Petrol in a CDI

[aka$h]

We took a family trip to germany for the weekend, it was a 5 car convoy. All was going well with the exception of one slow driver, that was until we stopped to re-fuel. My dad put petrol into the E270 cdi, luckily I saw him put the pump back and saw that it was petrol. Knowing the problems this could cause we did not start the car and pushed it to a parking spot at the services which saved us thousands of pounds. I called mobilio life hoping they would come out and remove the fuel so I could continue my journey. The other cars carried on, I just planned to put a brick under my right foot and catch them up. However, EU laws prohibit removing fuel at the roadside, so the car had to be towed to a MB garage. With it being saturday they wouldnt look at the car .

So we were forced to leave the car there and decided to take a train to meet the rest of the family in Koln. Mobilio were very helpful, and called me several times to check everything was ok.

Sunday on the return leg, I dropped my Mum and Dad back to belgium (where the car was left), the plan was to stay the night there and the car would be ready Monday. Again MB were very good at keeping me informed, the first call came at 7am, as soon as the dealership opened.

The dealership saw no reason why the car would not be ready by the afternoon. I called my dealer in London to see what MB would need to do to get the car going, I was told they would take the rear seat out and remove the fuel sensors, then drain the tank and flush it, replace the fuel filter, refit and hope for the best. Cost was 4-5hours labour at £120ph, plus filter and a tank of diesel.

Around 4pm I had a call from belgium stating they were very sorry but the car would not be ready today. Quite disappointed I thought Id try Mobilio and see if they could pull any strings, which paid off. Call back was within half an hour, and they said the car would be ready within the next hour or two. I sent the parents to the garage, so they could leave asap.

The dealership offered the usual tea, coffee, etc and even stayed an hour past closing time to get the job done. The best bit was the bill, just 301 Euros, for the labour, full tank of diesel, fuel treatment and fuel filter, of which the labour was only 149 euros.

All in all, Very happy with the support of Mobilio Life and the dealership, a letter will be in the post tomorrow just to say Thank you. Its been a very long time since the brand has impressed me, but I must admit things could not have gone smoother.

Bottom line, dont lose your Mobilio Cover.

There is a slight issue with what is covered and what isnt. I have a booked in the car that states 'mishap are covered for the first 4years' one of whcih is incorrect re-fueling. Apparently I was given the wrong booklet and this was stopped in 2002. The belgian dealer said it stopped in april 2004 so my car should have been covered. It was a mistake on our part for putting petrol in, but I will certainly be looking into the matter.

 

[bitonw]

And that while Diesel is even cheaper then Petrol outside the UK... Did my self this once so I know what happened. But removed the Petrol my self. Any way good luck that you didn't start driving your car.

 

[Dieselman]

Akash. Good job you were there and spotted this. At least your trip wasn't ruined by breaking down properly and then a bill for thousands.

 

[splitpin]

I have been reliably informed that petrol, run in CDI engines will manifest itself
eventually in substantial damage (As Dieselman indicates above) & to ensure that a previously infected car is never considered for purchase.

I intend to purchase an 04/54 270 cdi soon, what are the checks necessary
to ensure that the engine has not run with petrol in it?

How would you establish that the car was "clean" ??

Splitpin

 

[PJH]

Why can't Diesel filler nozzles be a different shape, SQUARE ?, so that mis-fuelling can't happen?

 

[Will]

Guy at work did this the other day in a 406 HDI. Put £50 of unleaded into a totally empty tank of diesel (fuel light had been on for 2 days..). Car started and drove off forecourt, conked out 0.1 miles along the A4 and died.

I was expecting there to be a lot of damage but Peugeot charged £375 and it's running ok atm - goes back next month so no idea on long term damage. It definately sounds different though, takes longer to start and sounds slightly hesitant at first!

Will

 

[Dieselman]

Why can't Diesel filler nozzles be a different shape, SQUARE ?, so that mis-fuelling can't happen?

I've driven dozens and dozens of different cars over the years and have never been tempted to put the wrong fuel in.

How do people do this, can't they read??

Something I've noticed is that it's always the same drivers do it time after time, especially when the car is on a company fleet.
I've known one driver do it twice and another three times.

 

[Dieselman]

I have been reliably informed that petrol, run in CDI engines will manifest itself
eventually in substantial damage (As Dieselman indicates above) & to ensure that a previously infected car is never considered for purchase.

I intend to purchase an 04/54 270 cdi soon, what are the checks necessary
to ensure that the engine has not run with petrol in it?

How would you establish that the car was "clean" ??

Splitpin

One check would be to remove and empty out the fuel filter as this is where the filings will collect.
Another place will be the bottom of the fuel tank.

 

[Will]

I've known one driver do it twice and another three times.

Yep same guy has happened twice unfortunately but the other time was in an older non HDI 406.

Will

 

[splitpin]

One check would be to remove and empty out the fuel filter as this is where the filings will collect.
Another place will be the bottom of the fuel tank.

Thank you, that certainly will be very effective if I buy from my local franchised dealer,who is trustworthy & honest. However if I purchase elsewhere,as is probable(because my shopping list is specific) I doubt the seller would be prepared to do that.

Past servicing paperwork is an indication I suppose but the more I think about it, the more tricky it becomes & I am intent on reducing the risk factor

Splitpin

 

[Dieselman]

Hmm. If a prospective purhaser wanted to remove my fuel filter I would have no qualms as long as they paid for the filter.
In fact it would be quite interesting to cut the can open once removed.

Any car dealer should agree to this given the nature of the enquiry, however it will be on the understanding thet you buy the car if all is Ok.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

The scare stories surrounding petrol in a diesel are mostly that - scare stories. Obviously its not going to do any good, but I think the harm can be massively overstated.

If you're buying a second hand car from a dealer, well personally mate I wouldn't even give it any thought. As long as it runs well enough, thats whats important. For all you know the previous owner may have been driving up kerbs at 10mph every day and never changed the oil once.

 

[Dieselman]

I'd generally agree here but petrol into a mercedes CDi is usually terminal although I'd be surprised at damage after the event.

 

[jaymanek]

I've driven dozens and dozens of different cars over the years and have never been tempted to put the wrong fuel in.

How do people do this, can't they read??

People who do this are usually ppl who have more than one car... We have a petrol station and its almost a daily occurence that someone puts the wrong fuel in...

I did it once in my mums CDI, i blamed the colour, it was light green, the same colour as the unleaded pump

And yes, the nozzle on the diesel is larger than unleaded so you cannot put diesel in an unleaded car... But changing to square would mean modifying every car on the road and every future car for use on the UK market....
I think manufacturers will just let us put the wrong fuel in for a bit longer!

 

[dava]

I cant understand why manufactures and petrol companies dont make round knozzles for petrol and some other shape for diesels it cant be hard to work out a system.

 

[jaymanek]

not hard to work out but billions $ worth of investment from the car manufacturers to the small companies that manufacture nozzles...

 

[fredfloggle]

I have been reliably informed that petrol, run in CDI engines will manifest itself
eventually in substantial damage (As Dieselman indicates above) & to ensure that a previously infected car is never considered for purchase.

I intend to purchase an 04/54 270 cdi soon, what are the checks necessary
to ensure that the engine has not run with petrol in it?

How would you establish that the car was "clean" ??

Splitpin

Marzipan can have catastrophic effects if used instead of HMP grease - I don't know of anybody who sniffs wheel bearings for that "xmas cake" odour to check though .

I would certainly not allow someone to start messing about with fuel filters - that is just asking for trouble - why not drop the sump and check the main bearings as well ?

Make sure you don't put petrol in yourself , and make sure you have a warranty . Apart from that, common sense suggests that asking the last owner if he put the wrong fuel in won't give a reliable answer , and so long as you don't have to push the car out of the dealers after you have bought it - you will have to just chance it .

I suppose the other response is that if your requirements are so specific - be prepared to pay absolutely top money for the privilege of taking the car to bits - or buy a new one from a dealer .

 

[glojo]

The scare stories surrounding petrol in a diesel are mostly that - scare stories. Obviously its not going to do any good, but I think the harm can be massively overstated.
.

I cringed when I read your statement. We are on a Mercedes forum where there is a proportion of members that have modern CDI powered vehicles. For this type of engine I totally, totally 100% disagree with you.

This thread highlights the benefits of having this 'RUST' warranty. I have got fed up with pointing out there is no such thing as a 'rust' warranty and it covers what it covers. No cherry picking, no crying about it being unfair.

We all make choices, we can all decide whether to have our vehicles serviced at a specialist or a main dealer. You pays your money and takes your choice, but mobilio has once again come up trumps.

Nice htread with a nice ending.

For years we had two vehicles, one petrol, one diesel. Never has my wife put the wrong fuel in the wrong vehicle (I do it ) just joking. I go along with Dieselman, it is usually the same folks that make these mistakes. I have known people that when told to 'Top up the oil' have quite literally taken off the oil filler cap and kept putting oil in, until it over flowed the filler cap opening. Who said I bet it was a woman?

Regards,
John

 

[fredfloggle]

The damage that could occur is too variable to risk it - I personally think that a full fill in an empty tank would be less damaging than a long exposure to say a 50/50 mix - but I am sure someone else will have a differing opinion .
I personally have never fallen from grace with the filler nozzle - and I do wonder sometimes how it happens - OK years ago , cars weren't covered in 4' high stickers stating the fuel type , but now , they are .
For anybody to make this mistake twice , suggests a level of concentration that should proclude driving anything larger than a lawnmower .

 

[DieselE]

The scare stories surrounding petrol in a diesel are mostly that - scare stories. Obviously its not going to do any good, but I think the harm can be massively overstated.

Backing up what Dieselman said. A very good friend of mine filled his E320CDI with petrol. The exhaust started making a popping noise within a few miles at which point he shut the engine down and called Mobilo.

He got away with a complete fuel system flush and a bill for over £300. In one month the same dealership had handled twelve cases of wrongly fuelled CDIs. Worst damage was engine write off (£4000) through new fuel system (£2000) down to the flush that my friend got away with.

For some diesels, the consequences of incorrect fuelling are not too great but for CDIs (and maybe other types of Common Rail Diesels) they can be expensive.