Did You Feed The Wrong Fuel In Your Car? Here's What To Do

Fuel is one of the key components of a car system. Without fuel, the car cannot budge an inch. The fuel provides the source for ignition, but it also lubricates various rotating parts of the engine. Now, there are fuel categories into which the cars are divided. Any interchange can prove costly for the driver. If such mistakes happen, people should know how to deal with them and what steps can be taken.

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What can be the damages?

Case 1 – Diesel in a Petrol car

If diesel gets mixed up inside the petrol car, that can damage the engine. Due to the less-refined nature of diesel, the spark plugs will get jammed. In addition, the engine air filters are not adapted to diesel, leading to misfires or smoke causing explosions.

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Case 2 – Petrol in a Diesel car

This can cause major damage to the engine. The fuel injectors are well-versed with the lubricating abilities of diesel. Petrol cannot provide the same lubrication. If not recognized immediately, the car starts to emit black smoke through the exhaust, and the car will automatically come to a halt.

What to do when this mishap happens?

Case 1 – Diesel in a Petrol Car

A lot depends on the exact time in which the customer realizes their mistake:

• If the mistake is noticed during filling up, that could be very helpful. If diesel is less than 5%, petrol can be inserted on top of that. The diesel gets dissolved in petrol, and the car can run smoothly.
• If the mistake is found out after filling it up, there is still time to fix it. The car should be taken to the nearest workshop using a tow service. The diesel can then be flushed out, and petrol can be filled correctly.
• If the engine has been turned on after filling, turn the engine off as soon as possible. Flush out the diesel and then refill the tank with petrol.
• If the car has been driven for a while, stop the car immediately. Switch off the engine and call for assistance as soon as possible. As a precautionary measure, get the air filter replaced as well.

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Case 2 – Petrol in a Diesel Car

• Under no circumstance, turn the engine on. Thus, this mistake must be known beforehand. Get the car towed away to a workshop and flush the tank immediately. It'll probably be good to clean out the fuel injectors to avoid mishaps. Then, fill the tank up with diesel.
• If the car has been driven for a while, the customer is in for a costly ride. After some time, the petrol spreads to every corner of the engine. Thus, a professional might even suggest replacing the engine. However, that can be a very expensive proposition.

The only way to avoid such complications is to be extremely careful and alert while instructing the attendant to fill fuel in the tank.