[super-saint]

Like a numpty I put £20 of unleaded in my old Peugeot 306 (R reg)...realised my mistake & then topped up with £30 of diesel

Drove home (around 40 miles) ... car was jumpy & lacked power but was just about ok at a steady 60mph.

Car has started OK this morning & have managed to get into work again this morning...again jumpy & blowing a bit of smoke.

Now I guess that diesel is heavier than unleaded & should sink to bottom of fuel tank & thus be used first...therefore as along as i keep topping up (& hopefully eventually dilute the unleaded), do you reckon I can get away with it ???

I did the same thing around 6 years ago ...this time I filled the whole tank with unleaded.....drove around 2 miles & then phoned AA for assistance. Got towed to local garage, had fuel tank emptied, refuelled with diesel & then drove off - only charge was for the extra fuel. Now I assume I won't be so lucky should I phone AA today ?? -I guess i will be chaged for having the fuel sythoned off ?

[Solomon Grundy]

I would phone the AA and see what they say.

[Jay J]

I would also change the fuel filter in case any petrol got in there.

I my mothers old 1991 Citroen AZ diesel owners manual it actually stated you could put 1 gallon of unleaded petrol into a full tank of diesel to stop the fuel waxing up in cold winters. I would not try these days because of the high pressures in the modern diesel fuel systems and fuel in winter now has special additives to prevent this waxing up.

[penno116]

you should be ok,

They did this on 5th gear years ago, the diesel car ran all day on petrol, but the other way round the petrol engine was completely stuffed.

Granted it will probably cough and splutter for a while and i doubt you will get the best MPG out of it for a while.

[qwerty321]

My dad did this once but many years ago. He said he accidently put some petrol in but topped it up with more diesel. Said the car went like a rocket afterwards!

[Rami Tupper]

it`s quite bad for the pump as it reduces the lubricity of the fuel but on an old low pressure injection system you might get away with it. youd be best advised to drain it, fill it with diesel and some millers diesel additive.

[Bilbob]

As said, on an old engine like that, pobably ok, but keep it topped up with diesel to dilute it as much as poss...then when it's running better, run it really low in the tank and fill up with diesel.
As said, I would change the filter though once you are back to pure diesel.

[Neil Hawkes]

It happened with our new car when about 6 months old. (Jag x-type).

Once the diesel ran out the car stopped dead. Was towed away, drained, flushed and fitted with a new fuel filter, no problems thereafter.

Don't remember the cost as it was 2 years ago, but it certainly wasn't much.

The abrupt way the car stopped makes me think it was a safety feature in the engine management, to prevent any damage to the engine.

Cheers,
Neil.

[johntheexpat]

Originally Posted by super-saint

Now I guess that diesel is heavier than unleaded & should sink to bottom of fuel tank & thus be used first...

?

Its oil and water that don't mix. Oil and Oil should mix well. Run the tank as low as you dare, then fill up. If you have 50/50 mix (say, to make the maths easier) and use half, then fill up, you will still have 25% petrol.
If you start with 50/50 and use 90% and then fill up, you will have 5% petrol.


edit:
Oh and add one of these fuel cleaners to clear away any soot etc that may have formed when driving on the wrong mix.

[Rami Tupper]

millers is the best value lubricity additive, it`s widely used by people who brew their own biodiesel, if your just going to run it through I would advise using some of that.

[Jay J]

My dad has done it twice. The first time he accused the fuel station of selling watery diesel, but he told to look at the receipt and found unleaded. The second time was when claims to have been distracted by the wedding he was going to (not his) and out the wrong fuel in.


There are such devises out there that will prevent you doing this. Ford have one on there new cars that will only accept a diesel nozzle and there are several after-market devises to prevent miss-fuelling. See:

Fuel for thought | Products | Auto Express

and

Fuelsure | Products | Auto Express and their website FuelSure.com

[Hashim]

the worst thing you did was top up the unleaded by filling it up with diesel afterwards.

most car maintenance companies offer a debowse service which sucks the petrol from the fuel tank which would have done the trick for you.

Although, most of us panic in these situations. You aren't the only one though.

[dejongj]

I wonder whether you would be so lucky with a modern common rail engine compared to your older one....The modern ones are much more sensitive I think...

[cunny678]

Originally Posted by Hashim

the worst thing you did was top up the unleaded by filling it up with diesel afterwards.

most car maintenance companies offer a debowse service which sucks the petrol from the fuel tank which would have done the trick for you.

Although, most of us panic in these situations. You aren't the only one though.

SWMBO filled up her two year old citroen with unleaded rather than diesel and then rang me when she had driven 4 or 5 miles and noticed it was a bit ruff and remembered what she had done. I told her to call the AA as she had the kids in and they sent a third party recovery truck out who towed it away and drained off the petrol.

45 minuntes and £145 later and everything was fine

[Scholes18]

Originally Posted by dejongj

I wonder whether you would be so lucky with a modern common rail engine compared to your older one....The modern ones are much more sensitive I think...

Modern Tdi wouldnt handle it at all....

[Snatch]

My advice would be to drain whatever is in the tank then fill up again using diesel.
As others have said, i believe it should be ok if you continue to dilute the petrol, but probably not worth the risk of a potentially big bill..

Wasn't there an after market device on Dragons den that stoppped this from happening?

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by cheekyboy_123

Wasn't there an after market device on Dragons den that stopped this from happening?

Yes.

The Fuel Angel - The Misfuelling Prevention Device