Fuelling a car with petrol is a routine job and drivers normally do not make any mistakes, but incidents of wrong fuelling are also reported in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. It happens due to various reasons but negligence and less focus on tank filling job.
Car makers and fuel station dispensers design fuel tank openings and nozzles in a way to minimise the possibility of this blunder. If you are not aware of the kind of fuel in the tank, then be careful and ask the owner of the car so that only the right fuel pours into the tank. It happens when you drive someone else’s car. It is common when you are on a foreign trip and rent a vehicle.
This mistake could be lethal for the engine of the car because it uses fuel to produce energy. Fuel is pumped into the engine and the powerhouse starts working to pull the car. Wrong fuel, petrol in diesel engine car or diesel in petrol engine car does not match the required fuel type and causes damage to mechanical parts.
Fuel is pumped from tank to engine through a fuel pump, and this part becomes corrupt when pumping the wrong fuel. Petrol in diesel tank is very dangerous. This mistake does greater damage when you realize it later.
When you come to know about the mistake before or while committing the mistake, damage can be minimised. People are lucky when they notice a mismatch between the nozzle and fuel tank opening or any other such intimation and do not fill the wrong fuel.
Though both petrol and diesel come from the same source, these two have different characteristics and processes of producing energy. Petrol burns whereas diesel does not, so filling the wrong fuel results in the malfunctioning of the engine. Experts say that five per cent of the wrong fuel in a tank does not harm the engine and its performance.
If mistakenly you pour the wrong fuel in a car tank and it is not more than five per cent then you can turn the engine on and drive without worry. For better functioning of the engine, just try to avoid it happening again. The power unit is the heart of every vehicle, so damage to it cannot be afforded.
The first and foremost thing is to know the engine and its fuel so that nothing wrong can happen. If you do not know the code of fuel in some other country, then ask for it. Otherwise, you may get into a very odd situation. Petrol engine cars have a smart opening due to the smart nozzle size, so a bigger diesel dispenser nozzle does not fit in.
This could realise the mistake and you may not force the nozzle to get into the opening. In this way, wrong fuel filling does not happen. Wrong fuelling in a vehicle causes problems for the engine and its parts. On the other hand, the petrol dispenser nozzle loosely fits into the diesel engine car tank.
This is why the possibility of wrong fuel is higher than the other way round. The smell of petrol could stop you from committing the mistake. This pungent petroleum extract easily catches fire and lacks the lubrication present in diesel. When a diesel engine car gets petrol, it may catch fire or at least the engine becomes hot and stops functioning.
Petrol in diesel engine cars is more dangerous than in diesel engine cars. Engine parts experience friction due to the filling of petrol in diesel engine cars. Petrol is dry and flammable, so engine parts get damaged, and the maximum damage could be a change of power unit.
The best thing for car owners is that they may realize the mistake at the earliest. You realise your mistake before you start filling, you go scot free, and during filling, you still save your car. Instantly stop fuelling the tank with the wrong fuel and calculate the percentage of the wrong fuel. Do not turn the engine on, and take the key out of the slot without any delay.
Twisting the key in the slot means pumping the wrong fuel into the engine power producing systems. Diesel in petrol tank does not let the engine start. Take the car aside and call someone for assistance. Draining the wrong fuel out of the tank is possible and does not cost much. It will take some time, but you can instantly take the car back on the road. It is the best solution for the wrong fuel in a car tank.
On the other hand, when you try to start the engine after wrong fuelling, it may start or not but damage different parts, including the engine. The diesel in a petrol engine car does not allow it to ignite and, after repeated tries, the system gets corrupt. This situation requires a thorough inspection by an expert.
Sometimes only replacement of some parts is enough but complete engine replacement may also need in some cases. Different situations in wrong fuel demand different measures, and owners must seek expert opinion for the best solution to the problem. Drivers must focus on this pretty-looking task of filling a car tank to avoid the consequences of wrong fuelling. People should also be aware of available solutions at every stage. It is very important to deal with the situation that occurs due to filling petrol in diesel engine cars or another way round. Even after committing the mistake do not panic.
