{"id":4582,"date":"2021-09-14T15:01:40","date_gmt":"2021-09-14T14:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scrapcarnetwork.org\/news\/?p=4582"},"modified":"2025-02-27T00:54:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T00:54:20","slug":"what-do-i-do-if-ive-misfuelled-my-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scrapcarnetwork.org\/news\/what-do-i-do-if-ive-misfuelled-my-car\/","title":{"rendered":"What do I do if I\u2019ve put the wrong type of fuel in my car?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mis-fuelling your car seems like a very silly and easily-avoidable mistake – right up until the moment you make it yourself. Don\u2019t worry though, you\u2019re not alone. Research suggests that as many as 150,000 drivers make this mistake every year (including police officers<\/strong>!). In some cases, it\u2019s even enough for drivers to end up realising: I have to scrap my car<\/a><\/strong>. But that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you\u2019ll be one of them. If you think you\u2019ve misfuelled your car, here\u2019s what you need to do.<\/p>\n

3 key things to do if you mis-fuel your car<\/h2>\n

The very first bit of universal advice is easier said than done – don\u2019t panic. Making rash decisions out of panic or embarrassment could end up making your issue a lot, lot worse.<\/p>\n

In short:<\/p>\n

1. Do not drive the car<\/strong><\/p>\n

Driving the car with the wrong fuel in could cause serious or even catastrophic damage. Plus, if you knowingly drive away with the wrong fuel in your car, you run the risk of your insurer deeming the action negligent, in which case you will not be insured.<\/p>\n

So, rather than trying to go anywhere, instead stay exactly where you are, and remove the keys from the ignition. If you\u2019ve already started driving, stop the car and turn off the engine as soon as it\u2019s safe to do so.<\/p>\n

2. Get yourself to a safe area<\/strong><\/p>\n

In all likelihood, you\u2019re already in a reasonably safe position if you\u2019re still at the petrol station, even if other drivers may not be all that happy about it. If it\u2019s easier and safer, put the car in neutral and get someone else to help you push it to somewhere a bit more out of the way. If you\u2019re on the side of the road on the other hand, it\u2019s usually best just to leave the car where it is until help arrives. Speaking of which\u2026<\/p>\n

3. Call for help<\/strong><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t an issue you can fix yourself, so you\u2019ll need to call someone like your breakdown cover provider, RAC Fuel Patrol, or an independent mobile mechanic to come and drain your system and flush it of any errant fuel. The cost for this will probably vary, but if you\u2019re using a mobile mechanic it\u2019s likely to be in the region of about \u00a3250.<\/p>\n

\"Cars
\nWhat happens if I\u2019ve put petrol into a diesel car?<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ll be honest with you – it\u2019s probably not good news. Petrol into a diesel car generally causes more damage than putting diesel into a petrol car. It doesn\u2019t help that petrol nozzles can easily fit into most modern diesel filter necks, so it\u2019s particularly easy to make that momentary misjudgement. However, you can avoid the worst of the damage if you\u2019ve realised before actually driving off.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve already made it as far as the road on the other hand, you can normally tell when you\u2019ve misfuelled a diesel car because you may notice any of the following:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Loud knocking while accelerating the car<\/li>\n
  • Excessive smoke billowing from the exhaust<\/li>\n
  • Sluggish acceleration<\/li>\n
  • The engine warning light illuminating<\/li>\n
  • The engine is stopping or failing to restart properly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    So, what\u2019s happening?<\/p>\n

    Essentially, your normal diesel fuel acts as a lubricant for the fuel pump, which operates on a very fine tolerance at high pressures. Petrol doesn\u2019t have those same lubricating properties. Instead, it\u2019ll basically act like a solvent, dissolving the lubricant and causing major friction, damaging your fuel pump through metal-to-metal contact. That can also create debris that causes further damage to the rest of your fuel system, endangering not just the pump, but also potentially your fuel injectors, pipes, filters, fuel tank and more. Wrecked fuel injectors alone can end up costing you thousands, and those kinds of figures are more than enough to write off your car.<\/p>\n

    Obviously the more petrol goes that goes through the car, the more damage it\u2019ll do, which is just one more reason why it\u2019s so vital that you drive the car as little as possible. Call for help, and sit tight.<\/p>\n

    What happens if I\u2019ve put diesel into a petrol car?<\/h2>\n

    It\u2019s still not great, but the good news is that it\u2019s not nearly as damaging as petrol into diesel. It\u2019s also trickier to do accidentally, because diesel pump nozzle is larger than most petrol tanks, so hopefully you\u2019d realise before you attempted to persevere. Even if you did manage to do it, the most likely case scenario is that your car simply wouldn\u2019t start.<\/p>\n

    If you manage to get it out on the roads though, signs of a mis-fuelled petrol car include:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Engine misfiring<\/li>\n
    • Excessive smoke billowing from the exhaust<\/li>\n
    • The engine cutting out<\/li>\n
    • The car not restarting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      So, what\u2019s happening?<\/p>\n

      Basically, the air-fuel mixture in your fuel tank ignites through a spark from the spark plugs. Mis-fuelling the car generally means that these spark plugs get coated in diesel, clogging up the fuel system. Without a proper spark, your car probably just won\u2019t start. In the slim eventuality that mis-fuelled petrol cars do get moving, engine misfires are very common.<\/p>\n

      It\u2019s annoying and not particularly cheap to solve, but as long as you\u2019ve kept any movement to a minimum, you generally shouldn\u2019t have to worry about any permanent damage to the engine once the errant fuel has been drained.<\/p>\n

      \"Filling<\/h2>\n

      How to avoid mis-fuelling your car<\/h2>\n

      Though it\u2019s a very simple (and therefore often easy) mistake to make, you\u2019ll be glad to hear that there are a couple of good ways to help yourself avoid making it. We\u2019ve detailed some of the best ones below.<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Don\u2019t rely on the colour of the hose or nozzle to differentiate between petrol and diesel. Instead, take the time to properly read the trigger label, and the fuel grade indicator<\/li>\n
      • Your car may well tell you the fuel you need – you can generally find a pointer on the inside of the fuel cap<\/li>\n
      • Give the pumps your full attention rather than using your mobile or chatting to your passengers<\/li>\n
      • Try and avoid getting fuel if you\u2019re rushed, or stressed, or even hungry, as each of these factors mean you\u2019re more likely to make a mistake<\/li>\n
      • If you own a diesel, it\u2019s worth considering buying a stopper to go in the filler neck, which will stop the narrower petrol nozzle from fitting into it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Of course, the unfortunate truth is that sometimes mistakes happen. But when your car finally chugs its last – whether because it\u2019s been mis-fuelled or simply reached the end of its natural lifespan – then you can trust us to take care of it for you right here at Scrap Car Network, and all at the very best prices. All you need to do is\u00a0enter your car reg and postcode\u00a0into the fields on our site, and we\u2019ll get you an instant online quote before you can say cash for cars. It only takes a few seconds. Curious to find out how much your car is worth?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Mis-fuelling your car seems like a very silly and easily-avoidable mistake – right up until the moment you make it yourself. Don\u2019t worry though, you\u2019re not alone. Research suggests that as many as 150,000 drivers make this mistake every year (including police officers!). In some cases, it\u2019s even enough for drivers to end up realising: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":4588,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n