petrol in a diesel......

[caymanred]

right.....

the missus has managed to put petrol in her diesel megane...

she filled it with about 7quids worth, realised what she had done, and was then told by the shell attendants that if she filled the rest of the tank with diesel she would be fine (about another 55quid)


will she still have to get it all pumped out to avoid any damage?


cheers

[Seeker UK]

No, fill it to the top with diesel. Drive it for 30 / 40 miles (ie use a gallon) and top up again. Repeat for about 200 miles and you should be OK.

[garrykiller]

I was always under the impression that petrol in a diesel is quite dangerous due to petrol’s flash point compared to diesel. I would drain it down if it were me.

[HellDiver]

It'll be fine. There's always petrol in diesel, you think they bother to totally drain the tankers that deliver to the stations?

[JonnyFive]

Funnily enough we had this question just yesterday, on here.

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

[caymanred]

cool thanks guys, will update! haha

[matt1269]

7 quids worth is probably around 2 litres so it'll be fine

[Gerry Attrick]

Did the same last Monday. Put 12 litres of gasoline on top of about the same volume of diesel in a Jag X-type. Wasn't sure of the inmplications so called out the AA for a tow (free) and to get it drained. 30 minutes work and a bill for over £200. Seems like a good business to be in.

[Ki3r]

Had a few people do it recently at work, one guy filled it up (50 litres), so didn't really have a choice. Another put in 7 litres, phoned to see how much it would be...thought he was going to have a heart attack when they said £200! They just filled up and hoped for the best xD.

I can't laugh...I've done it

[pingu393]

Some add petrol to veg oil to increase the cetane rating when used in a diesel engine. So a little petrol shouldn't be catastrophic.

I'd do what Seeker_UK said.

[mdw]

I did exactly the same to a VAG 1.9tdi 6 months ago which had 180k on the clock. £ 7 of petrol followed by £65 of diesel. Not as fast to fire when hot until I had used 1/3rd tank and then refilled. Ran fine ever since just as good as before.

[lost in espace]

pingu393 said:

Some add petrol to veg oil to increase the cetane rating when used in a diesel engine. So a little petrol shouldn't be catastrophic.

I'd do what Seeker_UK said.

It will lower the cetane raing, you add a cetane improver. Its added to make the fuel less viscous, 5% does wonders.

[Megaflow]

£7 is ~5 litres, £55 is ~38 litres, roughly 12% dilution, excluding what was already in the tank and lines. It will be fine, in winter diesel is thinned down to prevent waxing.

[R1 Indy]

I saved a women from doing the opposite the other day. She had the diesel pump, literally trying to force it in, getting really stressed that it wouldn't fit.

I go over to try and help, then notice the words "unleaded" in large letters, point out that it might help using the unleaded pump, then problem solved.

[David87]

R1 Indy said:

She had the diesel pump, literally trying to force it in, getting really stressed that it wouldn't fit.

Yes, I have heard some women have trouble getting the black ones to fit.

[Vipers]

David87 said:

R1 Indy said:

She had the diesel pump, literally trying to force it in, getting really stressed that it wouldn't fit.

Yes, I have heard some women have trouble getting the black ones to fit.

[Roadrunner23]

garrykiller said:

I was always under the impression that petrol in a diesel is quite dangerous due to petrol’s flash point compared to diesel. I would drain it down if it were me.

The issue with putting petrol in diesel is that it can ruin the pump through metal to metal contact as diesel acts as a lubricant and petrol acts as a solvent. Then metal can enter the fuel and do further damage to the fuel system. Common rail engines are particularly vulnerable as it can damage the low and high pressure pumps, injectors, fuel rail, line filters and the fuel tank.

7 quids worth of diesel will be fine as others have said.

[Toaster Pilot]

£7 worth of diesel is just a thimble full these days anyway isn't it?

[tomble]

It will be fine.

[Little Bob]

Put a tender in my old 320 M sport - filled up with diesel and topped up every 50 miles for a while.

Absolutely fine, did another 40K absolutely fault free miles before it went back (company car).