Just put unleaded in a diesel car - Doh!

Post Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:41 pm

I only put about £7 worth in then noticed and topped it up with about £40 worth of diesel. The tank also had a couple of gallons of diesel left in it.

Any ideas if I'll get away with it? What should I look for if things go wrong?

I feel a right tit

Post Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:55 pm

What car is it? If it's something old and primative, you won't even notice - people used to add petrol to stop diesel freezing in the winter (less need with modern fuel). Doubt it'll do any harm on anything modern either...

Post Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:02 pm

When I did it in an old van the engine lost almost all power and would only rev to about 1000rpm plus huge clouds of white smoke from the exhaust. Drove it back to work 1mile, pumped it out and refilled with diesel - no damage.

Post Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:06 pm

Ziggy wrote:What car is it? If it's something old and primative, you won't even notice - people used to add petrol to stop diesel freezing in the winter (less need with modern fuel). Doubt it'll do any harm on anything modern either...

It's a 57 plate Honda CRV. I've been Googling the question and it sounds like I'll get away with it. I'll just keep topping up to dilute it further.

Post Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:17 pm

It'll be fine. Put 15 quids worth of unleaded in my 2006 astra before i realised

. Brimmed it with deisel and it's been fine. I've done it a few times now. Only once though, where I filled the f*cker from empty and had to have it drained.

Run it to 3/4 full and top it up. Keep doing that 3 or 4 times then just go back to normal fill ups.

Post Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:53 pm

on some new diesel cars if you put a fair amount of unleaded in it can damage the fuel pump and give you a high repair bill

Post Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:56 pm

Doubt £7 will even come close to damaging anything.

Post Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:05 am

maxfield wrote:Doubt £7 will even come close to damaging anything.

no i dont think it will i missed that bit

Post Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:06 am

maxfield wrote:Doubt £7 will even come close to damaging anything.

not at todays fuel prices

, what you burning about in now young max , what happened to the touring

Post Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:00 pm

you'll be fine,

went to recover a 57 plate x5 the a while ago the guy had done the same thing put in 15quids worth of petrol realised then, brimmed it with diesel and off he went not a murmor from the engine

Post Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:59 am

Bet you won't do that again though.....

I didn't

Post Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:09 am

RM2186 wrote:Bet you won't do that again though.....

I didn't

All seems fine, have done over 100 miles since I did it and topped it up with another tenners worth of diesel. Cheers for the responses!

p.s. I'm not going to bother with the fuel filter thing, it's a company car......which is one reason to be wary of buying an ex-fleet mobile, people like me drive them into the ground