Petrol in a diesel car

[x Alex x]

Re: Diesel in a petrol car

I have delt with these sort of problems regulary in my job (Mechanic with over 15 years experience).

Don't panic, drain the fuel system completely and use an air line to blow contaminated fuel out.

Replace the fuel filter and fill with diesel. Refill the tank fully with diesel and crack open the injector pipes. Or injector pipe if common rail, spin over and flush the diesel through. Tighten all pipes and spin her over, she will start, may sound like a bag of poo to start with, its just getting rid of the final dregs of petrol. With a VAG diesel, don't touch the throttle for at least 10 mins of they have a habit of stalling when you have changed the filter.

The modern diesel will cope with having the wrong fuel in, we had a CRV CTDi with the tank filled with 3/4 of petrol, ran like a sack of ****e, but it was fine.

I have yet to come accross a diesel that is fooked from having the wrong fuel pumped in. And I have done around 15 wrong fill recoveries for customers.

Try a Tank of diesel and a new filter and she'll probably be okay.

thanks a lot, thats very very helpful! :worship:

 

[Liam]

Re: Diesel in a petrol car

You stil haven't told us anything about this audi, age engine sizec.

Liam

 

[x Alex x]

Re: Diesel in a petrol car

You stil haven't told us anything about this audi, age engine sizec.

Liam

didnt realise anyone asked , its a 2000 1.9 tdi auto

 

[Gazza AK47]

Re: Diesel in a petrol car

didnt realise anyone asked , its a 2000 1.9 tdi auto

She'll be allright,replace the diesel filter, flush the diesel through. And start her up. DON'T touch the throttle for the 1st 5-10mins as they're a bugger when they stall due to an airlock. As they self bleed.

 

[Liam]

Then get loads of diesel stickers made up!

Liam

 

[x Alex x]

Re: Diesel in a petrol car

She'll be allright,replace the diesel filter, flush the diesel through. And start her up. DON'T touch the throttle for the 1st 5-10mins as they're a bugger when they stall due to an airlock. As they self bleed.

thanks for that, will give it a go tommorow and try and save some repair bills couldn't have done it without everyones help though :worship:

 

[x Alex x]

Then get loads of diesel stickers made up!

Liam

lol, my dads been on night shift all last week and hasnt hardle slept since friday, he drove up scotland to drain the water out of the caravan and sort it for the winter. but he said he isn't going to buy another diesel after this (slightly over dramatic) i wanted him to get a punto jtd and sell it to me when im a bit older, gonna get a petrol auto now tho :bang: thats if the audi is broke which hopefully it isn't.

 

[Renegade_8]

you already got very good advice on here. Diesel in petrol is not the end of the world, but it will smoke and may get you pulled over by plod. The party line on the new high pressure common rail diesels is that they are scrap the instant you turn the key, unlocking the door will prime the pump and it's history, that will be £2K sir. However I know of two cars with common rail engines, a Vectra and a Range Rover that were run with petrol in them, then drained taken apart, blown out with an airline refilled with good quality (ie dont use a cheap own brand at this point) diesel and restarted none the worse for it. The older low pressure engines would always survive and as long as there was some lubricant in the fuel you were fine.

 

[faster4_tec]

right.

depends what 1.9tdi it is, as audi have made lots of different versions. since you haven't mentioned it being a quattro version, I'd assume its one of the lower powered versions.

a nissan primera (???) came into our garage the other day, the idiot put £10 petrol in the diesel. but a guy behind him (cabby) told him it would be fine if he crammed the tank with the ultimate diesel/bio diesel, then just drive it gently till the tank is empty, then it'll be fine.

I strongly advised against it (was a 54plate) down to fuel system seals and rubbers perishing due to the petrol. but mainly because modern TD's are MUCH higher compression than older cars. that new ford 2.2tdci ST is about 22:1 compression (average petrol car is 9:1, performance NA petrols around 11:1), that coupled with direct injection is bad news with petrol in there

since- diesel is a compresable lighter weight oil (AFAIK), hence fuel OIL is its other name. so in a high comp engine, its fine.
put petrol in a diesel engine (neat or damn near as) and its not no where near as compressible (like water). so basically your dad has possibly totalled the top end of engine, maybe more.
it would display the same interior damage as the HG going on a diesel

e.g.
shot big end shells, melted piston tops, shot piston rings, valves and seats heavily buggered (thats the best way of describing what they look like ), cylinder head will possibly be cracked too if its been run till it stopped.

new engine would be the way forward


although from what you've said, it sounds like he couldn't give half a toss.
and you haven't mentioned it being a quattro, or of any spec, so I would assume its a bottom end lower powered fwd y2k A4 saloon.
if so, bin it, and find a v6 petrol/diesel quattro A6 avant :yum:

 

[x Alex x]

right, thanks again for all the advice, my uncle sorted it, new filter, drained all the tank/fuel lines and everything out and its just as it was i think hes been lucky thanks again for all the help

 

[centaur]

Glad everything is ok in the end

 

[smurfhead]

Re: Diesel in a petrol car

I did that in a Focus 1.8TDCi. It works

I remember when i worked for my old man, he put £5 worth of petrol in the old transit before realising.... Topped it up to the brim with diesel and it ran fine, just smoked a bit on that tank of fuel...

Even spoke to a RAC guy at the service station it was at and he said just fill the tank to the brim with diesel, it'll smoke a bit but should stay running.

I got a feeling if you put diesel in a petrol though thats not good

 

[x Alex x]

I've just noticed the bumper has paint flaked off it and a bit out of shape so the bit that covers the tow thing has come off!! thanks to the AA! :bang: it wasnt enough they went to the wrong place and he had to wait 5 hours!!

is it worth complaining?

 

[ChrisUK]

I've just noticed the bumper has paint flaked off it and a bit out of shape so the bit that covers the tow thing has come off!! thanks to the AA! :bang: it wasnt enough they went to the wrong place and he had to wait 5 hours!!

is it worth complaining?

I know I would if it was me.

 

[x Alex x]

I know I would if it was me.

ill ring them tommorow and let you know, i want the money for a new bumper!