The reality is that putting the wrong fuel in your motor can lead to some pretty disastrous consequences. And although adding petrol to a diesel model is worse than vice versa, either way you can damage the engine plus its components.
It’s worth understanding why the two engine types are so different. While petrol cars have an internal combustion engine in which the spark plugs ignite a combination of petrol and air to power the pistons, diesel versions have compression ignition in the engine, while the diesel also lubricates the fuel pump system’s moving parts. As a lighter, less viscous fuel, petrol can’t do that. Indeed, it can actively increase friction between a diesel engine’s parts.
The wrong fuel can ignite at the wrong time or clog up the fuel system, affecting performance, causing stalling and, ultimately, total breakdowns.
If you put petrol in a diesel car
The two fuels won’t blend together well if some diesel is still left in the tank. Equally, the fuel filter won’t be able to separate them. The petrol will actually dissolve the system’s lubricating oils, harming the components in the engine.
And petrol won’t combust properly in a diesel engine, resulting in greater damage to the piston rings and cylinders, as well as the catalytic converter, since there’ll be excessive heat which your engine won’t be able to deal with.
All of this means that if you have put petrol fuel in a diesel engine and start it up, your motor will probably either run erratically or stall completely.
If you put diesel in a petrol car
Again, there won’t be proper combustion, so your car won’t have the right power. This is made worse by the diesel clogging up the fuel system and spark plugs, while the wrong fuel in this situation can also cause excessive heat and pressure, potentially permanently harming the catalytic converter.
In either circumstance, it’s vital that you act promptly.
Call Wrong Fuel Recovery
Wrong Fuel Recovery are the experts to call if you find you have the incorrect stuff in your fuel tank. And we can be anywhere in the UK, typically within an hour (we operate 24/7 all year round) and we’ll thoroughly drain and flush out the diesel or petrol which shouldn’t be there, so that you can be on your way with minimal stress.
So if this happens to you, stay calm and don’t panic. Call us on 0800 193 1103 or 07538 889 922 and we’ll sort everything out. Just be prepared to give us your location, the make and model of your vehicle and how much of the incorrect stuff has been added and, if you have driven on it, how far you got.
What’s more, if you’re a lone female motorist or have children with you, we’ll prioritise you over others. Plus we’re fully experienced, qualified and certified in what we do.
Store our number in your phone – we’re here when you need us.