Petrol In A Diesel Car?

[Bramleyboy]

My diesel car was about ¾ full. I went to get petrol for my lawnmower and without thinking, topped up my tank! Not knowing I drove home the 4 miles and then it hit me! Why wife will kill me!! What do I do?

[Buenchico]

https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/advice/wrong-fuel-advice

[ToraToraTora]

75% diesel 25% petrol will probably run a bit lumpy but will sort itself out, just keep filling up with diesel when you can and the petrol will get further diluted.

[DTCwordfan]

Oh Gawd.....sell the car and move out.

Diesel cars can’t be run on petrol. If you’ve put petrol into a diesel, it needs to be removed straight away. Even if the car starts and runs for a while, the petrol will cause damage. So leave it where it is. Call someone like the AA out or a service like FuelFixer - their mobile mechanics will come to you and safely remove the wrong fuel, make the needed adjustments and get you quickly back on the road. Don't drive the car. Number for Fuel Fixer is 0333 366 1243 and their service is about the same callout time as the AA.....

[DTCwordfan]

the good news is that diesel in petrol is far worse.....!

[ToraToraTora]

^^^ expensive rubbish. The proportion you have will barely notice.

[DTCwordfan]

TTT you are way off the mark.... As little as 1% gasoline contamination will lower the diesel flash point by 18 degrees C. This means the diesel fuel will prematurely ignite in the diesel engine, which can lead to engine damage. Gasoline contamination can also damage the fuel pump and mess up diesel injectors.

Most folk think that under 5% is ok as to risk....

[ToraToraTora]

[DTCwordfan]

old cars or new cars, Bramley, what are we talking about.....?

[ToraToraTora]

it's not good but no need to react like the vested interests of the motor trade want you too.

[DTCwordfan]

and what's that video about - old bangers, not new cars with sophisticated sensor/management systems.

[LadyCG]

To be fair if my husband put petrol in my diesel car, I'd murder him too. But I'd try to make it look like an accident.

[Bramleyboy]

Thank you all, especially Wordfan. Fuel Fixer came within the hour, spent 40 minutes and reassured me that all was well. Another marital disaster averted! Thank you, Bramley.

[davebro]

It would be OK as TTT said above. I did the same with a hire car in Spain. I phoned the hire Co. & they said no problem - just drive it.

Before modern diesel fuels they used to add a bit of petrol to stop it freezing in winter (when we used to have winters!).

[ToraToraTora]

yeah Dave, truckers used to do that in winter.

[theshedman]

Our mechanics did that when I drove fuel tanker in Northern Norway in the winter. Diesel froze they came out and put some of the aircraft fuel I was carrying into the fuel tank. It didn't work though as all the fuel lines had frozen so couldn't get through. They said it often did work though. As has been said it was on an old engine in the 70s.