I've been a numpty and started filling my y reg 1.8 TDI focus with unleaded. I had only put 51p in when i noticed so stopped immediately and then decided to fill it 2/3rds full of diesel. I working on the basis that petrol is lighter and will therefore not get in the system.

So what do i do now
1. Keep it topped up 1/2 to 2/3 (to allow evaporation room) for a month and hope it all evaporates off.

2. Get it down to about 1/3rd and get the tank drained down.

3. get it in the garage straight away and get it sorted (no doubt very expensive).


help
Pete

1/2 L shouldnt hurt it.

It will mix so no point in dumping part of it.

2/3 has got to be 40 L so 1/2l is minimal

[Edited on 25/8/09 by big_wasa]

51p dont worry i have to suck petrol and diesel from peoples cars every day so dont worry

edit to add ive got a experement running at the moment with 10 litres of petrol mixed with 10 litres of diesel at work and its been a week and it still looks the same ie no seperation

[Edited on 25/8/09 by afj]

Can you not just carry on as usual? I know it knackers your cat putting diesel in a petrol but I didn't think it was too bad the other way round.

I believe that as it is just about half a litre of petrol it won't do any damage.
I have heard of people puting some petrol on diesel in order to clean up the engine.

I am sure i will be told off by someone but i wouldn't do much about it.

I am sorry i cannot help but i am really interested on what everyone else says

Will be fine - just keep your diesel level high and it will just blend in with no damage at all - wife does it all the time ... not me ... just the wife !

I seem to remember my mothers old audi 80 tdi handbook, having a recipie for "Winter Diesel" which was basicaly a 10 to 1 mix of diesel and petrol, for severe cold climates.

[Edited on 25/8/09 by Big Ali D]

quote:

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Originally posted by Big Ali D
I seem to remember my mothers old audi 80 tdi handbook, having a recipie for "Winter Diesel" which was basicaly a 10 to 1 mix of diesel and petrol, for severe cold climates.

[Edited on 25/8/09 by Big Ali D]

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In days before unleaded fuel, people used to put a gallon of petrol in a diesel FILL during winter to stop the diesel from freezing during the winter time. So IF you only put 51p's worth in it would not be a problem providing you FILLED the fuel tank.

The biggest problem the you will have is that unleaded fuel is a contaminant for the rubber used in the seals in the diesel fuel system, again, however, only 51p's worth is unlikely to cause a major problem within the next 100k.

I hope this helps to clarify things.

with the TDI i think you're fine - keep it topped up to be sure - say never less than 1/2 to 2/3rds.

TDCI would probably be worth draining it due to the cost of fuel pumps and the chance it would break.

Youll be ok don't worry, I put £10 worth in a 2003 peugeout HDI, realised and filled up with diesel. It was a company car, so I didn't care, but it never hurt it, a colleague bought it and its still going strong, well as strong as any pug 90 bhp diesel.

Thanks guys i thought it would be ok with a constant top up.

cheers Pete

If it is only a couple of quid of Petrol you put in and the tanks is empty immediatly fill it to the brim of diesel and you be fine.

as said ^^^ was the old recipie for winter diesel.

Its up to you how you handle your little error, but if it were me i would have filled up with diesel (assuming tank was almost empty to start with). Drive a few miles and keep topping it up for a few fills (approx £10 at a time), eventually it will be so diluted i doubt it will cause a problem.

In theory the petrol could knacker all of the seals in the system, but i really doubt your concentration will be high enough.

I seem to recall you can get diesel additives, maybe a can of that will reduce the risk further. Its your risk at the end of the day though.

51p worth of petrol is going to be completely unnoticeable, zero chance of any damage. You don't have a common rail engine so there is nothing to worry about.

Why do you believe you can only fill the tank to 2/3rd's full? Expansion of the fuel due to temperature is pretty small, raising the temperature of 50 litres of diesel by 50 degrees C would make it expand by around 0.5 litres!

[Edited on 26/8/09 by MikeRJ]