Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Help! I put petrol in diesel car

138 replies

WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 14:22

Nightmare.

Just been to the petrol station, car was on v low no petrol (I know I know)
Our car has been in the garage for a while, so we’ve had a hire car-a petrol one (ours is Diesel)
I only had enough in my purse to put €10 in and by accident I put petrol in, instead of Diesel. Thankfully I realised my mistake when I was putting the pump back and didn’t start the car.
I went in to ask for help, they recommended I go to the garage nearby, then saw it was shut for lunch, I had to move my car out of the way, so people would have to help push 😩
The woman there said I hadn’t put much petrol in so if I was to put a lot of Diesel in it might be ok. I managed to convince them to let me put €50 in so I could drive home and get the €50 and bring it back to them. The car started and I managed to do this, car was running ok, is the car ok now??? Or do I need to do more? Have messsged Dh but he’s at work and hasn’t seen the message yet

OP posts:
Notamum12345577 · 15/08/2024 16:36

WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:29

@Notamum12345577 This is our car 😩 We were using the hire car whilst ours was fixed, I was used to putting petrol in it, then got ours back and I automatically put petrol in by mistake, have a lot going on at the moment

Ah, sorry my mistake!

Notamum12345577 · 15/08/2024 16:36

Paulrn · 15/08/2024 16:29

9.4%

Show quote history

That can’t be right, as €10 to a €100 would be 10%, so 10 to 84 would be a higher precentage

Shade17 · 15/08/2024 16:33

No one can really say what the long term effects will be. You might get away with it, you might not. Quite often, after a modern diesel has been started on petrol you can be looking at complete fuel system replacement including tank, lines, high/low pressure fuel pumps and all the injectors, especially if you take it to a main dealer who will relieve you of a few thousand for the privilege.

Legendairy · 15/08/2024 16:33

I should have said you may be lucky as it was such a small amount but you just never know. You should never have driven it and should have called for proper advice really. Fingers crossed its OK

SaintHonoria · 15/08/2024 16:32

£10 of petrol is probably only a teaspoons worth nowadays!

Seriously, you should be ok with only £10's worth.

Legendairy · 15/08/2024 16:32

OnePeachCrow · 15/08/2024 15:12

I accidentally put petrol in my diesel car and followed this advice. The car was fine for about 18 months. Then it developed engine problems, after it had been stripped down the mechanic was amazed to find one of the piston housings had partially melted. This was due to the petrol I had acidentally put in.

It was a very expensive mistake.

Call a specialist company and get it pumped out.

Show quote history

There is so much misinformation on here. As this poster has said its really bad to put petrol in a diesel.

I put nearly £60 unleaded in my diesel, didn't notice till I'd driven the 5 mins home and noticed the receipt. I had the tank drained and then filled with diesel but within months the car needed a new engine. It started juddering at first, still passed MOT as they couldn't find what was wrong then basically the engine drained of oil halfway through a long journey. No way could it be a coincidence.

I always believed diesel in a petrol car was worse but the recovery guys said no, the people who drained my car of petrol said that was their 3rd call out that day all within a few miles so clearly its quite a common mistake!

Hairyfairy01 · 15/08/2024 16:31

I reckon you'll be ok. When it gets it 3/4 empty fill it to the top with diesel again, and repeat doing that a few times. You haven't put much in so should get away with it.

Original poster
WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:29

@Notamum12345577 This is our car 😩 We were using the hire car whilst ours was fixed, I was used to putting petrol in it, then got ours back and I automatically put petrol in by mistake, have a lot going on at the moment

OP posts:
Paulrn · 15/08/2024 16:29

WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:25

@Paulrn What would you say the percentage was from my amounts?

€10 petrol
to
€84 Diesel

9.4%

Iwasafool · 15/08/2024 16:28

I did this, well sort of as I realised what I was doing when I'd put about 50p worthof petrol in my diesel car. Even that worried me, I am a worrier. I hope it will be OK.

Notamum12345577 · 15/08/2024 16:26

OnePeachCrow · 15/08/2024 15:12

I accidentally put petrol in my diesel car and followed this advice. The car was fine for about 18 months. Then it developed engine problems, after it had been stripped down the mechanic was amazed to find one of the piston housings had partially melted. This was due to the petrol I had acidentally put in.

It was a very expensive mistake.

Call a specialist company and get it pumped out.

Show quote history

It’s a hire car, so she won’t have it in 18 months 😉😁

DogInATent · 15/08/2024 16:25

WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:21

@DogInATent Useful, thanks.

It's as useful as it gets. I gave the link to the AA webpage earlier that explains the risks. I can't put on a pychic hat and inspect the vehicle. Anyone saying "it will be ok" is just being nice and doing the usual MN group collective failure hug thing. They're not being helpful in any practical sense.

On a positive note, your husband can get upset if the engine does now fail as it turned out his advice was no better.

Original poster
WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:25

@Paulrn What would you say the percentage was from my amounts?

€10 petrol
to
€84 Diesel

OP posts:
Tagyoureit · 15/08/2024 16:24

Completely fill up with diesel, then when you get down to 3/4, fill again. Keep diluting the diesel for the next week or so.

Itsmyluckyegg · 15/08/2024 16:22

DH did this, added £30 petrol instead of diesel to about a quarter of tank of diesel. Van chugged a bit but he managed to get home. He got one of those flexi tube things, to siphon the petrol mix, took about 7 Jerry cans to empty it. We then filled it with diesel. 2 Jerry cans until he felt it was good to drive, then filled it. Lasted about 3 years until he replaced, but not for that reason.

Try and siphon if you can.

Original poster
WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:21

@GasPanic What do you mean by brim it?

OP posts:
Original poster
WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:21

@DogInATent Useful, thanks.

OP posts:
DogInATent · 15/08/2024 16:19

WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:18

@DogInATent ??? My tank originally was on very empty, nothing there. I went and put in €10 of petrol by mistake. I then put in €50 worth, it didn’t fill the whole tank. I drive two minutes home and messaged Dh, he told me to put more in and fill the whole tank. I’ve just driven the two minutes down the road and completely filled the tank with diesel, this was €34 euros worth extra. It has €84 worth of diesel in and €10 of petrol in, will it be ok??

Probably not.

Original poster
WhatdoIdoooooo · 15/08/2024 16:18

@DogInATent ??? My tank originally was on very empty, nothing there. I went and put in €10 of petrol by mistake. I then put in €50 worth, it didn’t fill the whole tank. I drive two minutes home and messaged Dh, he told me to put more in and fill the whole tank. I’ve just driven the two minutes down the road and completely filled the tank with diesel, this was €34 euros worth extra. It has €84 worth of diesel in and €10 of petrol in, will it be ok??

OP posts:
Cyclebabble · 15/08/2024 16:14

It varies from policy to policy OP, but a number of good roadside recovery policies will cover you for mis-fuelling and on some it is an option- so you may have purchased it? Worth calling up to check.

GasPanic · 15/08/2024 16:08

I would probably siphon out all of what's in there at the moment. Surely not too difficult.

Then I would brim it and hope for the best.

kkloo · 15/08/2024 16:08

Did you check your car insurance?
I think some of them cover fuel mistakes.

Are you in Ireland? I'm with Axa and covered up to €350 for this.
However I'm not sure where you stand after driving it.

Paulrn · 15/08/2024 15:40

If you want to be exact the recommended maximum amount is 3% to be ok.

Senorfrijoles · 15/08/2024 15:39

Boopbeepbeepboop · 15/08/2024 14:28

I think putting a little petrol into a diesel by accident and then filling with diesel, can be ok. But diesel into a petrol is a no no. But I might have just read that somewhere 🤣

Otherway around. A bit of diesel in a petrol tank will be far less damaging than petrol in a diesel tank.

Magnastorm · 15/08/2024 15:39

Christ there is some bad advice in this thread.

Take it to a garage, get the tank and fuel system drained and get them to check for any damage. Your insurance may very well cover this.

Swipe left for the next trending thread