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Diesel In A Petrol Car, What Are The Symptoms?

10 February 2014 | Bruce Compton

Fueling mistakes are surprisingly common and on average occurs every three minutes! That is definitely a lot of motorists putting the wrong fuel in their car across the UK. But how can you tell if you have accidentally put diesel in a petrol car and what should you do? 

If you think that you might have put diesel in your petrol car then you should not start your engine. This will prevent the contaminated fuel from entering your engine and causing damage. If you have already started the engine, then you are going to notice these symptoms:

Diesel In Petrol Car Symptoms

The most common diesel in petrol car symptoms is the diesel will cover the spark plugs and the fuel system, causing the engine to start to misfire. Other symptoms of diesel in a petrol car includes the car being difficult to start, the vehicle stopping and the engine cutting out or the exhaust and engine might produce smoke when driving. 

What To Do If You Have Put Diesel In A Petrol Car

If you are experiencing any of the diesel in a petrol car symptoms listed above you should STOP DRIVING as soon as it is safe to do so and turn off your engine. This will help to avoid any further contamination to your engine and prevent any further damage. 

You should then contact a fuel drainage specialist, such as Auto Fuel Fix, to get your fuel tank drained, your engine flushed and get you back on the road as soon as possible. 

For further information on what to do if you have put diesel in a petrol car, check out the Auto Fuel Fix diesel in petrol car guide. This guide gives you information on the best course of action depending on how much diesel you’ve put in your petrol car, whether you have driven your car and technical advice & recommendations for after you have had the contaminated fuel drained.

Possible damage of putting diesel in a petrol car

The good news is that putting diesel in a petrol car is far less serious than if you were to put petrol in diesel. You are unlikely to have done any permanent damage to your engine or fuel system. A drain of your fuel tank and a flush of your fuel system by a fuel drainage specialist such as Auto Fuel fix should see you back on your way with no long term damage to your car

If you have put diesel in your petrol car and require roadside assistance take a look at our 24/7 fuel recovery service to find out how we can assist you, or call us on 0844 879 4770!