Put petrol in a diesel car

BeenThroughItAll

Amy.B wrote: »

It might be possible on older cars to do so given that they lack the fine, high-pressure diesel injection systems of modern diesels. But even still, it's a high-risk move that could destroy your engine.

Even if this works, it might run roughly for a while and be causing long-term damage that will cost you far more in the long run.

If you're trying this try on a common-rail diesel, it'll just simply wreck your engine.

Repair costs usually start anywhere from £130 and upwards.

Presumably, MSE have sanctioned that signature advertising your employer, have they?

macman

Diesel is heavier than petrol, so it should sit at the bottom of the tank, with the petrol on top. As long as he had at least 10 miles of diesel in it when he refuelled, the pump and injector shouldn't have started sucking petrol yet. But if he drives it any further they will.
Don't see how the petrol can be diluted if it separates from the diesel? Draining and flushing is the only sure way to remove the petrol. Diluting with diesel is going to involve some risk.

BeenThroughItAll

macman wrote: »

Diesel is heavier than petrol, so it should sit at the bottom of the tank, with the petrol on top. As long as he had at least 10 miles of diesel in it when he refuelled, the pump and injector shouldn't have started sucking petrol yet. But if he drives it any further they will.
Don't see how the petrol can be diluted if it separates from the diesel? Draining and flushing is the only sure way to remove the petrol. Diluting with diesel is going to involve some risk.

I don't believe petrol and diesel do behave in that way. I have a fuel can full of diesel/petrol mix in my garage which I extracted from a neighbour's lawnmower, and it was very much one single homogenous liquid fuel when I vacuumed it out.

[Deleted User]

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Not always, it doesn't. Plenty of vehicles have a mesh restrictor in the fuel filler neck.

That would require a very thin pipe then

Cheers

BeenThroughItAll

jeepjunkie wrote: »

That would require a very thin pipe then

Cheers

Indeed it would. Never had this problem with my Triumph Herald. could stick an elephant's trunk in there.

Ebe_Scrooge

bobbymotors wrote: »

its nowhere near as bad as putting diesel in a petrol vehicle

Actually, diesel in a petrol car is not too bad. In most cases the engine will just run lumpy then cut out, without doing any major damage. It still wants draining, and probably a new fuel filter, but there's usually no major damage caused.