What should you do if you accidentally misfuel your car with diesel instead of petrol?
If you have just managed to put diesel into your petrol car, the consequences could be severe.
Putting diesel into your petrol-powered car is more common than you realise; however the reverse is even easier to do.
The spout at a diesel pump is usually larger to prevent it from going all the way into a petrol tank.
But the spout for a petrol pump is small than a diesel filler neck, so putting petrol in instead of diesel can happen too.
What happens if I put diesel into my petrol car?
Thankfully, this version of events is not as serious as the other way around.
But let’s discuss this one first.
Starting up a petrol car with diesel in it will firstly, and obviously, suck diesel throughout the fuel lines, the injectors and cylinders.
The vehicle will misfire and produce smoke.
The engine will cut out after the petrol in the fuel lines has been used up, and your car might fail to start again.
What happens if I put petrol into my diesel car?
This is the worse situation of the two to be in.
If you’ve put petrol into your diesel engine, that causes increased friction in a diesel engine, which works differently to a petrol one.
The more petrol that gets pumped through an oil-burner, the more severe the damage will be.
If that happens, you’re looking at an engine rebuild at the very least, which will run you a princely sum depending on the damage done.
What should I do if I pump the wrong fuel into my car?
The good news is that not all is lost: if you’ve put the wrong fuel type in, there are some things you can do to limit the damage.
If you’ve realised it early, you’re in luck.
- Do not drive the vehicle. Immediately switch off the ignition to prevent any more fuel burn.
- Put the car in neutral and push it to a safe spot.
- Call your nearest workshop or AA Singapore to get professional help in draining your fuel tank.
If you want to drain your fuel tank yourself, there are two ways you can do so: from the filler neck with a siphon, or via the tank drain plug.
The most important thing to do, if you completely forget the steps above, is to switch off your car immediately and not panic. The situation is solvable.
