Put Petrol In My Diesel Tank

[keithashleywaite]

Hello, last night i put £25 worth of petrol in my diesel fuel tank, I have not started the car and the AA towed me back to my house as they would not drain the petrol out of the diesel tannk for me.

Can I just drain it out with a syphon pipe and replace the fuel with the correct diesel.

Or do i have to remove the tank or is there a drain plug.

Thanks

Keith

[Fujisan]

Sorry to hear that Keith :(

Let a garage do it, if for no other reason than they can properly dispose of the petrol / diesel mix that will be drained from your tank.

I'm sure if you did yourself you wouldn't tip it down the grid but disposal could become a hassle for you.

Plus the garage, will get the vast majority of the unholy mix out of your fuel system. You do not want to risk damage to engine parts such as the HP injection pump by doing half a job.

In this case a little money spent upfront could save you from a very big bill later.

Good luck

[Parts-King]

As above really, DO NOT run the vehicle, have it drained by a reputable garage that can dispose of the contaminated fuel for you. Petrol in Diesels causes allsorts of problems in a high pressure pump, on the new D4D engines, the recommended practice is to change pump, injectors, pipes and seals which is VERY expensive

Kingo

[chatman]

You did the right thing in not starting the RAV. As if you had this would have made the clean out up process a bit harder... ;)

Get a reputable garage to drain and clean the filter and lines for you....Also Anchorman may be online soon to offer some sound advice and pointers on what to do.

But don't turn the key to crank the engine over...... until all sorted....

Get that evil petrol stuff out and the better holy water diesel back in..... :D :D

[bothwell_buyer]

A great welcome to this forum Keith, altho maybe it is not the best time to say that.

I'd agree with Fujisan (well almost) but there is a question I'd like to throw in just for someone to clarify. In the old days, one heard of van and lorry drivers putting a small percentage of petrol into the diesel to stop it freezing. If as Keith has said, he didn't attempt to start the car then diesel will be in the pump and fuel lines would it not?? If the tank was disconnected (a fairly easy thing to do) although getting rid of 25 litres of petrol is a highly dangerous thing unless you have 3 10 litre cans, and drained.... would there be any necessity to flush the tank?? If so with what?? (point of information request).

I know that some of you diesel owners of 5 door cars frae aroon Warrington and derby will have the usual pearls of wisdom.

Thankfully Keith, with my minibus, it is almost foolproof as theres not much else you can get into a propane tank other than propane. On my petrol RAV, I've had it so long that I automatically go for Shell higher octane petrol.

I do have a new diesel generator, used by the charity I'm involved with and found a kind volunteer had filled 1 black can with petrol but I caught it before any damage could be done. However, I'd be interested to find out the answers to the above - after all the temperatures up here are -4C.

Good luck Keith, and its just one of these things - bet you'll never do it again anyway!!

Ian

[bothwell_buyer]

You did the right thing in not starting the RAV. As if you had this would have made the clean out up process a bit harder... ;)

Get a reputable garage to drain and clean the filter and lines for you....Also Anchorman may be online soon to offer some sound advice and pointers on what to do.

But don't turn the key to crank the engine over...... until all sorted....

Get that evil petrol stuff out and the better holy water diesel back in..... :D :D

See, Keith. What did I just say. You get pearls of wisdom here and you get doom and gloom. Keep smiling and take yer petrol back to the garage and complain thats its no diesel when ye get it canned.

Spoken by a true Scotsman!!

Taking the petrol tank out shouldn't be necessary - I'd imagine they'd steam clean it through?? If so theres a guy here wi a steam train could help......

[Techno22]

I put 9lts of petrol into my Yaris during a stop in France. It was late at night and the garage seemed to think I was worrying unnecessarily when I asked what I should do. I topped the tank up with diesel and continued to top up every 100 miles in order to dilute the petrol. When I got to my destination I searched on the net and read advice similar to that above. I talked to local French mechanics who said that I should not worry (easier said than done) but I did put in a Millers (equivalent) to clean the engine. She was fine for another 5000 miles before I traded her in. Conclude what you will but had it happend to me in the UK I would probably have the tank drained at great expense.

[bothwell_buyer]

You did the right thing in not starting the RAV. As if you had this would have made the clean out up process a bit harder... ;)

Get a reputable garage to drain and clean the filter and lines for you....Also Anchorman may be online soon to offer some sound advice and pointers on what to do.

But don't turn the key to crank the engine over...... until all sorted....

Get that evil petrol stuff out and the better holy water diesel back in..... :D :D

Yer quite richt - diesel is fur JCBs. But hoo is it they ony have wan seat and twa doors?? Ah cannae unnerstan that. Thoucht ye had tae have 5 doors....!! Noo I unnerstan why ye wash yer diesels every weekend - its tae empty the shovels o the mud...!!?? :lol:

[bothwell_buyer]

I put 9lts of petrol into my Yaris during a stop in France. It was late at night and the garage seemed to think I was worrying unnecessarily when I asked what I should do. I topped the tank up with diesel and continued to top up every 100 miles in order to dilute the petrol. When I got to my destination I searched on the net and read advice similar to that above. I talked to local French mechanics who said that I should not worry (easier said than done) but I did put in a Millers (equivalent) to clean the engine. She was fine for another 5000 miles before I traded her in. Conclude what you will but had it happend to me in the UK I would probably have the tank drained at great expense.

Thanks Techno22. It kind of goes alang the route o ma question. Do diesel RAVs still have 50 litre fuel tanks?? If so, and wi some petrol drained oot, then wur pal could achieve a 75/25 mix o diesel/petrol....?

[GT4 BOOSTER]

a litre or 2 in a full tank of derv is ok in the winter to aid starting and running.

id keep the mix and run it off over time.

[shcm]

Hello Keith,

Bad luck mate, it is easily done (I haven't managed it yet! touch wood!).

Just had a look in the Haynes manual (unfortunately it for US RAVs, but the fuel tank looks the same as an exploded diagram from the factory manual) for the 4.2 and I don't think there is a drain plug. The manual suggests siphoning out.

As already stated, you'll probably get more sense out of Anchorman if/when he appears.

I'm not going to comment on whether you should or shouldn't do it - your choice, but please take care and think about disposal.

Had a rep come to see me last week who had done the same thing. The garage that sorted him out claimed it was quite common for it to be people re-fueling @ BP garages. The garage bloke claimed the fuel hoses @ BP were a different colour, which confused people. Can't say I've noticed myself, maybe he was talking ****.

Cheers

[chatman]

Yer quite richt - diesel is fur JCBs. But hoo is it they ony have wan seat and twa doors?? Ah cannae unnerstan that. Thoucht ye had tae have 5 doors....!! Noo I unnerstan why ye wash yer diesels every weekend - its tae empty the shovels o the mud...!!?? :lol:

Hey Bothy...

In negotiation with this company to get one of their engines implanted (well two actually one in front another in the back) been road tested as such so I know it works... :D :D :D

Now tell me again Diesels are slow...............

[anchorman]

Well he's been making wooden bits for that 1935 Armstrong Siddely again but he's here now.

Now I'll tell you what to do because I've come accross several instances of this.

You are lucky because your engine still has mechanical injectors and they are tough as old boots. You have to drain as much as you can out of the tank which might neto be as easy as it sounds because there is no drain bung so it is out with the plastic pipe and you'll be spitting it out for the rest of the day.

Then add some diesel to the tank and bleed it through by pressing that plunger on top of the fuel filter until you can feel the resistance build up.

Normally you need to do no more but in this case because you might have a hich concentraion of petrol in the system you need to squeeze the clip and remove the pipe from the outward side of the filter (indicated by an arrow) to the high pressure pump and remove that pipe.

Just find a bit of pipe that will fit on and purge about a litre through. If you haven't had it running there will be none ahead of the filter so you can reconnect the pipe, pump the plunger until you feel resistance again and then start it up. It will run rough at first but that is because it is purging any remaining air through. There may be traces left in the system but don't worry, as others have said it will not cause any harm and petrol was indeed added to diesel at one time as an anti-freeze agent.

Now, having said all that there has also been some very good advice and that is that until you have checked (and now you have) never start the engine and on later vehicles with electronic injectors it can have more serious implications. It is better that you have put petrol in a diesel than for instance putting diesel in a petrol.

Oh - and welcome to the club.

[keithashleywaite]

Well he's been making wooden bits for that 1935 Armstrong Siddely again but he's here now.

Now I'll tell you what to do because I've come accross several instances of this.

You are lucky because your engine still has mechanical injectors and they are tough as old boots. You have to drain as much as you can out of the tank which might neto be as easy as it sounds because there is no drain bung so it is out with the plastic pipe and you'll be spitting it out for the rest of the day.

Then add some diesel to the tank and bleed it through by pressing that plunger on top of the fuel filter until you can feel the resistance build up.

Normally you need to do no more but in this case because you might have a hich concentraion of petrol in the system you need to squeeze the clip and remove the pipe from the outward side of the filter (indicated by an arrow) to the high pressure pump and remove that pipe.

Just find a bit of pipe that will fit on and purge about a litre through. If you haven't had it running there will be none ahead of the filter so you can reconnect the pipe, pump the plunger until you feel resistance again and then start it up. It will run rough at first but that is because it is purging any remaining air through. There may be traces left in the system but don't worry, as others have said it will not cause any harm and petrol was indeed added to diesel at one time as an anti-freeze agent.

Now, having said all that there has also been some very good advice and that is that until you have checked (and now you have) never start the engine and on later vehicles with electronic injectors it can have more serious implications. It is better that you have put petrol in a diesel than for instance putting diesel in a petrol.

Oh - and welcome to the club.

[bothwell_buyer]

Yer quite richt - diesel is fur JCBs. But hoo is it they ony have wan seat and twa doors?? Ah cannae unnerstan that. Thoucht ye had tae have 5 doors....!! Noo I unnerstan why ye wash yer diesels every weekend - its tae empty the shovels o the mud...!!?? :lol:

Hey Bothy...

In negotiation with this company to get one of their engines implanted (well two actually one in front another in the back) been road tested as such so I know it works... :D :D :D

Now tell me again Diesels are slow...............

Typical - ye've missed the point - where's the 5 doors then eh? An ah bet ma RAV would beat it on a 0-50 test. I cannae see how ye'd get that thing intae a BP garage onyway!! Nae cheatin'!!

[bothwell_buyer]

Keith

Some folk frae derbyshire ken their stuff ! And having changed my petrol tank, there is no drain plug on them.

If ye manage tae recover the petrol/diesel mix, send it to chatman fur his Christmas....jist tae warm his cockles. Noo, if I'd that mix the day, ah cuid've lit ma bonfire wi it. I jist used a straicht petrol mix and a LONG paper fuse - the stuff was soaking wet, but after a wee soaking of petrol it lit quite well - I dinna think ye can dae that wi diesel ye ken? Onyway, ah wis jist burning aff some o the stuff that came aff when ma caravan door fell off last week. :(

good luck

and well done to anchorman - comes in handy sometimes...

[anchorman]

and well done to anchorman - comes in handy sometimes...

I'll have you know I am the place that anchorwoman puts her cold feet at night. Now thats handy for her

Bad anchorwoman!

[chatman]

If ye manage tae recover the petrol/diesel mix, send it to chatman fur his Christmas....jist tae warm his cockles.

If it will burn OK in my Oil Fired heating system then send it down...Otherwise I keep burning the trees that fell down in the last storm we had.....

[bothwell_buyer]

and well done to anchorman - comes in handy sometimes...

I'll have you know I am the place that anchorwoman puts her cold feet at night. Now thats handy for her

Bad anchorwoman!

tae much information!

[bothwell_buyer]

If ye manage tae recover the petrol/diesel mix, send it to chatman fur his Christmas....jist tae warm his cockles.

If it will burn OK in my Oil Fired heating system then send it down...Otherwise I keep burning the trees that fell down in the last storm we had.....

Weel ye ken, the ony logical explanation o being able tae burn oil n wood logs in the wan fire is ye live in a wigwam. Dis the cooncil ken yer daein that?? An nae o yer showing aff - wigwams have central heating but ye couldnae caw it a heating system unless yer plannin it as a process.

[wack]

Guy at work has a 53 plate Mercedes Sprinter van, he filled it up with petrol, got about a mile from the petrol station then it cut out, called the AA who towed him to a garage, they drained the fuel lines cleaned everything and filled it up with diesel.

Started and drove OK, sounded fine, a week later he was in the outside lane of the M6 doing 80 when it went BANG, injection pump disintegrated,because he was going so fast and it stopped so suddenly it snapped the cambelt, pistons into valves conrods bent, it was a right mess, ended up costing £3,500 for a complete new engine.

SO DON'T START IT UP

[anchorman]

Guy at work has a 53 plate Mercedes Sprinter van, he filled it up with petrol, got about a mile from the petrol station then it cut out, called the AA who towed him to a garage, they drained the fuel lines cleaned everything and filled it up with diesel.

Started and drove OK, sounded fine, a week later he was in the outside lane of the M6 doing 80 when it went BANG, injection pump disintegrated,because he was going so fast and it stopped so suddenly it snapped the cambelt, pistons into valves conrods bent, it was a right mess, ended up costing £3,500 for a complete new engine.

SO DON'T START IT UP

Once you've had a pump and electronic injectors full enough to stop it you could be in trouble. Luckily this one is an older breed and he never did start it.

As a matter of interest my mate had a VW Passat with the latest euro IV engine and he filled it with petrol. He drove it until it would go any more, tried to start it for ages then a local garage drained the tank, put some diesel in, bled it through and never even changed the filter. It has run since and never missed a beat.

I'm not recommending it but all I am saying is they (with all the latest bells and whistles) don't automatically die.

[redbandit]

Well he's been making wooden bits for that 1935 Armstrong Siddely again but he's here now.

Now I'll tell you what to do because I've come accross several instances of this.

You are lucky because your engine still has mechanical injectors and they are tough as old boots. You have to drain as much as you can out of the tank which might neto be as easy as it sounds because there is no drain bung so it is out with the plastic pipe and you'll be spitting it out for the rest of the day.

Then add some diesel to the tank and bleed it through by pressing that plunger on top of the fuel filter until you can feel the resistance build up.

Normally you need to do no more but in this case because you might have a hich concentraion of petrol in the system you need to squeeze the clip and remove the pipe from the outward side of the filter (indicated by an arrow) to the high pressure pump and remove that pipe.

Just find a bit of pipe that will fit on and purge about a litre through. If you haven't had it running there will be none ahead of the filter so you can reconnect the pipe, pump the plunger until you feel resistance again and then start it up. It will run rough at first but that is because it is purging any remaining air through. There may be traces left in the system but don't worry, as others have said it will not cause any harm and petrol was indeed added to diesel at one time as an anti-freeze agent.

Now, having said all that there has also been some very good advice and that is that until you have checked (and now you have) never start the engine and on later vehicles with electronic injectors it can have more serious implications. It is better that you have put petrol in a diesel than for instance putting diesel in a petrol.

Oh - and welcome to the club.

Hi Anchorman

I have joined the club by adding 15 lts of unleaded into my 03 D4D Avensis which already had about 10 lts of diesel. The car unfortunatly was run for about 30 mls and is now becoming to kangaroo slightly. I have had the car recovered and left with my local T garage. What am I looking at damage wise pocket and car. Should I let them carry out repairs. I am still under warranty but feel that this will not cover me. Or does it?

look forward to your valued advise.

[anchorman]

Well he's been making wooden bits for that 1935 Armstrong Siddely again but he's here now.

Now I'll tell you what to do because I've come accross several instances of this.

You are lucky because your engine still has mechanical injectors and they are tough as old boots. You have to drain as much as you can out of the tank which might neto be as easy as it sounds because there is no drain bung so it is out with the plastic pipe and you'll be spitting it out for the rest of the day.

Then add some diesel to the tank and bleed it through by pressing that plunger on top of the fuel filter until you can feel the resistance build up.

Normally you need to do no more but in this case because you might have a hich concentraion of petrol in the system you need to squeeze the clip and remove the pipe from the outward side of the filter (indicated by an arrow) to the high pressure pump and remove that pipe.

Just find a bit of pipe that will fit on and purge about a litre through. If you haven't had it running there will be none ahead of the filter so you can reconnect the pipe, pump the plunger until you feel resistance again and then start it up. It will run rough at first but that is because it is purging any remaining air through. There may be traces left in the system but don't worry, as others have said it will not cause any harm and petrol was indeed added to diesel at one time as an anti-freeze agent.

Now, having said all that there has also been some very good advice and that is that until you have checked (and now you have) never start the engine and on later vehicles with electronic injectors it can have more serious implications. It is better that you have put petrol in a diesel than for instance putting diesel in a petrol.

Oh - and welcome to the club.

Hi Anchorman

I have joined the club by adding 15 lts of unleaded into my 03 D4D Avensis which already had about 10 lts of diesel. The car unfortunatly was run for about 30 mls and is now becoming to kangaroo slightly. I have had the car recovered and left with my local T garage. What am I looking at damage wise pocket and car. Should I let them carry out repairs. I am still under warranty but feel that this will not cover me. Or does it?

look forward to your valued advise.

Well hard luck bust rest assured as you can see your're not the first and I'm quite confident you won't be the last.

As long as the dealer doesn't make a meal of it then I'm quite sure you should be OK. If they drain it, put diesel in and then purge it through it will probably be alright. You can get a feel for how bad it is when it is only kangarooing with more than 50% petrol in it! Tell them not to do any more than that without your express permission and you try it. If they start chucking injectors in and so on at getting on for £200 each then it will just get silly. For 30 miles and it was still running I think you have got away with it.

I am 99.9% confident that it won't be covered under warranty as there is no fault with the vehicle - unless you have a first class relationship with your dealer and they make some sort of gesture. Other than that expect to pay for the diesel and maybe a couple of hours labour. A guess - £100 to £200.

Keep us informed for future reference please.

Regards

[bothwell_buyer]

As far as warranty goes, yer up the proverbial unless ye carry a shotgun and negotiate. Ye'll hae mair chance o getting a £100 off Directline Insurance!

I'd have thocht that you have a good chance of

1. getting ripped off by the dealer

2. by emptying some oot and replacing wi good quality diesel (nane o yer red stuff) then things could get back tae normal.

yer an obvious petrol head so like me jist keep tae petrol enguns!!!

Course, you cuid try freaking the dealer oot by saying ye'd added 20 litres o propane as weel. An a wee bit o nitrous??

Dae yersel a favour an get a RAV4 3 door and fit the 3SGTE init - init?

Good luck. Least ye have the final satisfaction o pittin a brick thru the mans windie if they rip ye aff!!!! Cost em mair than yer engun repair!