Jump to content

Help, Diesel tank full of petrol


MarkD
 Share

Recommended Posts

OK I'm sorted. Didn't take too long and I learnt a really good trick along the way.

The easiest way to get all the wrong fuel out the tank was to blow it out. Pop the hood, disconnect the fuel feed from the filter and attach a hose to the end of it which feeds into a drum. Next get a short piece of hose and jam it in your filling point with a plastic bag stuffed around it so that it makes a reasonably air tight seal. Connect this hose to one of those pumps designed for blowing up kids paddling pools. Turn it on and in next to no time you'll have an empty tank. Rock the car when it gets to the end for the last dregs and you get a clean pipe all the way to the fuel filter.

Finally empty the fuel filter and refill with the good stuff. Connect it all back up and vroom, off you go.

This ended up costing me a tank of petrol and I'll probably get a new filter in a week or so. Could have been a lot worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I did it with a new ML270cdi, I had quarter of a tank of diesel but saw the big banners advertising "Ulitmate" at our local garage, at this point getting ultimate was a trip across town, so I pulled in looked for the blue handle and started to fill up. After £10 worth I stopped talking to my wife anout what Sunday papers I wanted her to get and looked back at the nozzle, Bollox!!!!

I stopped filling it up and started pacing up and down, not quite knowing what to do. I drove it the 1/4 miles down the road to our house and left it over night as I was going down the pub to watch the footy.

Next morning I called mercedes and asked what needed to be done....

"is it under warranty?"

"yeah it's only a couple of months old." I answered

"OK, to kkep the warranty we do the following, replace the fule tank as there is no drain on a 4X4, replace the fuel lines and the fuel filters and then test the cats for petrol, if any is in there we replace both cats too."

"Idea of cost?"

"if you don't need the cats doing it is around £750+ vat, if they do need replacing then you can add another £1800+vat!"

"What would you do if it wasn't under warranty?"

"Pesonally, fill the ****er up with diesel and pray!"

So, a friend came round with 50 litres of diesel mixed with aviation oil (very lubricating) and we filled the car up.

I got 100 yards down the road and the engine cut out.

For about a week or two the engine management light kept coming on and the car would stall, and then it seemed OK.

The long term damage is the killer.

My dad ripped me to pieces for doing it when it happened, but oh how I chcukled when he called me on the way to the N.E.C saying he had filled his first tankful, on his brand new S3200CDI, up with ultimate unleaded! smile.gif

Although BP paid for everything with his, total of £600!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Well for anyone who does this its an easy if longish process to sort out. But it will save you loads if you do it yourself. All it cost me was the price of a fuel filter from a motor factors, plus new diesle of course.

Read the thread and print out the advice, use it and jobs a good un

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did this to a brand new mundano I had from work a few years back.

Filled the RX8 up with the green stuff in the morning, then took the Mundano to the station to fill up, but only realised once the tank was full (from almost empty) that I had just put diesel in it! Luckily didn't start the engine, so just took it home, emptied the tank with the help of a mate, and rinsed with some petrol, then added a few liters of petrol. Was slightly rough for a few miles, then ran as well as it did before.

I was told that it was lucky I didn't start the engine as it would have knackered the fuel lines/filter and injectors. I wouldn't have gotten away with that, and the company at the time would have charged!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I put 14ltrs of BP Ultimate petrol in before I noticed. The blessed pumps look the same at BP and the really helpful guy in the kiosk told me that it happens all the time!!! When are BP going to do something about it?

I topped the tank up with cooking derv and drove home approx 5 miles. It was running slightly rough with idle like a tractor and didnt want to start when hot. Cut a long stort short me & m8 took the delivery pipe off the filter and drained all but 6 ltrs into containers. I went to our local Shell pet stat and filled up with Extra and it goes like a 2.0 TDI again. I will change the filter after this tank and hope thats the end of the story.

Not very clever being a mechanic an all!! Richard Skull is my name.

dave3dg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...