Filling up the wrong fuel. What to do if we make a mistake with a distributor?

Although none of the drivers probably would not admit to confusing fuel during refueling, such situations do happen. Refueling with the wrong fuel is still the end of the world. If we figure out before trying to start the engine, the bill for bringing the car back to working condition will be relatively low.

It’s good to know what to do in this situation. Thanks to this, you can avoid serious failures, and thus – expensive car repairs

No ignition

When we realize that we have poured into the tank of our car not the fuel that it should be driven, it is absolutely necessary not to start the engine. If our error reaches us after driving off from the distributor, we should immediately stop the vehicle and turn off the engine. The mechanics emphasize that if after driving a short distance from the gas station suddenly the car starts to jerk and the engine turns off after a while, you must not try to start it again.

The car should then be transported to the workshop – whether in the lobby or simply calling for roadside assistance. By the way, it’s worth remembering that most insurance policies, including even third party insurance, include an assisstance package, which in case of a mistake with fuel at a gas station provides us with free towing. After leaving the car for service, the entire fuel system should be cleaned – starting from the tank and fuel pump, through the pipes, fuel filter, and ending with injectors.

that practice shows that if, after our cardinal mistake at a gas station, we know it in time, it is enough to pump the fuel from the tank and all pipes and replace the fuel filter. Then pour the appropriate fuel into the tank and possibly using the so-called starter (chemistry entering the intake manifold to aid in starting) start the engine.

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In most situations, this operation helps and avoids the high costs of subsequent repairs – for both diesel and gasoline units. It is often worthwhile to do computer engine diagnostics to remove errors in the controller that may have appeared on this occasion. The cost of a standard procedure of starting a car after refueling with the wrong fuel – assuming that nothing in the fuel system has been damaged – is around £100. Of course, depending on the car model. At the moment when it turns out, for example, that the injectors have been damaged, we can talk about amounts oscillating even around few thousand ££..

New engines, big problems

Modern diesel and gasoline fuel systems are very sensitive to changes in fuel parameters, so when we power them with something for which combustion is not created, then a big problem arises. Very precise sensors or injectors are easily damaged – although there is no rule here how long and on what fuel we can drive without damage. Particularly cars with a diesel engine, equipped with a diesel particulate filter, when trying to burn gasoline are exposed to irreversible and costly damage. In this case, a visit to the mechanic will not do without the amount of several thousand zlotys.

Admittedly, specialists admit that vehicles with older generations of diesel engines can drive with an admixture of gasoline in the tank, but this should not be treated as everyday life. Nevertheless, up to 20 percent gasoline in the tank of such a car will not create a big problem for the owner. In the past, when the temperatures were very high, petrol was added to avoid diesel thickening.

Gasoline engines less sensitive to errors at the dispenser

It is worth noting that gasoline engines are not as vulnerable to damage after pouring diesel fuel into the tank. – Indeed, the motor will go out after a short distance, but the effects do not have to be as severe as in the case of diesel engines. On the other hand, injectors will require cleaning more often, which will stick to a denser than gasoline with diesel fuel. The costs of removing the effects of such a mistake are similar to those for diesel, i.e. around £100 plus the possible cost of cleaning injectors. That, in turn, is about £10 each.

To sum up, it’s really hard to make a mistake at a gas station, because the fuel fillers and pistols at the dispensers have different diameters, depending on the type of fuel. The gasoline distribution gun has a smaller diameter than the one for filling diesel. In any case, the most common mistakes are in the direction of gasoline in a diesel engine, and not the other way around.

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Audi maniac, owner of upgrademyaudi.net and big fan of Audi cars. Maps, firmware, car audio installer
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