Specialist Services – Fuel Drain (Wrong Fuel in Tank)
Fuel Drain
A driver puts the wrong fuel in their car once every 3.5 minutes, or 150,000 people per year, so if it’s happened to you, you’re not alone. Most of the time, it’s a driver putting petrol in a diesel tank although it can be the other way round. The problem is, modern diesels’ are so refined, it’s often difficult to tell you’re not driving a petrol powered car.
The first thing to remember is ‘Don’t turn on the ignition or start the car.’ Check with the dealer if the car is under warranty, because it might invalidate it. Even a small amount of petrol in the diesel tank can be grounds to invalidate the warranty, should you move it. In some cases, the damage it might cause, can make it a cheaper option to purchase a new engine!
A number of components can be affected, particularly with the newer HDI (common rail) diesels. Often requiring expensive replacement, including fuel pumps, filters, injectors and even the fuel tank. Some diesel models have fuel pumps which are activated even before you turn the car over, so are pumping contaminated fuel even before the engine is started.
What To do…
Firstly, don’t panic, provided you have not driven off, or started your engine, there is every chance the problem can be rectified with a minimum of trouble. Civic Motoring Services are practised at rectifying this type of problem by draining the tank and putting enough uncontaminated diesel back into the tank so you can make your way to a local garage to fill up with the correct fuel.
Civic Motoring Services | Specialist Fuel Drain Services
In the majority of cases it is petrol that contaminates the diesel tank, occasionally diesel is put a petrol tank, although this is harder because the diesel nozzle is larger than the petrol filler cap.
Remember – Civic Motoring Services operate a ‘Menu Pricing’ system. You will know exactly how much your vehicle will cost to repair, service etc. Which means: No Hidden Charges!