How to deal with misfuelling a petrol car?

Posted by wrongfueldoctor on March 24th, 2017

Using diesel in a petrol car is not particularly common due to the point that the diesel nozzle is typically bigger than the petrol pump nozzle. Among all misfuelling cases, only 25% of them involved the case of misfuelling a petrol car.

What could be damage?

If you have been unfortunate enough to pour in diesel in a petrol car, you’ll be pleased to know there is generally no grave damage caused to your engine. Contrary to diesel, which needed to be first compressed before ignition, petrol is generally ignited by a spark produced by the spark plugs. If the car is started the diesel tends to block the spark plugs and fuel system, resulting into the vehicle to misfire, smoke and probably stop running.

After the polluted fuel has been blushed from the system, the bike or car can be started pretty quickly. You may notice see smoke at first whilst the diesel residue is burnt off, after this the vehicle should run as before the incident.

If you have ignited your car engine after the misfuelling a petrol car, it is recommended to stop driving as soon as it is safe to do so. A full-fledged flush of the fuel lines and tank is necessary to wipe out any wrong fuel. Once this flush has been flushed out and the vehicle has emptied the left over residue diesel from the system, your car would run normal.  As an extra precaution, you change your fuel filter within a few days of the incident, these are a relatively reasonably-priced component and are easy to install.

As today’s vehicle feature advanced technology, some vehicles may encounter emission problems after misfuel due to adulteration of the sensors and fuel controls. If you have used diesel in a petrol car and notice any problems after the contamination has been eradicated, get the assistance of a reputable garage or mechanic.