FabSwingers.com forum: Petrol in diesel?

By *unPete OP Man
over a year ago

Near Bristol

My daughter put about 6 litres of unleaded petrol in her 2006 Focus 1.8 tcdi diesel car. She woke me up about 6 am close to tears after doing this on her way home from a long shift.

There was about 14 litres already in the tank. I topped it up (another 35 litres) and put in some Fedex. So it's about 10% diesel now.

Her bf thinks it'll conked out and cost £1000s to fix fuel system and she should have called out aa/rac to flush system £180 (cars worth about £400).

I think it'll survive if she keeps topping up when 3/4 full for next 1000 miles.

What's your experience? ... trust you lot more that mis-information on internet ... well most of you

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Have you tried to piss in it to diluated the mix together ?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If the car's only worth £400 i'd risk it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

No worries at all.

The other way around is a problem, but petrol in a diesel isn't.

Just keep topping up for a wee while.

In the good old days, people used to mix petrol with diesel to stop it gelling in winter.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Syphon out as much as you can (if you can) and fill up again after running it down to a drop.

That’s what we did many a time in a garage. More Often than not, it worked

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It will be fine. I put 15 litres into my empty van last week, put another 35 litres of diesel on top of it and it runs fine.

I think you can put a 50/50 mixture of petrol and diesel into a diesel car and it will run fine.

Putting diesel into a petrol car is much much worse

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Diesels are tougher.

My dad reckons they are nearly the same thing anyway now days. He was a bus mechanic for years.

He told me to basically do what you're doing if I have a brain blip and put the petrol in a diesel.

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By *atindollTV/TS
over a year ago

edinburgh

I put petrol into a tx taxi once only a few litres..on a half full tank...topped up with diesel...no problems as far as I know

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By *orthyorkypairCouple
over a year ago

North Yorkshire

[Removed by poster at 06/06/18 16:09:53]

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Diesel engines used to run on virtually anything and you've diluted the petrol well. I'd risk it. Good job she hadn't filled it to the brim.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

im not guaranteeing it but i did this in my diesel transit

did as you did and its been fine

i actually went for a long motorway drive to use all the fuel up

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"My daughter put about 6 litres of unleaded petrol in her 2006 Focus 1.8 tcdi diesel car. She woke me up about 6 am close to tears after doing this on her way home from a long shift.

There was about 14 litres already in the tank. I topped it up (another 35 litres) and put in some Fedex. So it's about 10% diesel now.

Her bf thinks it'll conked out and cost £1000s to fix fuel system and she should have called out aa/rac to flush system £180 (cars worth about £400).

I think it'll survive if she keeps topping up when 3/4 full for next 1000 miles.

What's your experience? ... trust you lot more that mis-information on internet ... well most of you

keep topping it up with diesel daily

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My dad did this, the other way around years ago. Probably best thing would be to Syphon off what you can and then fill up with the correct fuel. The mix can be used if it is to the right minimum ratio, but I wouldn't know too much about that

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It will be fine, don't worry about it

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By *ineMan
over a year ago

In cave behind a waterfall on a hill

If it's only about 6 litres it should be ok. Keep filling it up to dilute it.

It may misfire a bit and smell like a paraffin engine...but you should be lucky...

I was.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm a mechanic..it will be ok.You have diluted it down..it may misfire a few times..but will not do the engine any harm..just keep topping it up with fresh diesel to keep diluting the petrol..once you think it is running fine then its OK

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"If it's only about 6 litres it should be ok. Keep filling it up to dilute it.

It may misfire a bit and smell like a paraffin engine...but you should be lucky...

I was.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Petrol will float on top of diesel. Yes it can cause damage to the fuel system when mixed but it's usually ok with a mix of up to 1 in 4. Keep topping it up but should be fine.

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By *orthyorkypairCouple
over a year ago

North Yorkshire

common rail diesel engines can be wrecked by starting after miss fueling (most newer diesels are CRD), to be safe they should always be drained

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It will be fine did it with mine few months ago 2011 vw still runs like new now just keep topping it up and tell her not to worry

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"common rail diesel engines can be wrecked by starting after miss fueling (most newer diesels are CRD), to be safe they should always be drained"

It's a 12 your old ford ..it will be fine especially as it was not a full tank of petrol

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's not the engine that'll have damage but rather the fuel pump. The diesel fuel pumps are lubricated by the oil in the diesel. With this amount in it there won't be any issues especially as others gave suggested if you keep filling up and hense diluting it down even more. My daughter did the sane thing with her 2004 fiesta tdi which is basically the same engine and pump.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My dad also ran his diesel on vegetable oil when it was cheap.

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By *xtrafun4youMan
over a year ago

Dunstable

It will be ok. Keep a eye on the temperature as diesel if the lubricant for the pistons. If it goes hi stop. But it won’t It’s been diluted such small amount it won’t effect it.

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By *ame-room-no-swapCouple
over a year ago

Taunton

"My daughter put about 6 litres of unleaded petrol in her 2006 Focus 1.8 tcdi diesel car. She woke me up about 6 am close to tears after doing this on her way home from a long shift.

There was about 14 litres already in the tank. I topped it up (another 35 litres) and put in some Fedex. So it's about 10% diesel now.

Her bf thinks it'll conked out and cost £1000s to fix fuel system and she should have called out aa/rac to flush system £180 (cars worth about £400).

I think it'll survive if she keeps topping up when 3/4 full for next 1000 miles.

What's your experience? ... trust you lot more that mis-information on internet ... well most of you

Did similar a few years ago ( 8 litres before I realised ). Filled it to the brim with diesel, then refilled when 3/4 a couple of times , and it was absoluteley fine.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"My daughter put about 6 litres of unleaded petrol in her 2006 Focus 1.8 tcdi diesel car. She woke me up about 6 am close to tears after doing this on her way home from a long shift.

There was about 14 litres already in the tank. I topped it up (another 35 litres) and put in some Fedex. So it's about 10% diesel now.

Her bf thinks it'll conked out and cost £1000s to fix fuel system and she should have called out aa/rac to flush system £180 (cars worth about £400).

I think it'll survive if she keeps topping up when 3/4 full for next 1000 miles.

What's your experience? ... trust you lot more that mis-information on internet ... well most of you

Did similar a few years ago ( 8 litres before I realised ). Filled it to the brim with diesel, then refilled when 3/4 a couple of times , and it was absoluteley fine."

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"It will be fine. I put 15 litres into my empty van last week, put another 35 litres of diesel on top of it and it runs fine.

I think you can put a 50/50 mixture of petrol and diesel into a diesel car and it will run fine.

Putting diesel into a petrol car is much much worse"
.

It isn't, petrol cars will run but very very badly on diesel.

Diesel cars will run on petrol ok but the diesel fuel pump is what gets fucked up by putting too much petrol in it.

In this case at that ratio it should be fine

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"My daughter put about 6 litres of unleaded petrol in her 2006 Focus 1.8 tcdi diesel car. She woke me up about 6 am close to tears after doing this on her way home from a long shift.

There was about 14 litres already in the tank. I topped it up (another 35 litres) and put in some Fedex. So it's about 10% diesel now.

Her bf thinks it'll conked out and cost £1000s to fix fuel system and she should have called out aa/rac to flush system £180 (cars worth about £400).

I think it'll survive if she keeps topping up when 3/4 full for next 1000 miles.

What's your experience? ... trust you lot more that mis-information on internet ... well most of you

Keep topping up and it should be fine. 6 litres to a full tank is nothing

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By *atcoupleCouple
over a year ago

Suffolk - East Anglia

The ratio of petrol to diesel in this instance is probably not enough to do any harm so I wouldn't worry about it.

Many years ago, when I was a young boy - yawn, the old guys used to put some petrol into diesel lorries in the very cold periods in winter. This helped keep the diesel fluid - in those old days before modern additives. The lorries ran perfectly for hundreds of thousands of miles - no problem!

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By *axi71Man
over a year ago

derry

Car will be fine desiel is heavier than petrol just keep filling the car up and if she can get it to over flow the petrol will run out

But put desiel in a petrol car it needs to be drained

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By *unPete OP Man
over a year ago

Near Bristol

Thanks all for your advice.

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By *egs11ABCWoman
over a year ago

Aberdeen

I.did it to my Merc when i 1st got it cos jist changed from a petrol. There was a bit of black smoke bit soon cleared and was fine x

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By *rFunBoyMan
over a year ago

Longridge

"Car will be fine desiel is heavier than petrol just keep filling the car up and if she can get it to over flow the petrol will run out

But put desiel in a petrol car it needs to be drained "

Petrol and diesel won't float on top of each other. The petrol acts as a solvent and will mix completely with the oil fuel and will never seperate without distillation or other treatment.

Use Google if you need further evidence of this.

Keep it topped up (diluted) and drive it lightly avoiding heavy torque at low RPM you'd normally expect with diesel driving.

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By *unPete OP Man
over a year ago

Near Bristol

[Removed by poster at 07/06/18 19:56:41]

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By *unPete OP Man
over a year ago

Near Bristol

"Car will be fine desiel is heavier than petrol just keep filling the car up and if she can get it to over flow the petrol will run out

But put desiel in a petrol car it needs to be drained

Petrol and diesel won't float on top of each other. The petrol acts as a solvent and will mix completely with the oil fuel and will never seperate without distillation or other treatment.

Use Google if you need further evidence of this.

Keep it topped up (diluted) and drive it lightly avoiding heavy torque at low RPM you'd normally expect with diesel driving.

Thanks. Earlier I mixed equal vols and 8 hours later there's no separation.

I've swapped cars with her to allay her fears of breaking down in the middle of the night.

I'll keep diluting it for the next 1000 miles and report back sometime.

Thanks again.

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By *unPete OP Man
over a year ago

Near Bristol

Update after 2000 miles ... car running fine, thanks for advice.

Now I have to get my car back from my daughter lol

Phew ... this sun .. fantastic, hope you're all enjoying it.

Happy swinging x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm sure between us all we could make a rhyme to help us remember this.

Petrol in diesil....

But diesil in petrol....

I'll have a think about this

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Update after 2000 miles ... car running fine, thanks for advice.

Now I have to get my car back from my daughter lol

Phew ... this sun .. fantastic, hope you're all enjoying it.

Happy swinging x"

now print a sticky label and place on cap.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Update after 2000 miles ... car running fine, thanks for advice.

Now I have to get my car back from my daughter lol

Phew ... this sun .. fantastic, hope you're all enjoying it.

Happy swinging x

now print a sticky label and place on cap."

I borrow my ex's car now and then and I stick a post it note on the dash reminded me which fuel to put it. He's had 2 petrol and 2 diesel cars in the last few years.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I am not sure if you have got the gist of the responses. To clarify it should be ok, that’s ok.

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