Filled whole diesel tank with PETROL!! on new years day!!!

[KraftyPg]

The thing that always makes me the most weary when I'm picking up pumps is when I'm at a servo that doesn't have the high flow pumps, most of my locals have the high flow pumps separate from the rest of them but if I can't get to one of those I always have to look three times at the low flow pumps to make sure they are the right ones.

I pulled into Catlex a few months back and someone had swapped 2 out of 3 pumps, no idea if it was staff cleaning them (as if that happens very often) or someone being a smart arse but had the hoses not be twisted myself or some other unsuspecting person could easily have got the fuel mixed up.

 

[ahinde85]

BUMP...

Guess what yours truly did at the servo this evening....

Standard 2006 ZD30 fuel tank... only way is the syphon.. Is that correct?

Cheers.

 

[Dave]

Or pull the tank out after you have syphoned a fair bit out.

My longrange tank has a drain plug.

Id be more likely to put diesel in a hire car which are usually petrols.

 

[WoodyD40]

Whilst this thread is funny, when you read though it - much later ... i really feel for the blokes who have the misfortune of making the mistake. The amount of time and frustration to drain the tank (hopefully into suitable containers) and then back to servo for fuel again - and paying for the mistake by waste of fuel.

I nearly put diesel in my wife's x-trail last weekend, but i remembered just in time as i was pulling into the servo. Lucky for me, the x-trail filler is on driver side, the D40 filler is on passanger side. thats when i realised i was about to do the wrong thing!

 

[ahinde85]

haha yeah Woody... least it happened 5mins up the road and not in middle of nowhere...

 

[Billy54]

Hey Dave,
Just wondering if you would mind letting me know where the good diesel fuel is around the Maitand Cessnock area. As we are from the same neibourhood I your knowledge would be very much appreciated by me.Ps maybe i can help you out one day Im a sparky by trade
thanks mate

 

[Dave]

No worries.

Quinn's at East Matland is one I use, Shell at Greta mainly though.

The Shell at Cessnock I haved used a few times, the Mobil to and the Caltex.

Singleton wise, never had a drama with any servo up there.

Greta Shell is my first choice.

I pass through Abermain every night as I prefer the night time traffic, Ill keep an eye out for the D40.

I go the Telstra Hut there at times to.

I think I have been to every exchange in the Hunter Valley.

 

[Jon]

Im ashamed to admit but I have done this aswell. I drove out of the servo and got about 100m before the car misfired once and then instantly shut itself down, and I got that oh shit feeling. I was even more pissed when I realised the Navara doesn't have a drain plug on the standard tank. This is what I did on the side of the road.

-Remove shroud around filler hose
-Remove clamp on hose and use jiggler syphon to remove unleaded and syphon into jerry cans that laughing mates had supplied after a quick couple of calls.
-Once you get everything you can out from that way remove fuel filter and start pumping the primer, while said mates are still laughing there arses off
-keep pumping until you can't get anymore out.
-fill tank with some diesel from another jerry can.
-keep pumping the primer until you can smell diesel and not unleaded coming out.
-replace fuel filter
-remove line at fuel pump
-pump fuel primer until nice oily diesel is coming out
-replace fuel line at pump
-crack a couple of injectors
-crank the engine over for a while watching fuel come out at injectors.
-once you are satisfied there is no unleaded left tighten injectors
-finally, start the engine.

If you do this it should fire up first go. Mine did, no smoke, no misfiring, no engine light. Maybe this info will be handy for someone in the future but hopefully not.

 

[heata]

Jon, I'm sad to say I am tempted to print that and put it in the glovebox!

 

[d22dave]

Jon, I'm sad to say I am tempted to print that and put it in the glovebox!

Its not really a plan you want to put into action is it

 

[bloodviper]

i run a mix of desiel petrol and cooking oil

 

[ahinde85]

Im ashamed to admit but I have done this aswell. I drove out of the servo and got about 100m before the car misfired once and then instantly shut itself down, and I got that oh shit feeling. I was even more pissed when I realised the Navara doesn't have a drain plug on the standard tank. This is what I did on the side of the road.

-Remove shroud around filler hose
-Remove clamp on hose and use jiggler syphon to remove unleaded and syphon into jerry cans that laughing mates had supplied after a quick couple of calls.
-Once you get everything you can out from that way remove fuel filter and start pumping the primer, while said mates are still laughing there arses off
-keep pumping until you can't get anymore out.
-fill tank with some diesel from another jerry can.
-keep pumping the primer until you can smell diesel and not unleaded coming out.
-replace fuel filter
-remove line at fuel pump
-pump fuel primer until nice oily diesel is coming out
-replace fuel line at pump
-crack a couple of injectors
-crank the engine over for a while watching fuel come out at injectors.
-once you are satisfied there is no unleaded left tighten injectors
-finally, start the engine.

If you do this it should fire up first go. Mine did, no smoke, no misfiring, no engine light. Maybe this info will be handy for someone in the future but hopefully not.

Well I fixed it tonight...

Behind the battery on the driverside engine bay is the supply line coming from the tank. Found a 3m length of pressure hose lying around that fitted perfect (3/8?).

Put on the length of hose, let the fuel rail drain out, then breathed about 3-4 times to pressurise the fuel tank then let it syphon into fuel drums.

Took some pictures of each of the samples in the drums. S

First bit of fuel that came out was definitely unleaded (in the tank was ~10Lt diesel, 30Lt unleaded).

After that drained, flushed tank with 5Lt, then rinse and repeat.

After the 3rd flush was tempted to start it.. so moved it forward on more level ground and did it once more.

Still smelt like unleaded but after the 3rd flush it had the diesel look to the sample.

Filled up with ~10Lt diesel, re-primed fuel filter, started first go, conked out (air in fuel lines), re-primed x2, idles fine.

Let it warm up and gave it a few squirts of the pedal and seems to be good.. bit like how you squeeze too much injector cleaner in.

Will take it for a strap in the morning to the servo to fill it up.

Cheers.

 

[Billy54]

Thanks Dave
It is good to have some advise about good places to fuel .TOn the other side of things do the 2010 Navs allow for the unleaded pump nozzel to be fitted into the diesel fuel tank? Just as a safety precaution for the missus Im thinking of buying one of those adaptors so there can be no mistakes made with refuelling, Im not sure if the nrma sells them in NSW or do I have to go through the RACQ?

 

[mick087]

Bit of an old post re-visited here but I done it today!!

I stopped in at the servo this morning and put 10L of petrol in my diesel D40 before I realised what I was doing. Bit of a panic followed and then decided to fill the rest of the tank with diesel (55L). I Drove a further 85km and then put another 13L of diesel in to try and dilute the fuel a little more.

I guess my question is, what are the possibilities of any damage done by 10L of petrol in a diesel tank?. While driving it doesn't seem to be making any weird noises or anything out of the ordinary.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Mick.

 

[Rumpig]

The fuel pump relies on Diesel to lubricate it but only 10 litres of petrol in a full tank probably wouldn't do much damage wear wise. Topping it up was a good idea.

 

[zed]

that's 60 odd lt of mower fuel- look on the bright side fella ! Just tease'n ,') hook up a pump to the fuel line under the bonnet and suck it out that way - you could do it by siphoning it out that way too , just a slow way to go about it !

 

[mick087]

I didn't think so rumpig. I was planningvon topping up when ever possible to keep diluting it fudther.

Do goin think it's worth pumping out zed? I wouldn't imagine 10L could do too much damage. Admittedly 0 petrol is ideal though. I may be wrong though hense throwing it up on the forum for opinions.

Cheers, Mick.

 

[Old.Tony]

The petrol will mix with the diesel and change the combustion rate of the fuel (unleaded burns faster than diesel, that's one of the reasons why petrol-powered engines can rev higher than diesels). I doubt you'll ever see an increase in RPM because the ECU should limit the revs for you, but because of the faster burn rate, you might notice a little extra power.

Diluting it with more diesel is the sensible thing to do. I also doubt that 10L in a full tank will dilute the diesel enough to damage the pump - let's hope we're right.

 

[mick087]

Thanks Tony, I drove to work again today and I cant hear any strange or extra noises or rattles so heres hoping that it is diluted enough not to cause too many dramas.

I will be topping up again tomorrow on my way home to try and help my cause.

What signs/noises should I be looking out for by the way? I imagine coughing or misfiring would be a symptom but is there any thing else? any help would be appreciated greatly.

Cheers, Mick.

 

[Old.Tony]

Fuel pump failure should start to show as a loss of power that may suddenly become total (ie engine stops).