Unleaded BP Ultimate Petrol in a Diesel Car

[CarProblems]

Do I have any comeback? At all? even a little bit?

Well....I have had better days....this goes down as the most costly of them all...

This morning I filled my diesel car and drove it for 2 miles with unleaded petrol

I used BP Ultimate and I thought I checked several times...though I didn't want Ultimate, I think that standard diesel is fine, but as I was running late I would use the more expensive Ultimate Diesel as I was next to it (except it was petrol)

They are SO similar - when the breakdown guy came he said '90% of people I come to with this issue have filled up with Ultimate - it's so misleading'

i was so convinced it was diesel we went back to check.....

I have seen some info on the net about the mix up - does anyone have any experience of this?

Little did I know how much this error would cost......

....but that's what insurance is for isn't it? Putting petrol in was total stupidity (don't write to tell me I am an idiot - I know!!!!) It is also stupid reversing into a bollard etc but that also is an accident and so gets covers by insurance

Anyway, it turns out my fully comp insurance via Swintons with Chaucer does NOT cover this

So - while I admit liability....I didn't think it would cost me quite so dearly

Quote (that will keep my warranty in place which I need to do as it is a car on HP) is over £5000

Do I have any come back on;

- BP with their almost identical branding of Ultimate unleaded and diesel
- My insurance company for exlcuding 'accidents'!

Help - I can't afford this and to cover it need to get a loan!!!

Many thanks

Idiot Driver

[1echidna]

Sorry I am not sure I can be much comfort to you. I too now drive a diesel car and it is a nightmare of mine to have a mental aberration and fill up with petrol by mistake. I think though that I would probably realise before completely filling the car and driving off. Your experience sounds very expensive indeed. Incidently I did notice earlier today that BP had changed the labelling on the BP Ultimate Diesel filling station which made me wonder for a moment whether I was indeed about to fill up with Ultimate or ordinary diesel. The word "Diesel" was written in large letters on the stand whilst "BP Ultimate Diesel" was written on the hose handle. I think I recall also that the hose nozzles used to be black for diesel but it was a standard metal nozzle. Perhaps the change is an admission by BP that old labelling was confusing, certainly worth trying to make a claim (nothing to lose) against BP.

[Crabman]

Hi CarProblems, welcome to MSE :hello:

I've moved your thread over to the 'Motoring Board' :)

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1009335#post1009335)) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email abuse@moneysavingexpert.com (abuse@moneysavingexpert.com).

[goldspanners]

if it said petrol on the nozzle or pump and out came diesel then you could claim BP. but if it didnt then its nobodys fault other than your own. why would you want to blame someone else for this?

i have a diesel van during the day for work and a petrol car for evenings and weekends,ive never mixed up the fuels im using. i really dont see why this is such a common problem,hardly rocket science.

[CHR15]

Ask your husband to fill it up :)

[daveyjp]

I stopped using BP stations at least 5 years ago for this exact reason. For reasons they won't explain they colour their pumps almost the same. Convention is green for petrol, black for diesel. They started using green and blue for everything and I stopped going.

[mattymoo]

Green for petrol, blue for ultimate petrol to stop people filling up run of the mill cars by mistake and then complaining about the cost .

Black for diesel.

A lot of insurers have started to explicitly state that costs arising out of misfuelling will not be covered. So long as it is spelt out in the policy contract you don't really have any comeback.

[CarProblems]

Thanks for taking time to respond (and I have re-read my email - I am not and I don't think it looks like I am trying to blame someone else - I know it is my fault......but £5,200 for a really easy mistake is very hard to take as I am sure even you would agree Goldspanners!!!) I have fully comp insurance, full warrenties and finance gap insurance on my car etc - I thought I had taken every precaution to not end up with a situation like this - who knew??!? I do now :o(
Thanks also CHR15 - made me laugh on a bad day...unfortunately I don't have a husband yet - maybe it's becasue I can't tell the difference between petrol and diesel ha ha.

[vikingaero]

£5,200 is a ridiculous amount to keep your warranty intact. Are you sure Chaucer don't cover it? Is it in the Policy wording? Sounds like the Insurer is looking to worm their way out of paying.

I would pay a couple of hundred to have the tank drained, filters changed lines flushed and then use the car as normal. If it works then it works. If it fails then it fails. A car mag did a survey of some car manufacturers to find out the worst case scenario of a misfuel. Most of them put it at £2k to £10k but most admitted that a simple flush and go worked most of the time.

If you do flush and go then you'll only lose the warranty on the engine and not on the rest of the car that isn't linked to the fuel/engine system.

[Conor]

Do I have any come back on;

- BP with their almost identical branding of Ultimate unleaded and diesel
- My insurance company for exlcuding 'accidents'!



WTF do you think? The colour of the pumps is different and the word DIESEL or UNLEADED next to the word Ultimate is a bit of a giveaway.

So no, you don't have any comeback against BP because you're a moron.

[Conor]

I stopped using BP stations at least 5 years ago for this exact reason. For reasons they won't explain they colour their pumps almost the same. Convention is green for petrol, black for diesel. They started using green and blue for everything and I stopped going.

Another moron who shouldn't be allowed to own a car. Are you too thick to read the word on the nozzle holder?

FYI YELLOW is actually the proper convention for diesel if you want to be picky...

[chunkytfg]

Just thank your lucky stars you didnt fuill up with BP ultimate 102 as not only would it have cost you 5K for the new engine it will cost you £2.50 a litre for the fuel!!!

[CarProblems]

Thanks Vikingero - I agree - it's a shocking amount - I feel a bit 'held to ransom' because with a flush out they say that if it doesn't work, and it might not, I will then be fully liable for anything after that in the engine and a new engine is 12K...omg....
I think I am going to take my insurance company on and get advice - I am fully insured (for pretty much everything in my life and have never claimed anything!) to make sure I don't end up in a situation like this. I accepted the clause not appreciating what this meant and I think my insurer excluded it specifically because they DID know what it entailed
Do you think I have any come back?
Conor - ranting on a friendly advice forum? This link is especially for you!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/mental_health/coping_angermanagement1.shtml

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

did you not notice the price per litre on the screen, smaller nozzle and cleaner pump?


no comeback, you should choose your policy with more care

Take it to an independant garage

[bargepole]

I stopped using BP stations at least 5 years ago for this exact reason. For reasons they won't explain they colour their pumps almost the same.
BP Ultimate Diesel is colour coded dark blue.

http://i34.tinypic.com/z77m8.jpg

BP Ultimate Unleaded is colour coded light blue.

http://i34.tinypic.com/2u6obxk.jpg

Should be easy enough to tell the difference, unless you have trouble knowing whether Oxford or Cambridge are winning the varsity match ...

[Conor]

Thanks Vikingero - I agree - it's a shocking amount - I feel a bit 'held to ransom' because with a flush out they say that if it doesn't work, and it might not, I will then be fully liable for anything after that in the engine and a new engine is 12K...omg....

You won't end up paying for a new engine. The engine itself will be absolutely fine. The problem is with the ancilliaries - basically everything in the fuel system from where the pipe from the tank goes into the fuel filter plus any emissions reducing equipment on the exhaust side such as a catalyst or particle filter. Not everything will be affected. It'll mainly be stuff which has seals that petrol degrades or that rely on the lubricants in diesel to lubricate moving parts however unless you fully tanked up with petrol, i.e there was no diesel at all, it's quite unlikely you'll have done any long term damage. So to tell you you may need a new engine is scaremongering.



Conor - ranting on a friendly advice forum? This link is especially for you!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/mental_health/coping_angermanagement1.shtmlWell you wanted me and 1000's like me to go fight a war for you so you could have cheap petrol but didn't want to pay the taxes to pay for our re-adjustment so you have to suffer the consequences of that. Get used to it, there's 10,000's more coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq who are going to be even worse.

[Conor]

BP Ultimate Diesel is colour coded dark blue.

http://i34.tinypic.com/z77m8.jpg

BP Ultimate Unleaded is colour coded light blue.

http://i34.tinypic.com/2u6obxk.jpg

Should be easy enough to tell the difference, unless you have trouble knowing whether Oxford or Cambridge are winning the varsity match ...

And the tell tale words "Diesel" and "Unleaded" is a bit of a giveaway as well. It's hardly like they're poorly labelled.

I wonder if the OP complains because Walkers Cheese & Onion crisps are in blue bags, Tesco own brand in green and Seabrooks in a White with yellow and blue writing bag. Or does he read what it says on the packet?

[thetope]

well i can sympathise... i filled my last car up with petrol, although thankfully i did notice the smell just as i clicked over £35... was able to siphon it off before i turned on the engine and did not have any lasting problems. sometimes your head's just in another place!

Can't give you any advice on what to do, but you shold be able to get the work done by an independent garage, provided they use genuine parts manufactured for your car, so you don't have to go to an expensive main dealer for the work to keep your warranty valid. perhaps get a few quotes from some other places? what car do you have?

[Conor]

well i can sympathise... i filled my last car up with petrol, although thankfully i did notice the smell just as i clicked over £35... was able to siphon it off before i turned on the engine and did not have any lasting problems. sometimes your head's just in another place!


Exactly. And I doubt you thought it was down to the garages fault. The OP merely doesn't want to accept responsibility for their own actions.

[chunkytfg]

perhaps from now on you should have a BP unleaded garage forecourt and further up the road you have a BP Diesel Forecourt that way the morons have no excuse!!

[chigley]

I think the OP should buy her knickers from C&A - no mistakes that way ;)

[Thomas99]

I think the OP should buy her knickers from C&A - no mistakes that way ;)

No such store in the UK now.

[chigley]

No such store in the UK now.

Yes, I know, but the joke does not sound the same if you say Primark! They are (as a Dutch company) still to be found in mainland Europe.....

[bargepole]

This is a true story:

A few years ago, when I used to work for a car leasing company, VW lent us some Passat demo cars for us to take round to corporate clients.

The guy from VW came down to give us a presentation on the cars, and stressed that they were all diesel models. On the paperwork that our clients had to sign when they borrowed the cars, there was a big red stamp saying "don't forget it's a diesel". Inside the fuel filler flap, there was a bright yellow sticker saying "diesel".

Despite all this, one of our drivers managed to fill one of these Passats on three separate occasions with .... you've guessed it, unleaded petrol. His career prospects diminished with each one, and disappeared on the third.

[vikingaero]

My fill up routine is:

(1) Pull up next to pump, get out of vehicle, open petrol flap and unscrew cap, take petrol nozzle and insert into filler
(2) Check the nozzle says petrol (or diesel)
(3) Look at nozzle and follow hose by sight to check it matches with the position where I removed the nozzle.
(4) Cross check price of petrol on forecourt sign matches the display grade
(5) Double check nozzle says petrol and fill up!

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

My fill up routine is:

(1) Pull up next to pump, get out of vehicle, open petrol flap and unscrew cap, take petrol nozzle and insert into filler
(2) Check the nozzle says petrol (or diesel)
(3) Look at nozzle and follow hose by sight to check it matches with the position where I removed the nozzle.
(4) Cross check price of petrol on forecourt sign matches the display grade
(5) Double check nozzle says petrol and fill up!


common sense

[big gay kirk]

friend of mine loves misfuels.. he drives a GAZ comms vehicle, with a multifuel engine, and gets the resulting fuel mix for very little.. sometimes for free!! diesel/petrol mix works lovely in his!

ps... i think the colour coding on crisps should be standardised.. i accidentally ate a packet of kp cheese and onion, thinking while half asleep that it was s&v... nearly killed me, as i have a little problem with milk products...

[Thomas99]

My fill up routine is:

(1) Pull up next to pump, get out of vehicle, open petrol flap and unscrew cap, take petrol nozzle and insert into filler
(2) Check the nozzle says petrol (or diesel)
(3) Look at nozzle and follow hose by sight to check it matches with the position where I removed the nozzle.
(4) Cross check price of petrol on forecourt sign matches the display grade
(5) Double check nozzle says petrol and fill up!

Yes all common sense, but i have been caught out in the past...having used a diesel van for 4 weeks and familiar it was diesel, i managed to put petrol in at 11pm, on my way home, just so it would be full for the morning :eek:

[moggylover]

Do I have any comeback? At all? even a little bit?

Well....I have had better days....this goes down as the most costly of them all...

This morning I filled my diesel car and drove it for 2 miles with unleaded petrol

I used BP Ultimate and I thought I checked several times...though I didn't want Ultimate, I think that standard diesel is fine, but as I was running late I would use the more expensive Ultimate Diesel as I was next to it (except it was petrol)

They are SO similar - when the breakdown guy came he said '90% of people I come to with this issue have filled up with Ultimate - it's so misleading'

i was so convinced it was diesel we went back to check.....

I have seen some info on the net about the mix up - does anyone have any experience of this?

Little did I know how much this error would cost......

....but that's what insurance is for isn't it? Putting petrol in was total stupidity (don't write to tell me I am an idiot - I know!!!!) It is also stupid reversing into a bollard etc but that also is an accident and so gets covers by insurance

Anyway, it turns out my fully comp insurance via Swintons with Chaucer does NOT cover this

So - while I admit liability....I didn't think it would cost me quite so dearly

Quote (that will keep my warranty in place which I need to do as it is a car on HP) is over £5000

Do I have any come back on;

- BP with their almost identical branding of Ultimate unleaded and diesel
- My insurance company for exlcuding 'accidents'!

Help - I can't afford this and to cover it need to get a loan!!!

Many thanks

Idiot Driver


What on Earth do they want over £5K for? I don't expect you have any come back on BP - but what exactly is supposed to have happened to your car because of this miss-fueling?

I did this myself about 3 years ago - all that was necessary was to have the in-line filters changed, and everything flushed out! It cost me about £30.

[anewman]

Yes, I know, but the joke does not sound the same if you say Primark! They are (as a Dutch company) still to be found in mainland Europe.....
Was interesting going into C&A in Germany and seeing all the same sort of stuff they used to sell before they shut up shop here, like "Yessica" and whatever it was :D

[loofer]

This could be very bad advice because I'm not very clued up on warranties and PCP...

Like many people have pointed out, it may be possible to have the car repaired/corrected at a fraction of the cost you have been quoted.

So how will the leasing company know about what you did and weather it was repaired to warranty spec.

As long as its working again, they won't know.

No doubt the above has it's own legal/moral/ethical implications.

[movilogo]

There are some devices available on the market which will prevent you from pouring petrol in a diesel tank. One was shown in Dragon's Den few months back. Their price ranges from £60-£80.

Search on web for "misfuel prevention" and you'll find them.

[Lemonade Pockets]

To the OP what car do u drive - i hope its something a bit special with prices you've been quoted.

If its going to cost £5k to keep the warranty intact then f*ck the warranty. Also having a warranty is also not normally a condition of HP, does it say this explicitly on your agreement.

But more to the point £5k buys you a lot of garage time even with todays labour prices what exactly are they proposing to do for that amount of wedge.

New engine should be circa £5k max for most "normal" cars.

I would start of by taking the car to a local friendly garage, get them to drain the tank and flush the lines - this is normally enough. If that works nobody need be any the wiser. You'd be surprised how many times car's at dealerships get filled up with the wrong fuel, do they spend £5k to repair it - erm no they get the apprentice to spend a 1hr on it and its as right as rain!!! I did it a few times (easily done when your jumping in and out of different cars all day) when i first started selling including filling a £25k brand spanking new car with diesel and driving it back to the dlrship!

[davesprinter]

Have a look at this: tullmaninnovations.com

[vaio]

……..ps... i think the colour coding on crisps should be standardised.. i accidentally ate a packet of kp cheese and onion, thinking while half asleep that it was s&v... nearly killed me, as i have a little problem with milk products...

You mean to say that cheese & onion crisps actually have cheese in them?

[bordercars]

what a load of tripe.
petrol in diesel blah blah blah.

years ago to stop the diesel from going like jelly you put almost a full tank of diesel then a gallon of petrol, when the first small van (escort type) came out a mate of mine pulled in put 5 gallon of diesel in then a gallon of petrol. when he went to pay was charged for the petrol and the guy said the diesel customer must of done a runner.

i also made the mistake of petrol in a diesel, 45 ltr tank, i put about 15 litres in before i realised what i was doing, i then filled to the brim with diesel, about to do a 200 mile journey, at halfway stopped and filled again, then filled again on way home, the only problem came when trying to start a hot engine as there is no spark to ignite the petrol. that engine had covered about 20000 miles and went on to do 240000 without a problem. dont panic.

[milliemonster]

There was some challenge last year to manufacturer warranties that stated to keep them intact you could only have your car serviced at a main dealer, I can't remember where I saw this but the law favoured on the side of the consumer and it now states you can have your car repaired where you want and it will not affect your warranty, irresepective of what the dealer tells you have a look on the internet for the info

[AdrianHi]

Somehow an old thread from November 2008 got revived here.
I wonder how the original poster got on with this?
Taking it to an independant garage for repairs would be the best bet and never tell the local dealer or HP company. £5K to get you back under warranty is because they replace so much "just in case" when for only 2 miles of driving the damage will be pretty non-existant. Clean out the tank, fuel lines, replace fuel filters, fill up with diesel and on you go. Still a fairly length task but no where near £5K, more like a few hundred.

[Mum_of_3]

Have a look at this: tullmaninnovations.com


This is probably why the old thread got revived - a bit of subtle spamming methinks!

M_o_3 (who started to read this thread cos her Mum did exactly the same thing recently!)