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Don’t get it wrong at the pumps – it could prove costly

20 Oct 2012 at 11:15

British motorists pay out a staggering £150 million a year correcting the mistake of putting the wrong fuel in their vehicles.

Surprised? Perhaps we shouldn’t be: it’s easily done, simply through a momentary lapse in concentration – proven by the fact it affects up to 300,000 cars (or owners) every 12 months.

Many assume it’s an inconsequential slip-up when they first do it. Until they discover that picking up the wrong nozzle could cost anywhere between £500 and £3,000 to repair.

It’s not all that difficult to do either – the mistake most commonly occurs when drivers make the switch from petrol vehicles to more economical diesel cars, something UK registration figures reveal increasing numbers of people are doing.

On autopilot, after a hard day’s work or with things on your mind, it’s all too easy to follow the habit of a lifetime and go for the green gun instead of the black pump – and, ironically, it’s this way round that’s more costly.

A standard diesel fuel nozzle in the UK won’t actually fit into a petrol car’s fuel filler neck. However, it IS possible to put the smaller petrol pumps into the larger filler tube of a diesel vehicle.

To rectify the problem, a diesel car’s fuel system has to be fully drained, cleaned and then recharged with derv. Even small amounts of petrol in a diesel engine can lead to serious damage, due to the difference in combustion properties of the two fuels.

In addition, petrol in diesel acts as a solvent, reducing lubrication and eating away at seals meaning damage to fuel pumps through metal-to-metal surface contact and potential leaks.

As modern diesel engines require fuel to be injected at very high pressure, fuel contaminated by a damaged pump can have a knock on affect on the injectors, fuel rail and fuel lines – in some cases, it’s more cost-effective to throw away the old engine and simply fit a new one.

There are particular times of the year that the phenomenon of misfueling shows its ugly head, too.

With March and September the most popular time for new car purchases due to the six-monthly introduction of a new registration plate, more incidents of the wrong fluid for the car are recorded as drivers are less familiar with their new vehicles – especially if it’s powered by a different substance at the pumps.

If you realise you’ve filled up with the wrong fuel, don’t turn on the ignition whatever you do. Even simply doing this will prime the fuel pump and circulate the damaging, differing fuel around the fuel system.

If you've put the wrong fuel in you don't need to panic, you just need to call us - RAC Fuel Patrol.