Sometimes this does not happen until your vehicle breaks down at the petrol station area, or it stops when you exit the pump thinking you have refuelled your car with the wrong fuel.
It can be frustrating and often an expensive experience. Drivers with multiple cars or those who drive fleet pool cars are more likely to make this mistake.
What should you do if you put the wrong fuel in vehicle? And what can you do to avoid that situation? Here are some useful tips to protect you from unnecessary expenses.
Most vehicles have an electric, low pressure pump in the fuel tank that works the moment you turn on the ignition. If you put the wrong fuel in your car, do not start the ignition. If you do, it will soon be transmitted through the fuel system, causing potential damage in few seconds.
Turning off the ignition gives you a better chance of reducing the damage. You need to drain the tank and bring it up with new fuel.
It is more common for drivers to put petrol in diesel tank than other means and unfortunately, it can also cause a lot of damage other than contaminated fuel with diesel.
The vehicle’s diesel fuel pump operates at fine friction and they are lubricated by small amount of diesel fuel. Therefore, if you run petrol through a diesel system, you will destroy the lubricant, causing the pumps to dry out and eventually damage them from metal to metal contact and very high level of friction.
If your vehicle has a regular train (CRD or HD) diesel engine, it will need extra careful repair or replacement after wrong fuelling. If the fuel pump is damaged or contaminated fuel reaches the normal supply system, you will have to pay to clean the fuel pump, injector, fuel supply, filter and tank, and you may need re-installation.
The repair process and cost depends on the type of vehicle and how long you have been trying to drive or operate your vehicle on the wrong fuel.
In the worst case, it can cost thousands of pounds, especially if most of the fuel system needs to be replaced and the engine need repair. If your vehicle is under insurance, not so sure that manufacturer or insurance company will give you the cover because usually they do not take responsibility for such type of innocent mistakes.
Diesel Drivers know they need to unlock the pump before use. The first alarm bell should be raised by removing the petrol pump without unlocking it first. This may explain why it is common to reduce a petrol vehicle with diesel, but it is still the same.
After putting diesel in petrol vehicle, you will find that the engine may fail to start or it will drop soon. In some cases, your vehicle may continue to drive rather than normal. Usually, your car shows symptoms such as noise from the engine, exhaust fumes, heavy smoke and power loss.
If a specific grade of petrol for your vehicle is specified as 95 octanes, and you accidentally fill it with 91, the tank does not need to be emptied when you can fill it with the recommended fuel.
Modern vehicle engine operating systems are often designed to suit the conditions and software adjust the engine operation to deal with the fuel. You may experience less power than usual.
To help prevent fuelling with the wrong fuel, double check what fuel it recommends for your vehicle. This is often shown on the sticker inside the fuel flap. If you do, there are roadside wrong fuel assistance companies across the UK that can come to your defence if necessary, unless you do not start your vehicle engine. They can remove the contaminated fuel from your car tank and allow you to refill it.
