wrong fuel

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doQQgood
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Post by doQQgood »

Hi,
I filled my 1.5 diesel car (QQ 2015, Tekna) with 3.2 L of petrol by accident. I called towed company and they told me to fill the tank with diesel and drive it. I drove it home (about 4 km). Then I start reading about it and there seems different opinion. What do you advise me to do?
Last edited by doQQgood on Tue Dec 13, 2016 1:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2015 1.5 dCi Tekna

gvmdaddy
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Post by gvmdaddy »

Get it drained immediately. Not worth running the risk.
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Hound
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Post by Hound »

I understand gvmdaddy's caution. However, the tank has a 55 litre capacity. If you've only put 3½ litres of petrol in and then added 51½ litres of diesel, that's less than 6% and I'd say you will be ok. You've already driven the car, so if any damage is going to happen, it's already happened. But as soon as you can, use a decent diesel additive such as Forte to ensure lubrication's not compromised. Top the tank with diesel again once it's half full to further dilute the mixture, and use a premium fuel like Shell Nitro+ for the next couple of fills. Drive fairly gently until you've used up the tank and you're back to normal. And if you can, get the fuel filter changed once you've flushed the petrol.

Adding a little petrol to diesel to make winter starting easier used to be a common trick for truckers!
Used to have 2015 1.6dCi 130 Xtronic N-tec+ in Gun Metallic
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Post by Deleted User 3871 »

100% agree with this very good answer
Hound wrote:I understand gvmdaddy's caution. However, the tank has a 55 litre capacity. If you've only put 3½ litres of petrol in and then added 51½ litres of diesel, that's less than 6% and I'd say you will be ok. You've already driven the car, so if any damage is going to happen, it's already happened. But as soon as you can, use a decent diesel additive such as Forte to ensure lubrication's not compromised. Top the tank with diesel again once it's half full to further dilute the mixture, and use a premium fuel like Shell Nitro+ for the next couple of fills. Drive fairly gently until you've used up the tank and you're back to normal. And if you can, get the fuel filter changed once you've flushed the petrol.

Adding a little petrol to diesel to make winter starting easier used to be a common trick for truckers!
gvmdaddy
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Post by gvmdaddy »

Hound wrote:I understand gvmdaddy's caution. However, the tank has a 55 litre capacity. If you've only put 3½ litres of petrol in and then added 51½ litres of diesel, that's less than 6% and I'd say you will be ok. You've already driven the car, so if any damage is going to happen, it's already happened. But as soon as you can, use a decent diesel additive such as Forte to ensure lubrication's not compromised. Top the tank with diesel again once it's half full to further dilute the mixture, and use a premium fuel like Shell Nitro+ for the next couple of fills. Drive fairly gently until you've used up the tank and you're back to normal. And if you can, get the fuel filter changed once you've flushed the petrol.

Adding a little petrol to diesel to make winter starting easier used to be a common trick for truckers!
I read this post this afternoon but couldnt respond as I was at work. I was going to say your maths was way off the mark but I see you've now corrected the figure, as well as adding further comment. However I would still err on the side of caution as the possible damage may not yet have occurred. This may possibly only happen when your tank gets almost empty again. Just how well does petrol and diesel mix, or does one sit on top of the other? Is it worth the risk?
Thrall
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Post by Thrall »

My condolences, doQQgood, I did exactly the same in May this year, realised my error after nearly three liters, brimmed the tank with diesel, and didn't let it go below half full for the next five months, probably about 6000 miles, many bumpy, and reckon to have escaped. The experts seem to reckon up to even 10% petrol to be survivable, but keep that tank fullish and the petrol lying on top will be absorbed slowly into the diesel over the next few months. :)
Last edited by Thrall on Wed Dec 14, 2016 11:12 am, edited 2 times in total.
2013 J10 SE 1.6 dCi 6speed manual, 4wd.
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Hound
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Post by Hound »

Well spotted -- a combination of fat fingers on phone and not having glasses led to my mistype. Once I spotted it, I added more info I thought would be useful.

doQQgood -- though I believe my advice is sound, the only guaranteed solution is to drain the tank as gvmdaddy says.
Used to have 2015 1.6dCi 130 Xtronic N-tec+ in Gun Metallic
doQQgood
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Post by doQQgood »

Thank you for the discussion :D
Hound, I am leaning towards your advise, but I am also thinking siphoning out half of the fuel by myself and put more diesel to reduce the concentration of the petrol. Does any of you know how to by-pass the anti-siphon mechanism in QQ?
2015 1.5 dCi Tekna
Thrall
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Post by Thrall »

Having found a way past the anti-syphoning gubbins, will you not also have to find a way to remove only the surface of the fuel, which is where the petrol lies? The professionals disconnect the fuel line at the filter under the bonnet, then switch on the ignition to allow the low pressure fuel pump to slowly drain all the fuel into a suitable container. When the tank is dry, they then add say ten liters of diesel and a shot of two stroke oil, and recommend a trip to the pumps to fill up completely. For a 1.6 dCi, with a full tank of nearly neat petrol, this emptying takes up to half an hour, don't ask me how I know... :(
2013 J10 SE 1.6 dCi 6speed manual, 4wd.
doQQgood
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Post by doQQgood »

Thrall wrote:Having found a way past the anti-syphoning gubbins, will you not also have to find a way to remove only the surface of the fuel, which is where the petrol lies? The professionals disconnect the fuel line at the filter under the bonnet, then switch on the ignition to allow the low pressure fuel pump to slowly drain all the fuel into a suitable container. When the tank is dry, they then add say ten liters of diesel and a shot of two stroke oil, and recommend a trip to the pumps to fill up completely. For a 1.6 dCi, with a full tank of nearly neat petrol, this emptying takes up to half an hour, don't ask me how I know... :(
I think the petrol and the diesel mix completely.
2015 1.5 dCi Tekna
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