Unleaded into ny new 1.9CDTI?

**mpplynch** · 29th August 2005, 08:52

I have just put 2 litres of unleaded into my new 1.9CDTI. The tank is 3/4 full, so the unleaded should be very diluted.

Drive or not drive, that is the question?
Is it better to drain the tank?

The AA have said it should be OK, but I'd like a second opinion!

**GARY3306** · 29th August 2005, 09:36

Originally Posted by mpplynch

I have just put 2 litres of unleaded into my new 1.9CDTI. The tank is 3/4 full, so the unleaded should be very diluted.

Drive or not drive, that is the question?
Is it better to drain the tank?

The AA have said it should be OK, but I'd like a second opinion!

DO NOT DRIVE IT!!!! I don't believe the AA said it should be ok. It will burn very hot and could burn the ends of the injectors or cause glazing of the cylinders leading to the engine burning oil. Play safe mate and drain it.

**Brake buster** · 29th August 2005, 09:49

i would personally go the ' safe route ' and drain it,

however, as stated , its only 2 ltrs, and a 3/4 tank, an old lorry drivers trick was to put some petrol in deisel to stop it freezing in the winter, and it had no adverse effect,
however yours is a v-modern engine and the fuel has loads more addatives etc than 20 years ago and wont freeze ( so easily )
you could fill her up with deisel to dilute it even more

how did u get back from the garage to log onto ur pc ? , if it drove back, then you should be ok ( if u see what i mean )

please read my opening statement

BB

**mpplynch** · 29th August 2005, 10:43

I rang the AA and they said 2 litres was OK. I still wasn't sure, but a taxi driver beside me said that he had once put 20 litres into his TDI (Passat) then topped up with diesel and all was OK. So I drove to work, still a bit worried, I thought of this site.

I have tried ringing the garage but the service desk isn't open today.

1) Is it a big job to empty the tank,
2) How much would it cost?
3) Would anything need to be replaced.

Thanks for the replies.

**Duncan** · 29th August 2005, 10:59

This is a quote I posted on another forum (I can't remember where I got the quote from now). The question was about diesel into a petrol engine - he almost did it but wondered what the consequence would have been. (More serious that petrol into diesel!)

".....with the increasingly stringent exhaust emission regulations, the fuels and catalyst systems on cars, both petrol and diesel, are damaged by only small amounts of the incorrect fuel. It used to be common enough to put a little petrol into diesel to help the engine start in cold weather – but with modern diesels that use extremely high injection pressures the viscosity of the fuel is critical. Any petrol present can cause scarring of the pump elements, and the seals can be damaged by compounds found in petrol. The combustion efficiency of an engine designed for petrol will be very poor if it’s fed diesel fuel, and the resulting unburned fuel passing through to the exhaust can cause the catalyst to overheat."

Doesn't make good reading and yet the AA say that you can get away with up to 7% of petrol into diesel!! Confused!, yep, I am!

D

**GARY3306** · 29th August 2005, 11:11

At the end of the day, ask yourself, 'is it designed to run on diesel?' The answer of course is no. What if you do run it and something happens as a result that requires dealer attention? Your warranties out the window straight away and could you afford or want to have to pay, possibly hundreds of pounds, for work that could very easily be avoided. This happens at least once a fortnight at work with our lease cars which have resulted in costly repairs on two occasions in the last year (one was a BMW), through the leasee topping up with the correct fuel and driving off with fingers crossed. I wouldn't chance it mate.

**AJA** · 29th August 2005, 11:14

I put £18.00 worth of Unleaded in my old company car Mondeo TDCI (half asleep). I topped it up with Diesel and it ran fine, no problems.

2 litres doesn't seem a lot to me, and if the AA says it's OK.......

**Drinky** · 29th August 2005, 11:30

A friend of mine put £20 worth of unleaded in his TD5 discovery by mistake and was told by a diesel specialist that as long as you have 2 thirds diesel to petrol then it wouldnt do any damage now i know its not a new engine but i dont see 2 lts doing much harm if the tank is filled up with diesel !!!!! IMO

By the way yes his disco did run fine and has been ever since !!

**mpplynch** · 29th August 2005, 13:12

Update:
My Opel mechanic said just keep topping up with diesel and there will be no problem, 2 litres will not do it any harm.

Thanks for all the replies.

**markspark** · 29th August 2005, 19:20

Once Put Petrol In Diesel Merc, And It F@?ked Up The Fuel Pump, I Know Its Only A Small Amount But A Full Tank Of Deisel Is Only £60-£70 Depending Where You Go , And Vauxhalls Highly Skill Mechanics

Will Charge You More Than That For A Few Houirs Of There Valuable Time,

So I Would Definately Drain The Tank
LOL