well. If the engine had not been switched on there would have been no petrol in the lines, injectors or engine.
Once the engine is started and the car moved 30 metres all the lines will have the petrol/diesel mix in them, also the injectors and filter.

[Sardonicus]

pcn1 said:

paintman said:

Just carry on driving & deal with any issues if/when they arise.
I might know someone who filled a Mercedes Sprinter with petrol & only realised when it started to cough & splutter. Drained, fuel filter changed & started. IIRC that was probably 50k miles ago & so far the sun still comes up & the sky hasn't fallen down.

This is my take on the situation now. Ive had my moneys worth out of this jeep over the years of trouble free motoring (with me doing most of the maintenance).
Its not worth much now so even if it went bang tommorow I cant complain !

Cheers

In my experience of what you did you wont have any aggro TBH however petrol being like a solvent I would worry about any jelly or gunge being broken-down including run of the mill debris/dirt already stored in the filter go through the filter element I would just put a new filter on for piece of mind knowing that I got away without any costly repairs, I have this habit of not looking a gift horse in the mouth

Edited by Sardonicus on Friday 22 September 15:18

[Megaflow]

227bhp said:

I read it quite well. If the engine had not been switched on there would have been no petrol in the lines, injectors or engine.
Once the engine is started and the car moved 30 metres all the lines will have the petrol/diesel mix in them, also the injectors and filter.

So where in this does it say the engine hasn't been switched on? Because it quite clearly states the car was drive, I highlighted that part, which would indicate it has been turned on.

pcn1 said:

After 6 years of driving my diesel Grand Cherokee, I finally did the wrong thing and stuck petrol in it the other day !
Realised straight away, drove it 30 metre's out of everyones way and just parked it up at the station. Had a company pump it out and filled it with fresh diesel and ran fine, and still is 25 miles later.

They kind of read you the riot act about what might or might not happen after doing this. One thing he mentioned was to replace the fuel filter (about £30 for this Jeep). Im happy to do that if required, but just thought the fresh diesel would wash through any slight petrol contamination and is it really necessary or just a hypothetical box ticking exercise.

Thoughts ?

[227bhp]

Megaflow said:

227bhp said:

I read it quite well. If the engine had not been switched on there would have been no petrol in the lines, injectors or engine.
Once the engine is started and the car moved 30 metres all the lines will have the petrol/diesel mix in them, also the injectors and filter.

So where in this does it say the engine hasn't been switched on? Because it quite clearly states the car was drive, I highlighted that part, which would indicate it has been turned on.

pcn1 said:

After 6 years of driving my diesel Grand Cherokee, I finally did the wrong thing and stuck petrol in it the other day !
Realised straight away, drove it 30 metre's out of everyones way and just parked it up at the station. Had a company pump it out and filled it with fresh diesel and ran fine, and still is 25 miles later.

They kind of read you the riot act about what might or might not happen after doing this. One thing he mentioned was to replace the fuel filter (about £30 for this Jeep). Im happy to do that if required, but just thought the fresh diesel would wash through any slight petrol contamination and is it really necessary or just a hypothetical box ticking exercise.

Thoughts ?

I think we have some kind of language problem here.