Hopefully, you are not reading this because you have put the wrong fuel in your car. If you have, do not turn your engine on! We will talk you through what to do next. First, let us explain why putting the wrong fuel in your car is a problem. Diesel and petrol engines work differently which is why they need different fuels. Without going into detail or getting too complex, let us break it down.
What is the difference between petrol and diesel?
Petrol and diesel both come from crude oil but in order to work, they go through a refining process. Both go through a process called Fractional Distillation where they are basically boiled. Petrol is produced at a boiling point between 35°C and 250°C. Diesel is produced at a higher boiling point between 250°C and 350°C. Both require internal combustion engines to power a car by turning the chemical energy into mechanical energy. The main difference is that the combustion process is different; petrol uses a spark to ignite fuel and air and diesel uses compressed air (moving extremely quickly) to ignite.
What happens if you put the wrong fuel in your car?
Now you understand the difference between the engines and the fuels. You can see why it would cause problems if you put the wrong fuel in an engine. In more detail, diesel is a lubricant. It’s not as flammable as petrol so it will clog the petrol engine and not ignite from the spark.
Petrol increases friction between the diesel engine parts which does a lot of damage if the engine is turned on. In some cases, it can require a whole new engine.
What should you do if you put the wrong fuel in your car?
Do not turn the engine on. If you are in a petrol station, let the staff know. If you are driving when you realise, find somewhere safe to pull over and turn the engine off.
If you are in a petrol station, you might want to push your car away from the pump so other customers can get to it.
First of all, call your car insurance provider to find out if they cover this type of problem. It’s unlikely, but some fully comprehensive policies might have them so it’s worth checking.
Next, call your breakdown provider for assistance. If you do not have breakdown cover, you can still call breakdown providers or find a specific fuel drainage service online and contact them for help. It is likely to have a cost but that will increase if you have turned the engine on because the damage could be much worse.
If you put diesel in a petrol engine, the consequences are usually minimal because the diesel will not ignite, and the car won’t start. This is different to putting petrol in a diesel engine however. This is because if you try to turn the car on it is likely to start and that will push the fuel around your engine causing damage to everything it touches.
What can you do to avoid putting the wrong fuel in your car?
The obvious answer is to remember which fuel you need, but you can set up reminders. For example, on your display or dashboard you can stick a note saying which fuel you need to get. Or stick a note on the inside of your fuelling hatch door. Petrol pumps are usually green, and diesel are usually black so try to remember that. Petrol labels are usually circular, and diesel usually have square labels.
Before you next fill up, make a note of what fuel is right for your car and do not forget it else you could be buying whole new engine.
