An innocent mistake of wrong fuelling can cost you thousands of pounds

A nice and interesting trip is much needed to enhance the self-esteem and gather the family again after a long span. But what happens if, due to a minor mistake, you stuck somewhere in an unknown place?

Putting wrong fuel in your car is a curse. Have you any idea of the intense damage it can make? It is impossible to nip this evil from the bud, but you can reduce the effects with the help of some serious steps.

Before we moving on to anything else, if you’ve put the wrong fuel in your car, don’t switch on the engine on or put the key in the ignition, particularly if you’ve filled your diesel car with petrol. Doing this will help contain the mixed fuel in the tank and stop it from flowing which could cause permanent damage.

Topping up with the wrong type of fuel is an acutely common mistake to make; in fact, around 150,000 UK motorists discover themselves in this mare’s nest each year. There are a bunch of elements that decide how much loss putting the wrong fuel can cause, from how much fuel you’ve put into whether it has circulated.

So, while you are unable to undo what’s been done, you may be able to avert more damage to your car.

What happens if you put petrol in a diesel engine?

Putting petrol in a diesel tank is much more day-to-day than diesel in petrol car mainly due to the reason that petrol nozzles fit easily into diesel tanks. Unfortunately, this is also the pricier mistake.

Putting petrol in your diesel car may get the entire fuel system frozen if not handled with intense care. If diesel engine and petrol are mixed up, this mash-up works fine as a solvent, curtailing lubrication and causing damage to the pump as the metal parts touch and rub together.

Some other parts of the fuel system are spoiled which may have no compatibility with petrol, can be lacerated. If an engine is turned on then, the petrol and diesel mixture will spread throughout the fuel system, creating other components furthermore spoiled. As a result, the whole fuel system is likely to be given pricey repairs, or even complete repair.

HDi diesel engines are supposed to get much more destruction from misfuelling. If there’s a significant damage, you could be looking at new injectors, fuel pumps, filters, pipes, fuel tank or even an entirely new replacement engine. That’s eerie, isn’t it?

Diesel acts as an emollient and helps the fuel pump run smoothly. Petrol, contrary to this, acts as a solvent when mixed with diesel, and has the thoroughgoing opposite reaction. This mashup will lower lubrication and cause friction between parts, causing damage to both the pump and the engine.

Common Symptoms of putting petrol in a diesel tank

Here are some wrong fuel symptoms that help you identify your mistake.

Starting the Engine is catch-22: Diesel engines get attacked by wrong fuelling quickly compared to petrol engines. Therefore, when you put petrol in a diesel car, you will find black smoke generated by unburnt fuel and then you will experience hampering and inactiveness.

Emancipation of off-centre Smoke: If you come to know that huge amount of abnormal smoke is being released out of your car, it might be one of the symptoms of wrong fuel. Incompatible fuel sometimes works properly in the beginning, but later, starts serious damaging to your vehicle.

Engine Cuts Out, instantaneously: Once you fill the tank of your vehicle with the wrong fuel, your car suddenly stops just after vacating the fuel station. You might think that everything was all right before when you started the engine but then find that it suddenly stops. The wrong type of fuel immediately affects your car engines. Petrol in a Diesel car affects immediately compared to diesel in a petrol car, which can take a little longer. Thus, you should take action as soon as you realize your mistakes.

In any of the case mentioned above, once you find that you have made the mistake of putting the petrol in a diesel engine, do not kick your engine and call the wrong fuel specialists at the earliest moment. With the aid of the fuel recovery expert, you can avoid your car from everlasting damage.

What to do if you’ve put the wrong fuel in your car

If you’re still at the station:

Don’t start your engine or put the key in the ignition.

Put your car into neutral and ask someone to help you push it to a safe place.

Call a recovery vehicle and have them analyse the damage.

If you’ve already started driving:

Unfortunately, at this point, the damage may have already been done; all you can do is pull over somewhere safe, remove the keys from the ignition, and call a recovery vehicle.

Preparing your home before a storm

With a little preparation, you would be able to minimize the potential for damage and save yourself some money and stress in the process. We all make mistakes, but there are ways to reduce the chances of misfuelling and save yourself a considerable amount of money, time and bother:

• More often than not, misfuelling occurs when you’re filling the tank of a new car that uses a distinctive fuel compared to your previous one. It will be pretty beneficial leaving yourself some form of reminder so that, if you find yourself picking for the wrong pump out of instinct, you have a better chance of halting yourself before it’s too late.
• Always make sure you read the pump’s label before filling up.
• Avoid distractions while filling up.

If you own a diesel car, it could be an idea to invest in a diesel fuel cap that will prevent petrol nozzles from being able to fit in the tank. The price varies between make and model, but you can generally get hold of these for less than £30 – a small price to pay compared to a hefty repair bill.