Petrol in Diesel

For the 1st time ever today I made the mistake of putting unleaded into
my diesel Frontera (1992 2.3TD LWB).... .oops .... my defence I'd just
spent a week touring on my motorbike so had got used to reaching for the
green nozzle.

It was almost empty at the time, I only put in 10 quids worth of
unleaded before noticing my cock up, I then filled to the brim with
diesel (about 40 quids worth of diesel).

As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
in the fuel tank?

--
Steve Parry
K100RS SE
F650
(not forgetting the SK90PY)

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

On Sun, 8 Aug 2004 16:49:04 +0100, "Steve Parry"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
>petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
>its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
>in the fuel tank?

Keep topping it up and you'll be OK. I expect.

--
QrizB

"On second thought, let's not go to Z'Ha'Dum. It is a silly place."

"Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> For the 1st time ever today I made the mistake of putting unleaded into
> my diesel Frontera (1992 2.3TD LWB).... .oops .... my defence I'd just
> spent a week touring on my motorbike so had got used to reaching for the
> green nozzle.
>
> It was almost empty at the time, I only put in 10 quids worth of
> unleaded before noticing my cock up, I then filled to the brim with
> diesel (about 40 quids worth of diesel).
>
> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
> its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
> in the fuel tank?
>
Don;t worry, it will be fine. You may use upto 15% petrol in the diesel in
the winter months to prevent waxing (of summer grade diesel) and improve the
cold start performance anyhow.

Tim..

"Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
> its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
> in the fuel tank?


keep toppoping it up as often as possible, you may find that it gets
sluggish for a bit but it will clear and wont do any serious damage.

--
Matthew

On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 21:37:55 +0100, "Matt Horn"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
>> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
>> its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
>> in the fuel tank?
>
>
>keep toppoping it up as often as possible, you may find that it gets
>sluggish for a bit but it will clear and wont do any serious damage.

I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
ever fill it up with petrol.

If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
could get back to neat diesel quicker?

What have I missed here?

All the best ..

T i m

4x4 content .. my (14yr old) Daughter want's a Land Rover ... ;-)

"T i m" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 21:37:55 +0100, "Matt Horn"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >
> >> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
> >> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I
suppose
> >> its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with
diesel
> >> in the fuel tank?
> >
> >
> >keep toppoping it up as often as possible, you may find that it gets
> >sluggish for a bit but it will clear and wont do any serious damage.
>
> I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
> ever fill it up with petrol.
>
> If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
> the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
> could get back to neat diesel quicker?
>
> What have I missed here?
>
> All the best ..
>
> T i m

Having been here, I can only pass on what I did.

1993 Disco, virtually empty, pulled into the services, this was in 1998, and
went for the black hose. Started to fill. thought, "blimey, some gimp has
spilled a shed load of fuel here", then looked at the pump and my hand
recoiled in horror as I realised I had just put 25 litres of leaded in.
ARSE. Went in, paid, went back to pump and topped off the tank with diesel.

Over the next week I practically hid the disco from the transport manager,
running to 3/4 full and topping off.

The only thing that got hurt in this was my pride!

The disco ran pretty well on the mix of leaded and diesel, but I think that
was more luck than anything else. I did temper my driving style for a week
as well, less full on motorway driving and lots of nice gentle B roads.

Si

On Mon, 6 Sep 2004 06:29:08 +0100, "Si K"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>> I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
>> ever fill it up with petrol.
>>
>> If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
>> the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
>> could get back to neat diesel quicker?
>>
>> What have I missed here?
>>
>> All the best ..
>>
>> T i m
>
>Having been here, I can only pass on what I did.
>
>1993 Disco, virtually empty, pulled into the services, this was in 1998, and
>went for the black hose. Started to fill. thought, "blimey, some gimp has
>spilled a shed load of fuel here", then looked at the pump and my hand
>recoiled in horror as I realised I had just put 25 litres of leaded in.
>ARSE. Went in, paid, went back to pump and topped off the tank with diesel.
>
>Over the next week I practically hid the disco from the transport manager,
>running to 3/4 full and topping off.
>

Hi,

I can appreciate what seems to be the norm after putting petrol in a
diesel but I can't see why it's done?

Say you just put 20 quids worth of petrol into an empty deisel tank.
It won't actually be 'empty' so you will have polluted the petrol
where it probably would be no good in a petrol car (if you were to
syphon it out. Unless you put it in the petrol car at the rate of 1
gal / fillup etc?).

So, you fill it to the brim with diesel so may now have a 50/50 mix.
Now you run it nearly dry (not long at 15 mpg <g>) and refill with
neat diesel? Job done in quickly 250 rather than slowly 750 miles (or
whatever?).

Just thinking out loud .. ;-)

T i m

In news:[email protected],
T i m <[email protected]> fumbled, fiddled and fingered:
> On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 21:37:55 +0100, "Matt Horn"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>> "Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
>>> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I
>>> suppose its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol
>>> down with diesel in the fuel tank?
>>
>>
>> keep toppoping it up as often as possible, you may find that it gets
>> sluggish for a bit but it will clear and wont do any serious damage.
>
> I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
> ever fill it up with petrol.
>
> If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
> the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
> could get back to neat diesel quicker?
>
> What have I missed here?
>
> All the best ..
>
> T i m
>
> 4x4 content .. my (14yr old) Daughter want's a Land Rover ... ;-)


Hi Tim

After the cock up of putting petrol in the diesel (and filling to the
brim with diesel) I can report that I ran it for a couple of weeks to
empty the tank.

Engine started a bit easier (still does so I guess it cleaned some muck
out).

It ran sluggish while the petrol was in the tank but now after running
almost dry then re topping with fresh diesel its a bit peppier than
before.

One of the guys at work reckons he puts a gallon of petrol in his diesel
fills during the winter.

--
Steve Parry

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

http://www.arrivedeprived.org.uk/

K100RS SE
F650
(not forgetting the SK90PY)

"T i m" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 6 Sep 2004 06:29:08 +0100, "Si K"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
> >> ever fill it up with petrol.
> >>
> >> If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
> >> the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
> >> could get back to neat diesel quicker?
> >>
> >> What have I missed here?
> >>
> >> All the best ..
> >>
> >> T i m
> >
> >Having been here, I can only pass on what I did.
> >
> >1993 Disco, virtually empty, pulled into the services, this was in 1998,
and
> >went for the black hose. Started to fill. thought, "blimey, some gimp
has
> >spilled a shed load of fuel here", then looked at the pump and my hand
> >recoiled in horror as I realised I had just put 25 litres of leaded in.
> >ARSE. Went in, paid, went back to pump and topped off the tank with
diesel.
> >
> >Over the next week I practically hid the disco from the transport
manager,
> >running to 3/4 full and topping off.
> >
>
> Hi,
>
> I can appreciate what seems to be the norm after putting petrol in a
> diesel but I can't see why it's done?
>

Its to do with lubrication. On diesels, the fuel tends to lubricate the
pump. Due to the searching nature of petrol it will strip any diesel from
around the pump with the effect that the pump can die. By diluting the
petrol by filling it with diesal and keeping the tank full with diesel you
considerably reduce the risk of doing any permanent damage.

--
Simon Isaacs

Peterborough 4x4 Club Vice Chairman, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster (how
much more....)
3.5V8 100" Hybrid, now LPG converted
Part owner of 1976 S3 LWT, Fully restored, waiting on the appointment with
the nice man at the MOT station!
Suzuki SJ410 (Fiancée's) 3" lift kit fitted, body shell now restored and
mounted on chassis, waiting on a windscreen and MOT
Series 3 88" Rolling chassis...what to do next
1993 200 TDi Discovery (the Pug 106 is dead, long live the Pug)

Peterborough 4x4 Club http://www.peterborough4x4.co.uk

On Sun, 8 Aug 2004 16:49:04 +0100, "Steve Parry"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
>petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
>its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
>in the fuel tank?

Keep topping it up and you'll be OK. I expect.

--
QrizB

"On second thought, let's not go to Z'Ha'Dum. It is a silly place."

"Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> For the 1st time ever today I made the mistake of putting unleaded into
> my diesel Frontera (1992 2.3TD LWB).... .oops .... my defence I'd just
> spent a week touring on my motorbike so had got used to reaching for the
> green nozzle.
>
> It was almost empty at the time, I only put in 10 quids worth of
> unleaded before noticing my cock up, I then filled to the brim with
> diesel (about 40 quids worth of diesel).
>
> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
> its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
> in the fuel tank?
>
Don;t worry, it will be fine. You may use upto 15% petrol in the diesel in
the winter months to prevent waxing (of summer grade diesel) and improve the
cold start performance anyhow.

Tim..

"Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
> its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
> in the fuel tank?


keep toppoping it up as often as possible, you may find that it gets
sluggish for a bit but it will clear and wont do any serious damage.

--
Matthew

On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 21:37:55 +0100, "Matt Horn"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
>> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I suppose
>> its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with diesel
>> in the fuel tank?
>
>
>keep toppoping it up as often as possible, you may find that it gets
>sluggish for a bit but it will clear and wont do any serious damage.

I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
ever fill it up with petrol.

If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
could get back to neat diesel quicker?

What have I missed here?

All the best ..

T i m

4x4 content .. my (14yr old) Daughter want's a Land Rover ... ;-)

"T i m" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 21:37:55 +0100, "Matt Horn"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >
> >> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
> >> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I
suppose
> >> its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol down with
diesel
> >> in the fuel tank?
> >
> >
> >keep toppoping it up as often as possible, you may find that it gets
> >sluggish for a bit but it will clear and wont do any serious damage.
>
> I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
> ever fill it up with petrol.
>
> If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
> the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
> could get back to neat diesel quicker?
>
> What have I missed here?
>
> All the best ..
>
> T i m

Having been here, I can only pass on what I did.

1993 Disco, virtually empty, pulled into the services, this was in 1998, and
went for the black hose. Started to fill. thought, "blimey, some gimp has
spilled a shed load of fuel here", then looked at the pump and my hand
recoiled in horror as I realised I had just put 25 litres of leaded in.
ARSE. Went in, paid, went back to pump and topped off the tank with diesel.

Over the next week I practically hid the disco from the transport manager,
running to 3/4 full and topping off.

The only thing that got hurt in this was my pride!

The disco ran pretty well on the mix of leaded and diesel, but I think that
was more luck than anything else. I did temper my driving style for a week
as well, less full on motorway driving and lots of nice gentle B roads.

Si

On Mon, 6 Sep 2004 06:29:08 +0100, "Si K"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>> I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
>> ever fill it up with petrol.
>>
>> If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
>> the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
>> could get back to neat diesel quicker?
>>
>> What have I missed here?
>>
>> All the best ..
>>
>> T i m
>
>Having been here, I can only pass on what I did.
>
>1993 Disco, virtually empty, pulled into the services, this was in 1998, and
>went for the black hose. Started to fill. thought, "blimey, some gimp has
>spilled a shed load of fuel here", then looked at the pump and my hand
>recoiled in horror as I realised I had just put 25 litres of leaded in.
>ARSE. Went in, paid, went back to pump and topped off the tank with diesel.
>
>Over the next week I practically hid the disco from the transport manager,
>running to 3/4 full and topping off.
>

Hi,

I can appreciate what seems to be the norm after putting petrol in a
diesel but I can't see why it's done?

Say you just put 20 quids worth of petrol into an empty deisel tank.
It won't actually be 'empty' so you will have polluted the petrol
where it probably would be no good in a petrol car (if you were to
syphon it out. Unless you put it in the petrol car at the rate of 1
gal / fillup etc?).

So, you fill it to the brim with diesel so may now have a 50/50 mix.
Now you run it nearly dry (not long at 15 mpg <g>) and refill with
neat diesel? Job done in quickly 250 rather than slowly 750 miles (or
whatever?).

Just thinking out loud .. ;-)

T i m

In news:[email protected],
T i m <[email protected]> fumbled, fiddled and fingered:
> On Mon, 9 Aug 2004 21:37:55 +0100, "Matt Horn"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>> "Steve Parry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>> As I understand it its more of a problem the putting diesel into a
>>> petrol engined car? Any problems I should keep an eye out for? I
>>> suppose its just a question of topping up to "water" the petrol
>>> down with diesel in the fuel tank?
>>
>>
>> keep toppoping it up as often as possible, you may find that it gets
>> sluggish for a bit but it will clear and wont do any serious damage.
>
> I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
> ever fill it up with petrol.
>
> If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
> the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
> could get back to neat diesel quicker?
>
> What have I missed here?
>
> All the best ..
>
> T i m
>
> 4x4 content .. my (14yr old) Daughter want's a Land Rover ... ;-)


Hi Tim

After the cock up of putting petrol in the diesel (and filling to the
brim with diesel) I can report that I ran it for a couple of weeks to
empty the tank.

Engine started a bit easier (still does so I guess it cleaned some muck
out).

It ran sluggish while the petrol was in the tank but now after running
almost dry then re topping with fresh diesel its a bit peppier than
before.

One of the guys at work reckons he puts a gallon of petrol in his diesel
fills during the winter.

--
Steve Parry

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

http://www.arrivedeprived.org.uk/

K100RS SE
F650
(not forgetting the SK90PY)

"T i m" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 6 Sep 2004 06:29:08 +0100, "Si K"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> I run an old Rover 218SD car and have wondered what I should do if I
> >> ever fill it up with petrol.
> >>
> >> If you keep 'topping it up' with diesel won't you *slowly* decrease
> >> the petrol to diesel ratio, where as if you ran it right through you
> >> could get back to neat diesel quicker?
> >>
> >> What have I missed here?
> >>
> >> All the best ..
> >>
> >> T i m
> >
> >Having been here, I can only pass on what I did.
> >
> >1993 Disco, virtually empty, pulled into the services, this was in 1998,
and
> >went for the black hose. Started to fill. thought, "blimey, some gimp
has
> >spilled a shed load of fuel here", then looked at the pump and my hand
> >recoiled in horror as I realised I had just put 25 litres of leaded in.
> >ARSE. Went in, paid, went back to pump and topped off the tank with
diesel.
> >
> >Over the next week I practically hid the disco from the transport
manager,
> >running to 3/4 full and topping off.
> >
>
> Hi,
>
> I can appreciate what seems to be the norm after putting petrol in a
> diesel but I can't see why it's done?
>

Its to do with lubrication. On diesels, the fuel tends to lubricate the
pump. Due to the searching nature of petrol it will strip any diesel from
around the pump with the effect that the pump can die. By diluting the
petrol by filling it with diesal and keeping the tank full with diesel you
considerably reduce the risk of doing any permanent damage.

--
Simon Isaacs

Peterborough 4x4 Club Vice Chairman, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster (how
much more....)
3.5V8 100" Hybrid, now LPG converted
Part owner of 1976 S3 LWT, Fully restored, waiting on the appointment with
the nice man at the MOT station!
Suzuki SJ410 (Fiancée's) 3" lift kit fitted, body shell now restored and
mounted on chassis, waiting on a windscreen and MOT
Series 3 88" Rolling chassis...what to do next
1993 200 TDi Discovery (the Pug 106 is dead, long live the Pug)

Peterborough 4x4 Club http://www.peterborough4x4.co.uk