Oh s**t Oh S**t Oh S**T! Have I killed the E320?

[Darrell]

I did a couple of times to my 54 plate Transit when it was quite new. Luckily for me my tightness only allowed me to put in a tenner at a time. One of our carpenters filled his diesel Berlingo to the brim with petrol!!

Both vehicles ran fine after being cleaned out by our local garage.

 

[PobodY]

USA more like!

As I've never been there, it's impossible that's where I've seen it.

If it's not the UK it has to be Australia that has different sized nozzles on all the pumps to make it much harder to misfuel.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

It is the UK. However, if the vehicles fuel intake is mahoooosive then it doesn't matter if you choose petrol or diesel pump as they'll both fit in.

 

[markjay]

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=78151

 

[John]

I always wonder why MB can't adopt the same system as Ford: (I'm not sure if any other manufactuers have it too.)

https://www.ford.co.uk/shop/research/technology/comfort-and-convenience/ford-easy-fuel

This reminds me of the time I bought my fourth car back in 1996 (H reg Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v).

Took it to fill up and was not able to fit the pump in.

How come? Stumped! How on Earth did the previous owners run the car - it certainly was a petrol?

I worked it out in the end but having had three cars previously which all took leaded, including a G reg Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v previous to this one, that threw me for a good 5 minutes.

I've always wondered why they just don't do the same thing now with the pumps albeit I suspect for cost reasons.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Now going back to the ancient times of the good old 300D 24v 124. I put a tenners worth of petrol in before I spotted my mistake. Topped it up with diesel and all was good - however I did have the pre and standard fuel filter changed that day as a precaution. Car never missed a beat, the petrol can be seen as a fuel additive, for cleaning the lines on the old girls.

Think you will be lucky here. My brother just put petrol in his diesel motorhome (Fiat) He realised what he had done and didnt drive. He is on holiday in Germany - he got stretchered off by the ADAC (reciprocal agreement with the AA) taken to a depot where they drained the fuel. He put diesel back in and they are now on their way to Denmark with no issues whatsoever. His motor home is only around 3 years old so fuel system is a lot newer than mine.

Hang in the EBOF, its going to be OK.

Did the same with my S reg Iveco van. £10 worth of petrol, drove it 100 yards, realised my mistake, turned around filled it with diesel and off I went.

Probably cleaned the old girl out a bit !!

Not quite the same as a modern diesel car engine though....

 

[GeeJayW]

The main problem is the minuscule tolerances used in current very high pressure fuel injection systems. Petrol doesn't provide any lubricity, so things start seizing up pretty quickly. Current zero/ultra low sulphur diesel isn't much better, but does have lubricity additives in the add pack.

 

[E55BOF]

Reasons To Be Cheerful I

The AA man turned up, emptied the tank, and ran the lp fuel pump to clear as much engineering fuel from the system as possible. He then put ten litres of diesel with a cleaning additive in the tank, and the car fired up without difficulty.

Rattling and clattering away, of course, but it had been doing that before. If it was a petrol engine sounding like that, I'd drive it very carefully direct to the scrapper... I asked his opinion on the noise; he assured me that he had done numerous misfuel rescues on these engines, and it sounded pretty sweet!

I'll take it down for an MoT, I think, and that should show me if there's an issue with the emissions, but fingers crossed, all is well.

 

[brucemillar]

I would run a tank full through it before testing emissions. Also make sure you test when nice and hot from a 'good' drive.

Sent from my iPhone using sausage fingers.

 

[E55BOF]

It's a twenty-mile drive to the MoT station I use, so it will be indeed be hot.

 

[MancMike]

Why take it for an MOT before it's due? If it fails, you've then got no MOT and a problem on your hands.

 

[DSM10000]

Why take it for an MOT before it's due? If it fails, you've then got no MOT and a problem on your hands.

This has been covered on here before, it is untrue.


https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot

 

[E55BOF]

It certainly has. Popcorn, anybody?

For what it's worth, my view is that once a car has failed an MoT test, it no longer complies with the Construction & Use regulations, and it would be entirely illogical that it could still be driven on the road until the old MoT actually ran out.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I'd just run it around for a bit, the rules regarding MOT failures are woolly at best.

If you really need an emissions test to satisfy you I'm sure that your local garage would do one for next to nothing if you asked nicely and explained the reason so they can all have a chuckle at your misfortune.

Unless, of course, the MOT is due anyway.

 

[brucemillar]

The more tests you do the on your car the more irrational your fear of the results will become. It's true, believe me.

 

[trapperjohn]

What Bruce said. Follow your gut if its right its right.

 

[E55BOF]

Unless, of course, the MOT is due anyway.

It is soon.

The more tests you do the on your car the more irrational your fear of the results will become. It's true, believe me.

Not with me. If it was my only car I might be, but I still have the Peugeot and the XK, and three bikes. These days I'm pretty relaxed when I take a vehicle down for an MoT test; if it passes (and they nearly always do), good; if it fails, I fix it.

 

[brucemillar]

I fitted a temp gauge to my Pajero so that I can continually worry about the engine coolant temps. I then fitted an Oil Pressure Gauge so that I can work myself into a lather as I watch the needle creep up and down the mathematically calibrated and tested gauge face.

In the summer with windows down, I hear noises bouncing back of the high walled lanes where I live. I know these noises are telling that my truck is about to explode in a fireball of biblical proportions.

On re-bushing the front suspension I now notice that when I coast down a lane with the engine off and no other noises to distract me !! It sounds like a skeleton cracking one off in a dustbin.

It's all good.

 

[Conquistador]

Yes, I've mentions Fords Heated screen many times here. However, a few member say they're also on Volvo's also. (Ford own Volvo?)

However, I think heated screen is now available on the new E Class?

On this slight tangent, Ford obviously no longer have anything to do with Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin etc., but all of these brands use Ford's Quickclear windscreens. Ford allowed brands to use the technology with their reason being that somebody buying an Aston Martin or Range Rover probably isn't in the market to buy a Focus or Fiesta. Nowadays many brands have their own version of Quickclear. Audi, for example, sandwich a conductive metal film between the two windscreen panes which heats and melts ice very effectively. Fiat have something similar.

 

[E55BOF]

On re-bushing the front suspension I now notice that when I coast down a lane with the engine off and no other noises to distract me !! It sounds like a skeleton cracking one off in a dustbin.

It's all good.

Can't say I've ever heard a skeleton cracking one off in a dustbin, but I' ll take your word for it that's what it sounds like...