What to do if you put the wrong fuel in your car

To be honest, this is one of the most common mistakes car owners make. The biggest problem here is, it brings harm to your car’s engine in the long run. Therefore, you need to be very cautious when putting fuel in a gas station. Most of the time what happens is car owners just tell the amount to the guy in the gas station and he mistakenly puts the wrong fuel in your car because most models come in two variants one uses petrol and the other uses diesel. Therefore, it is important to always tell them what to put in your car to avoid any mishap in future.

What to do if you don’t know the fuel type of your car?

The best way to know the fuel type of your car is by reading the owner’s manual provided in your car. If you are unable to find your owner’s manual, you can Google it with your car’s model and you will know the exact type of fuel your car needs. However, the only problem here is, there are a lot of cars of the same model but uses both petrol and diesel.

Now that You’ve put the wrong fuel in your car What should you do?

As soon as you realize that you have put the wrong fuel in your car, look for immediate assistance by calling Mobile Fuel Rescue. They can help you drain the fuel and flush your engine. However, make sure you turn off the engine to stop the wrong fuel from spreading throughout the fuel pipe system.

Consequences of putting petrol in a diesel engine?

When powering the car, diesel acts as a lubrication oil that helps in running the fuel pump and other components smoothly. Petrol, on the other hand, acts as a solvent and when it is mixed with diesel, it has an opposite effect.

When you add petrol to a diesel engine it results in an increase in friction between parts, resulting in damage to the fuel lines and pump. If you even start the car or drive away with petrol in the mix, it will cause very expensive damage to your car’s engine.

Consequences of putting diesel in a petrol engine?

When compared to petrol fuel necks, diesel pump nozzles tend to be larger, so misfuelling in a petrol car rarely happens.

Fortunately, putting diesel in a petrol engine, won’t harm your engine as much as putting petrol in a diesel engine. Since diesel needs to be compressed before igniting, there are greater chances that you won’t be able to turn on the engine.

How to Fix the problem on your own?

The first thing you need to do is turn off the engine and stop panicking. You cannot fix the whole problem on your own, however, you will still need help from other people. Let’s have a look at different ways to repair it.

1. Mobile Drainage System: Search online for companies that can bring specially adapted vehicles to your location and call them such as mobilefuelrescue.com.au. They bring powerful pumps with them to suck out the fuel and store them in different tanks mounted in the vehicle.
2. Tow and Drain Fuel In the Garage: This is the best option if you’ve already turned on your car’s engine and driven for a few meters before realizing your mistake. Though costly, but effective. The biggest advantage in this method is that the garages are always equipped enough to repair your car.

Make sure that you replace the fuel filters as well as the fuel pump. This will ensure the proper functioning of your car’s engine in the long-term. In case your car isn’t running smoothly after draining the fuel once, try draining all of the fuel again. However, if you still feel that there’s some problem in the fuel system take your car to a pro-mechanics shop and explain your problem to them.

Final Thoughts

A mistake can happen but don’t worry, there’s plenty of companies/services that can help you fix the problem. Meanwhile, keep the engines turned off to prevent the wrong fuel from spreading into the fuel system of your car. Also, read the owner’s manual to ensure which type of fuel your car requires.