I've only put a small amount of petrol in my diesel car, is it
OK to drive if I top it up with diesel?
It depends on what you consider a small amount. As a safe amount some car
manufacturers will say none though the industry generally accepts 7.5% or less of petrol
in diesel is safe.
When you work it out for your tank capacity you will soon realise it's not a lot of the wrong
fuel before it's too much. See the table below for a guide.
If you don't know your tank capacity then give us a call on 01472 867070 for free advice
or google your vehicles tank capacity but do be careful as the tank capacity can vary by
year, model of car and engine size or whether it is a two wheel drive or four wheel drive
version.
If your thinking of taking a risk as it's only a little bit over the safe limit then
don't
.
A
local
motorist
did
just
that.
After
adding
less
than
15
litres
of
petrol
to
his
75
litre
tank,
someone
suggested
he
topped
up
with
diesel.
Which
he
did
and
then
drove
from
Scunthorpe
to
York
ending
the
journey
in
limp
mode.
The
Dealership
quote
to
repair
the
Audi Q5 was in the region of £7,500.
Older Diesels before 2001 may be safe with up to 10% - seek advice
Depending on the quantity of the wrong fuel, exceeding the safe amount will
at least be one or more of the following
•
Stop the engine running after a few miles and not start again
•
Cause loss of power
•
Cause rough idling
•
Prevent the engine starting from cold
At worst too much petrol in diesel that still runs can cause catastrophic failure
due to:
•
Premature ageing of the fuel filter allowing particles to enter the HP fuel
pump and injectors
•
The petrol eating away at fuel system seals and hoses causing leaks
•
Lack of lubrication (from the diesel) causing excessive wear or damage to the
HP fuel pump
•
Injector tips prematurely aged or burnt
Safe Amount of Petrol in a Full Tank of Diesel
Fuel Tank
Capacity (litres)
Safe Amount
(litres)
Small Cars and
Hybrids
Medium cars
Large cars and
Vans
30
2.25
-
-
35
2.63
-
-
40
3.00
-
-
45
3.38
-
50
3.75
-
-
55
4.13
-
-
60
4.50
-
65
4.88
-
70
5.25
-
-
75
5.63
-
-
80
6.00
-
-
OFFICE ADDRESS
5A Abbey Road
Grimsby,
DN32 0ES
England
CONTACT5
Phone: 01472 867070
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