AAARRHHH! I put unleaded in my diesel - please help an idiot out

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glojo said:
I would like to see the diesel pumps completely seperate from the petrol ones. Perhaps now that diesel is getting more popular we could have a complete and utterly seperate row of just diesel pumps? (with readily available disposable gloves)
Or people could just pay attention and read before they start delivering fuel. Everyone complains that we're over-nannied as it is, now we're asking for more nannying? :rolleyes:

I am a bit paranoid about putting the wrong fuel in so I read and re-read the pump a few times before delivery commences ;)
 
Shude said:
Or people could just pay attention and read before they start delivering fuel. Everyone complains that we're over-nannied as it is, now we're asking for more nannying? :rolleyes:

Totally agree, but in this modern compensation culture World that we have to live in, people now ask\sue for compensation for what is basically there own mistake.

No win, No fee is here to stay.

John
 
I am a bit paranoid about putting the wrong fuel

exactly Shude, I suggest the reason you are paranoid is because you know it is SO easy to do is just the point I make. It should surely NOT be easy to put in the totally wrong fuel under normal daily circumstances.

ie no-one is going to drive up to the water tap and put water in their fuel tank or eg put petrol in their radiator but to have 2 totally different fuel types in pumps next to each other with SIMILAR names and colourings is precisely why people make the **** up.

BP recognise that there is more to do otherwise they would not have offered to pay for my own 'stupid mistake'. I know I made the error but I do think that BP are not helping by using SIMILAR names and colourings for different fuel types on adjacent pumps. BTW I sincerely do appreciate what BP have offered.

Below is the transcript of the letter I received from them yesterday . . .

"Dear Mr Clark,

Thank you for your E-mail received in this office on 25 January 2005 concerning your recent visit to and the dispensing of Ultimate fuel in to your vehicle. Please accept my sincere apologies on behalf of BP Oil UK Ltd, for any inconvenience and disappointment that this incident may have caused you.

Whilst we feel that the Ultimate signs on our pumps are clear, as there are Ultimate signs on the pump panel and the grade of fuel is specified on the handle that you held, as a gesture of goodwill BP is prepared to cover any hard wear costs that resulted in this genuine mistake. We are prepared to cover costs for any drainage, flushing of the engine and any replacement parts plus labour and VAT.

Please forward any paid invoices relating to the above and a copy of the till receipt, which will state the Ultimate grade of fuel purchased, so that I am able to raise a cheque to cover the hard ware costs. If you are in possession of a credit/debit card receipt this will not denote the grade of fuel purchased, as such you will need to contact the service station concerned to obtain a till receipt.

Thank you for taking the time to bring the matter to our attention and for allowing us the opportunity to respond to your concerns at this time and I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Yours sincerely"

They may well feel that "the Ultimate signs on our pumps are clear" but if it was there wouldnt be so many people doing it . . .

At MB Harrogate where I left my car last night the service guy stated that they have typically 2 - 6 a WEEK to drain and flush.

The BP Customer care number again for anyone who is a stupid as me :rolleyes: is 0800 402 402
 
I did it on an older car so i drained the fuel changed the filters refilled it with the correct fuel and run it through would'nt notice the difference after 2 miles think your self lucky you did'nt fill a petrol with deisel.
 
Richie said:
I did it on an older car so i drained the fuel changed the filters refilled it with the correct fuel and run it through would'nt notice the difference after 2 miles think your self lucky you did'nt fill a petrol with deisel.

Diesel in a petrol will just cut the engine but won't cause any damage. I've had the pleasure of going to drain a petrol car one year on January 1st, -5c outside.

Tip!
Simple way to drain petrol car tanks and CDi diesel.

Disconnect the fuel pipe to the carb or injection head / rail. If the vehicle has an electric fuel pump then just switch on the ignition (EFi / CDi), if it has a mechanical pump and is petrol, just pour petrol down the inlet manifold to run the engine.
CDi engines use an electric lift pump in the tank to pump the fuel to the high pressure pump.

If the car is a diesel with a mechanical pump either the tank can be syphoned or pumped out using the fuel feed pipe, alternatively if the car has a mechanical lift pump the engine can be run from a can of fuel and the lift pump will empty the tank into another container.

PS. Petrol wont explode while ever it is in a pipe, it requires air to combust as all fuels do.
In reality petrol liquid doesen't burn, it's the vapour that does.
 
picked up my car last night at a cost of £240 for drain, flush tank and pipes, clean senders, disposal of contaminated fuel and 15litres of fresh diesel. I'll send the paid invoice to BP as requested and let you know when I've received their cheque ;)
 
forgot to post this but the cheque was received from BP in about a week :bannana:
 
Result - which will now hopefully help another member - well done you :rock:

Have a narna :bannana: n a point ;)

well you could have a point if I wasn't being told to "spread it around a bit" :crazy:
 
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jaymanek said:
We own a service station. We normally go for the dilute option if the customer has only put a bit in. You should be ok, but never done it on an ML.
If you want to be safe then drain it out...

This works ok. For vehicles with a rotary pump just add a can of diesel conditioner to help lube. Keep topping up every 1/2 a tank.

Bazzle
 
I recently, unknowingly filled my 2000 Chrysler Voyager 2.5 turbo diesel with unleaded (resulting in a mix of about 1/3 unleaded and 2/3rds diesel) and drove it about 100 kilometers. Once switched off it would not easily restart (but eventually did) a quick sniff of the petrol tank confirmed my worst nightmares.
I went right to my computer and searched the net for possible solutions and potential outcomes. I found all sorts of conflicting points of view... in some places I read it would ruin my motor and others said it will actually clean out the system. Some said keep driving and top it up regularly and some said pay thousands to the dealer to remove the gas tank and so on...
I am still not sure what is true so I thought I would give you some facts about what actually happened to me:
Once I identified the problem (as mentioned, I had already driven 100 kilometers on the 1/3rd unleaded mix) I got the car restarted and drove 6 or 8 kilometers to my local garage. He simply opened the hood, unhooked the fuel line at the fuel filter and attached a jury-rigged electric gas pump to the line and in 20 minutes drained the entire tank into three plastic jerry cans. We pushed the car across the street and filled it with a full tank of diesel and after some difficulty getting the air out of the line it finally fired up and ran fine with absolutely no detectable difference in performance.
Collapsible jerry cans are available and electric fuel pumps are very common and easily modified with two bits of tube and some electrical leads, so conceivably, one could keep the gear for this on-hand in case of an emergency and depending on how much unleaded you actually pumped in... you could be back on the road in minutes without running one drop of the dreaded blend through your motor. Many people wouldn’t even worry about adding small quantities of the blend back into the tank later on.
 
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We now advise all customers not to even start their car if unleaded has gone into a diesel.. the complex fuel pumps, injectors etc can be ruined with only a small amount of unleaded in it...

You need to push it to one side and get the tank drained...
 
I have stupidly just done the same with my (W202)C220CDI. I managed to put 14 litres of unleaded into a quarter full tank of diesel. I then topped up with diesel so there was 14 litres of unleaded and 51 litres of diesel in a 65 litre tank. I phoned my independant Mercedes specialist who said there should be no problem but advised to keep topping up the tank with diesel. This was at 8am this morning, since when I drove 75 miles, topped up with diesel, and drove 75 miles back. The car performed normally with no problems. Have topped up with diesel again and will post further report in a week's time.
 
you could also add a good dose of millers diesel power additive - it has lubricants in it - should offset the cleaning effect of the petrol somewhat.
 
I have stupidly just done the same with my (W202)C220CDI. I managed to put 14 litres of unleaded into a quarter full tank of diesel. I then topped up with diesel so there was 14 litres of unleaded and 51 litres of diesel in a 65 litre tank. I phoned my independant Mercedes specialist who said there should be no problem but advised to keep topping up the tank with diesel. This was at 8am this morning, since when I drove 75 miles, topped up with diesel, and drove 75 miles back. The car performed normally with no problems. Have topped up with diesel again and will post further report in a week's time.

Had the same thing at work on Friday, a c class 320CDi was towed in after breaking down, the owner had put in 8 quid of unleaded,realised what he'd done so drove off..along to the next garage about a mile and a half away,then putting 40 quid of diesel in it. He then got abot 200 yards along the road then it conked out. Got towed into us, and I reckoned as the petrol had gone through the system already,there wasn't much to lose by getting a new fuel filter,filling it with Forte diesel conditioner and giving it a try. After a few coughs and splutters it fired up, and sounded perfect. I told him to keep the tank full of diesel to dilute the mix as much as poss,and he's had no issues since. Total cost was about 40 quid I think.
 
I heard that Lorry drivers used to put a small amount of petrol in with their diesel during winter months to stop it from freezing,
 
I see a problem here, 2 stroke oil is usually red... could take some explaining if the man from customs and excise catches ya!
On the upside, you can get strawberry scented 2 stroke oil, makes your exhaust smell lovely!
 
Land rover 200TDI runs great on unleaded..just finding it difficult to fit under the bonnet! have given up on diesels as am getting on a bit.......really could not cope with stress of putting the wrong fuel in...diesel in petrol...no worries, other way round major stress....unless its an old landy..too old for them now too!
 
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