So You Pumped Diesel Instead of Petrol: Now What?

Adia Tay

Image Credit: Motorist Research

Humankind is a funny bunch. Things happen when we get tired, and boy, do we get tired. Walking into glass doors, calling your brother and saying, “hi dad”, only putting on one side of your eyeliner, forgetting your socks… Is it really surprising then, that as human motorists, we’ve also done the inevitable: Pump Diesel instead of Petrol. My oh my, I must be tired as well.

 

Well, if you have made the mistake of pumping Diesel instead of Petrol, don’t you lose a single hair over it. Here’s how we can fix it:

 

What are the Differences Between Petrol and Diesel?

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Before we tell you what to do, it’s important that you understand the differences between Petrol and Diesel. Kindly refer to the table below:

 

Petrol

(Gasoline)

Diesel

(What you pumped instead of Petrol)

It does not self-ignite due to the blending of gasoline and other chemicals

It can self-ignite with hot, highly compressed air

Spark plugs, along with a gas and air mixture, get the engine running

There are no spark plugs in Diesel engines

Low compression ratio

Consistency is thicker than that of Gasoline

Cleaner burning

Better gas mileage

Cool… But what will happen now that I’ve pumped Diesel into my Petrol car?

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Now, this part isn’t very fun, but basically, your car’s going to throw a huge tantrum. Here are some symptoms of I’ve-been-fed-Diesel Disease:

 

  • Due to Diesel’s thicker consistency, your car engine’s fuel line, injectors, filters jam
  • Your Diesel won’t be able to ignite and combust because the heat and pressure needed from the engine isn’t there, causing major cylinder issues
  • Your engine starts to misfire
  • Your exhaust pipe smokes
  • Your car might start, but eventually stops running
  • Your engine might stop working permanently

 

As with any disease, catching it early and taking it to the professionals will result in a higher chance of recovery… And a huge bill. No matter what, don’t try to DIY this.




Can You Remove Diesel from A Gasoline Tank Yourself?

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If I’ve pumped diesel into a petrol tank, is there any way I can avoid the above disaster? The answer isn’t a firm yes, but hey, we’ll take a maybe over a “sorry there’s absolutely no hope” verdict anyday.

 

If you’ve pumped a small amount of Diesel

Fill the rest of your tank with Gasoline, and it shouldn’t prove harmful. Now, heave a sigh of relief and promise yourself that you’ll never, ever be this careless again.

 

If you’ve Diesel-ed up your Gasoline Car

Immediately call for towing assistance. Then, remove the Diesel with a siphon and replace it with Gasoline. Time is of the essence, as irreparable damage might occur if you let the Diesel stay in there for too long. Lastly, you’ll want to let the diesel naturally flush itself out like a bad case of food poisoning, or have a mechanic flush out your car’s entire fuel system.

 

We know pumping Diesel into a Petrol car might seem like an unrecoverable nightmare, but as with many other ghastly things in life, there is almost always a solution, so if you ever find yourself in the throes of such a crisis, pinch yourself awake, get to fixing the problem instead of flouncing about, and you’ll be a-okay, sweetheart.