Petrol in Diesel Car

[shaz75]

Ive just put £20 petrol in an A4 Diesel which was more or less empty.

As I drove off from the petrol station, I noticed the speed drop, a local mechanic has took the car away for flushing out.

Anybody know the extent of damage this can cause and what needs repaired.

Regards Shaz

[kenney]

Hi This is a daily occurrent,normally everything seems to survive,after flushing the sysem and renewing the fuel filter.

[shaz75]

Thanks for your reply, i guess there is no long term damage to the engine or other parts.

[Ben]

Don't forget its a diesel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GuBdvA7Qus

[RickT]

Petrol in a diesel is not a massive issue really from the engine point of view compared to diesel in a petrol..

Following a flush and a new filter you should be good to go!

Rick

[Captain Answer]

Diesel engine's were designed to run on pretty much any fuel (peanut oil, corn oil etc), putting a high quality fuel like petrol in won't do any harm what so ever

[simon_clayton]

If i remember rightly, diesel going into a petrol will do over the fuel injectors. Because diesel is much thicker than petroleum, it clogs up the Fuel Injectors. The other way around the enginer should (technically) still work. But not as efficiently as siesel due to the lower flash point of petroleum compared to diesel

[kenney]

Hi I fail to agree with you on this issue.From my point of view, you have got it the wrong way around.The components on a diesel engine are partly lubricated with additives in diesel,which petrol does not have.A petrol engine, filled with diesel will eventuelly stop,without any major distruction, perhaps the Cat, a diesel engine filled with petrol on the other hand i cant imagine what is going to happen with the injection pump,and injectors.

[k9max]

Put it this way, I wouldn't want to try either way to find out.......

[audipersempre]

I think putting petrol in a diesel isn't too bad in most cases. Having to possibly drain the tank and change the fuel filter has been noted. I think it can also cause fuel pump failure as the diesel fuel lubricates the pump whereas the petrol wouldn't do as good a job.

Putting diesel in a petrol car is probably worse because the diesel doesn't burn very well. Things get gunked up like the injectors, catalytic convertor and most likely other stuff.

Either way as you say it isn't really a fun thing to do! I have never owned a diesel car but my daughter wants one later this year. I am dreading it because I know it will be me that puts the petrol in by mistake