Account deleted by request

Hi all,

I leant my van a 98 hilux pickup, 2.4TD to a mate today. It was nearly out of fuel and he put unleaded in by mistake. He realised after 10 litres and phoned RAC, they advised him that as it was a 65 litre tank and there had been no more than 20% put in that it would be ok to fill with diesel and run as normal.

If I had been there I would have preferred it had been drained, he has done about 40 miles since and it seems ok. I can keep topping it up with diesel to keep thinning any remaining unleaded.

Will it be ok or should I go and get the tank drained? Love the old girl and would be devestated if it screwed the engine or similar.

Thanks for any advice

Chop

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

It will be fine mate, my old nova TD had a bit in te manual that said I should add some unleaded every now and again because something in it would help clean out the carbon deposits. I did it about once a month and never had a problem.

Modern diesel has added detergents in now anyway so it's not necessary, but it won't harm it

worley

Shouldn't be a problem, I've done similar with BP unleaded - damn BP and their labelling - in a VW diesel (12 litres in a 55 litre tank).

Fuel consumption dropped by 15 percent until the next fill-up.


Nik

David Lock

Hmmm.....

And will the RAC cough up for a new fuel pump in a few weeks?? We both know the answer

Some diesel in a petrol is OK but NOT the other way around. Realistically you will probably be OK but I would get it drained and make sure your mate pays!

dl

scubbay

iTrader: (61)

Will be fine just keep filling up with diesel. A small amount of engine oil mixed in will also add a little extra lube.

Account deleted by request

Thank for quick replies.

David - I agree with your comments, not sure I would have trused RAC. To be fair he is a real good mate and I feel a bit awkward, my gut feeling is to have it drained but knowing me I would not ask him to pay. Wouldn't want there to be any bad feeling, he also spoke to a joint friend who is a mechanic (who got the van for me many years ago) and he said it would be fine. It has never missed a beat and I have not spent a penny in terms of repairs. I would be a little upset if the fuel pump or similar went.

Having done some googling and it seems to suggest that it will be ok without a drain.

What to do

Chop

rallycol

iTrader: (4)

Drive it off boost ,to limit detonation.

David Lock

Well the consensus on here seems to be "take a chance" and who am I to argue with the collective wisdom that is SN Adding a drop of oil is a good tip.

But you seem to have got away with it so far so what the hell!


Beware of reading too much Google.....

AA Fuel Assist : misfuelling - what to do if you've put petrol in a diesel car - The AA - this is what is called "covering their backs".


david

dpb

There supposed to bombproof right, top gear said so

The Zohan

If it is an older Diesel, likely not one of the later generation with very high pressure pumps and fuel rails/injectors. Rule of thumb if it is before '98 then usually ok.


Usually what goes in the high pressure diesels is the fuel pump which is big bucks on one of these £ 800.00+ new. It can sh@g other items as well but usually the fuel pump gets it.

Account deleted by request

I hope a £800 fuel pump doesnt go

So, do you think I will be ok or not?

Just been out for a spin in her, seems to drive ok.

Chop

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

I think you'll find that's how diesels work!

dunx

iTrader: (3)

I regularly chuck a glug of two stroke oil in my Scooby, lube the fuel pump and smells nice !

Might save your diesel fuel pump too !

HTH

dunx

rossyboy

iTrader: (8)

Mate, its a Hilux FFS. Have you not seen the Top Gear episodes where they tried everything to kill one? It'll be fine.

The Zohan

Hi,

Not too familiar with that model/engine, if still running ok after 500 miles then likely to be OK. Keep topping it up with derv.

do not think it matters too much if you thrash it, if a high pressure system then it will run at constant high pressure so will not make much if any difference. the issues are that with a high pressure system the derv lubricates the pump.

Chances are as a workhorse of a vehicle that model Toyota/engine is used all over the world, likely with that engine will need to be reliable and simple so likely to be an older lower pressure unit. It is the more modern and high performance/out put diesels that run the very, very high pressures, and the pumps complex. The high fuel pressure fuel delivery is the main reason they get the higher outputs from them.

Hope that helps a bit.

Account deleted by request

Thanks, had a check it is a low pressure unit. Will pop to halfrauds and pick something up to lube the engine.

Chop

Account deleted by request

That interesting, it was nearer 20% than 10% in mine. Fingers crossed I have been lucky.

A little annoyed as I have never done this and now worried because I'm good enough to lend out to close friends. Might put a stop to that.

Chop

MOTORS S GT

iTrader: (2)

Years ago it was common practice in the winter on hgv's & construction plant to add petrol to diesel to stop the freezing/waxing problems in extreme temp's, usually about 15% mix.
Its only the seals on modern fuel systems which don't like the diesel in petrol & vice versa.

The Zohan

Er no, not strictly true, the seals are an issue, on a high pressure pump the derv lubes the pump, without the correct lubrication it can pack up. It does not take oil from the engine, just the fuel, dilllute the fuel, or run on petrol and the pump stops working due to lack of lubrication.

Probably not a big issue on old plant kit although may become one with tightened emmision laws/higher output engines.


Also putting diesel in a petrol car usually requres a change of the fuel filter along with destroying the cat - oh and shed loads of black smoke! Best to drain and refil with petrol.

pwhittle

neighbour ran petrol Shogon (fairly new model) on deisel, drove it to work before realing.

Wrote the car off (financially) - £18k estimate for repair.

Older ones seem to run on anything though.

LG John

Lol, a classic dose of FAIL

Account deleted by request

Thanks for replies.

Decided in the end having taken lots of advice to keep diluting the unleaded by topping up the tank and added a 'glug' of motor oil.

Seems to be driving ok.

Chop

The Zohan

****

assuming you mean 18K not 1.8k

Engine £5,500.00 - new engine ans injection components (est.)
Fuel system and cat £ 2,000.00 (est)
Labour £ 1,200.00 (12 hours est.)
so lets say £ 8,700.00 in total + VAT

Either i am a mile out with my estimates and i thought i was being generous or god knows how much the fairly new Shogun was worth at the time!

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Nomination for the 'most stupid post' award!

rallycol

iTrader: (4)

So you cant get detonation (pre-ignition) problems with a diesel? Stick to reading your Max Power mags

LG John

Dude, there is no 'ignition'. Diesels self-ignite.

David Lock

Paul - I raised my eyebrows at that estimate as well. I think someone is having a Giraffe

I also wondered what damage the diesel would have done. I thought if you put in a small quantity then engine would run but with a bit of extra smoke. If you put a lot of diesel in then engine wouldn't fire. I can see a main dealer saying "replace everything" but I wonder.......

Perhaps price included a valet

dl

The Zohan

I does seem a little excessive, maybe the fuel tank, lines fuel injection system and the cat/full exhaust would need replacing to keep the warranty.

I cannot see how it would affect the engine either.

He didn't drive into a swimming pool full of diesel by mistake? that might well account for it.

The Zohan

Re Rallycol's comments

Boys and girls, correct me if i am wrong here - if you compress petrol it will ignite - and at lower compression than diesel - det?!? However, I think it would need to be run on neat or nearly neat petrol to achieve det (during compression).


My pug goes on boost at 1700 revs which is about normal for most diesel cars so would be impossible to drive 'off boost'

LG John

In a diesel engine fuel is normally injected right at the end of the stroke hence the high pressure of the fuel systems to get the fuel into the cylinder which is already being compressed hard. Thus when the fuel actually goes in it's basically at the point where you want it to ignite. Obviously firing petrol in isn't ideal but its unlikely to detonate the engine to death in the way one would expect if a scooby started to det it's *** off.