Wrong Fuel: What You Need To Do Should The Worst Happen
Believe it or not, tens of thousands of Brits manage to put the wrong fuel in the their vehicles each and every year. Should it happen to you, here’s what you need to know…
Petrol In A Diesel
Around 95% of instances involving the wrong fuel ending up in a car concerns people putting petrol into diesel models. This is because it’s harder to do it the other way around; diesel pumps generally have wider nozzles that won’y fit most petrol filter necks. If you spot your mistake fairly quickly, you might get away with it. Typically, experts acknowledge that a diesel can survive with up to 5% of its tank been made up of petrol. What’s really important though is that, if you exceed this, you don’t start your car’s ignition. Spotting your mistake before doing so means you’ll simply have to alert the fuel station owner and fork out around £200 for an expert to come and drain your car.
Starting your ignition after fuelling up with petrol, however, will lead to much more stress. This is because the petrol will end up in your car’s fuel lines; meaning that these will need to be drained as well as your car’s fuel tank. That takes more time and, ultimately, costs more money. You also run the risk of completely ruining key components.
A Few Tips To Consider
1) Stop Refuelling ASAP – Refuelling tends to take a bit of time, especially if your tank is near-empty. In which case, you should have time to acknowledge the mistake you’re making if you properly pay attention to what you’re doing. In which case, you may get away without causing too much damage to your diesel if you only fill the tank up by 5%. Either way, the less you put in the easier it’ll be for a breakdown company to drain your car. No matter what you do, don’t start your car’s ignition.
2) Notify The Fuel Station Attendee – You’ll want to notify the fuel station attendee as soon as possible. Don’t be embarrassed, they’ll almost certainly have encountered the situation before. In addition, they should be willing to help you move your car so that you’re not obstructing other drivers or customers.
3) Call A Breakdown Company – Call your breakdown company or a specialist misfuelling business. They should be able to reach you fairly quickly and then drain your car where it sits. Members of the Autoserve Club are entitled to up to £25 off at Fuel Fixer (see the link below).
4) Wait With The Car, Or Secure It – Your car may have the wrong fuel in the tank, but that’s no excuse to leave it on its own. Wait with it whilst you wait for a breakdown response. If you can’t, make sure to lock it; doing so won’t start the ignition.
Wrong fuel? Save £25* with Fuel Fixer – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/fuel-fixer/
Independent Petrol Stations Face Extinction Due To Coronavirus – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/independent-petrol-stations-face-extinction-due-to-coronavirus/
