Filled C320 Diesel with petrol - any advice?

[Dieselman]

probably because people have 101 other things on their minds, are stressed, distracted, in a rush and are not 'into cars' and so are less aware/unaware of the damage that can be done by using the wrong fuel than most of us on this forum!

If filling the car causes so much stress how do they get through life.. It's just lazyness.
Sorry to be blunt but everyone I know that has done this has just been uncaring and not even looked at the pump. Odd how the same people do it time and again.

I dont think I'm perfect by a long chalk but having driven many vehicles over twenty or so years I have never reached for the wrong pump, and that's filling petrols and diesels on the same day or even the same visit. I just read the pump and make sure I've got the correct nozzle, it takes about 2 seconds or a bit more if on the continent.

 

[Robbo]

I didnt mean stressed about having to fill up, I meant being stressed generally (work, family etc.). Maybe you are one of the lucky ones who doesn't get stressed but its amazing what stupid things one can do when under stress.

Regarding your second point, as I said a lot of people really dont have a clue about cars, nor are they at all interested. So it's no surprise mistakes are made IMO.

 

[recycled]

Do you ever get the feeling that we are going round in circles here????

What's next? Someone will suggest triangular nozzles......:bannana:

i agree with crockers, bring in triangular nozzles.
Oh man!!! We are going in circles

 

[recycled]

i agree with crockers, bring in triangular nozzles.
Oh man!!! We are going in circles

Why dont we have diesel only gas stations and petrol only gas staions. silly but it might work.

 

[glojo]

Why dont we have diesel only gas stations and petrol only gas staions. silly but it might work.

And what about gas only gas stations (LPG).

I can see both sides of the arguement and although Dieselman's point might not read too well, he has a very valid point. The confusing thing though is when your given a courtesy car. Telling the difference nowadays is not as straight forward as it first seems. We were recently given a Citreon Picasso petrol and without any exaggaration, it was as noisey as our diesel car! I had the wife sniff the fuel tank just to confirm it was petrol .

Putting petrol into a CDI engine can be a very, very costly lesson and no one can gaurantee there will be no LONG term damage.

Regards
John

 

[DITTRICH]

As the owner of two cars, petrol and diesel, I always trace the hose back to the fuel pump and also check the indicator on the digital screen. I haven't screwed up yet. My stepson did though with the diesel and it survived with no discernable permanent damage (thats a W124 for you though) though my stepson spent a very nervous morning at George Fraser's waiting for the diagnosis and the bill.
The petrol diesel thing is only much more of an issue now because so many regular consumer cars are diesel, pumps dispense multiple fuels, and engine technology is much more sensitive and unforgiving or errors of concentration. In Russia, pumps rarely dispense multiple fuels and the diesel one is often the 'truck' pump - very dirty and miles from anything else - plus you have to specify and pay for your fuel first in cash before the pump is activated.
Les

 

[Tripitaka]

Thought you might like an update - just had the car in question serviced by Merc Benz (Service A). No repairs or comments from them at all.

 

[fredfloggle]

I didnt mean stressed about having to fill up, I meant being stressed generally (work, family etc.). Maybe you are one of the lucky ones who doesn't get stressed but its amazing what stupid things one can do when under stress.

Regarding your second point, as I said a lot of people really dont have a clue about cars, nor are they at all interested. So it's no surprise mistakes are made IMO.

If you can't manage that simple task , do you think you should be in charge of 2 tonnes of speeding steel ?
Stupid things while stressed - what , like driving ....?

 

[fredfloggle]

Why dont we have diesel only gas stations and petrol only gas staions. silly but it might work.

Forgive my sarcasm but what stops the complete spanner who is not fit to be in charge of a wheelbarrow yet alone a powered motor vehicle going into the wrong garage ? - they are after all incapable of concentrating long enough to organise a picnic for two woodpeckers in Epping forest .

This entire subject fills me with dread , that I may have someone who doesn't know if they are blown up or stuffed following me , and may not remember which pedal is which .

 

[fredfloggle]

probably because people have 101 other things on their minds, are stressed, distracted, in a rush and are not 'into cars' and so are less aware/unaware of the damage that can be done by using the wrong fuel than most of us on this forum!

And repeating myself again - clearly also not aware the damage that the vehicle itself can do .

 

[glojo]

Thought you might like an update - just had the car in question serviced by Merc Benz (Service A). No repairs or comments from them at all.

I am always a half full type of person and I'm sure there is no long term damage, however I would like to ask any experts what the chances are of the petrol having caused any unseen\undected long term damage to any of the seals, pumps etc?

Happy motoring and hopefully this will never happen again?

If I was perfect I would criticise you, but guess what? (No I haven't put petrol in a diesel, I am simply not perfect.)

Take care
John

 

[fredfloggle]

He pays the bill John - let us hope he is more awake when you cross the road ..........

 

[big x]

It is quite common to put petrol in a diesel. It is not easy though to put diesel in a petrol as the nozzle would not fit into the tank.

That's what I always thought, the diesel nozzle is wider.In the old days this worked because diesel engines could tolerate half a tank of petrol.

adam