Around 300 cars are stranded daily when drivers put in the wrong fuel. And it can be expensive – from about £100 for draining the tank to £10,000 for an engine replacement. Nearly all misfuelling is putting petrol into diesel tanks whose wider necks allow smaller petrol nozzles to fit in easily. Just a small amount of petrol can damage a modern diesel engine.
The rise in misfuelling links to almost 20 per cent of cars on UK roads being diesel powered. As many households run more than one car, fuelling mistakes are often made when petrol car drivers fill up at their usual pump when driving their partner’s diesel car. Petrol retailers are standardising nozzle covers: a black one denotes diesel. Among car manufacturers, Ford will soon be introducing its Easy Fuel system that will lock out the thinner petrol nozzles from wider diesel filler pipes.
Once motorists know they have put the wrong fuel into their vehicles, the AA Trust’s advice is:
PETROL INTO DIESEL
Do not start the engine or even switch on the ignition
If you have started to drive, stop as soon as it is safe. Your car will need to have its tank drained and professional remedial action
DIESEL INTO PETROL
It is very difficult to do, but if you’ve put in less than 4 per cent of diesel (2 litres in a 50 litre tank), you can drive on – but top up with petrol first
If more than 4 per cent, have the tank drained or risk ruining the catalytic converter
Report by The AA Trust
Source: AA Trust Website - "Mis-Fuelling, Don’t Get Caught Out" - April 2006
Around 300 cars are stranded daily when drivers put in the wrong fuel. And it can be expensive – from about £100 for draining the tank to £10,000 for an engine replacement. Nearly all misfuelling is putting petrol into diesel tanks whose wider necks allow smaller petrol nozzles to fit in easily. Just a small amount of petrol can damage a modern diesel engine.