Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Alfa Romeo 146?
Once it is safe, pull in then turn the engine off, and keep it off. Running on with petrol in a diesel Alfa Romeo 146 just takes the petrol further in. We can still deal with it where you've stopped, and when it's caught soon, lasting damage is very rare.
Your Alfa Romeo 146 can stay wherever it has stopped, because Petrol in Diesel comes out to it, drains its tank there then cleans its fuel system of petrol. Once we head off, your car is running on clean diesel.
Signs of petrol in a diesel 146
You might drive a few miles without spotting anything, as petrol inside your fuel tank frequently leaves a diesel 146 running normally at first. People usually notice the following when there is petrol or AdBlue inside your fuel tank:
- power falls away, especially when you ask the motor to pull
- the idle turns erratic, or it runs rough
- smoke from the tailpipe, more of it than usual
- warning lights on the dash come on
- it cuts out and may not start again
If one of these began after you fuelled up, check your receipt to confirm what was put in.
What driving does to wrong fuel in your Alfa Romeo 146
Until the engine pulls it out, wrong fuel in your Alfa Romeo 146 remains in the tank, and driving pulls it on to the filter, and then into the high-pressure fuel pump and the injectors. The mixture gets into more of your fuel system the longer the 146 is driven, because petrol dilutes the diesel fuel that lubricates your pump and your fuel injectors on its way through them.
That is why it's wiser to stop as soon as you can than to complete the journey. Travelling a long way on contaminated fuel is what can do damage, and if a car is stopped early, draining and cleaning are generally all it requires.
Waiting where you have pulled up
There is no reason to get the 146 anywhere. We come to it at the roadside or outside your home, so there is no need to restart it or organise a recovery truck.
On a busy road, turn on the hazards, then find somewhere safe to wait away from the traffic.
When you ring 0333 366 0103, let us know where you are, which 146 it is and roughly how far you travelled. Knowing the version from the badge, such as the 146 1.9 JTD, helps as well.
Fuel drain on your Alfa Romeo 146 after it has been driven
There is one step more to a fuel drain on your Alfa Romeo 146 after it has been driven than to a drain at the forecourt. Emptying the tank comes first. After that we open your fuel lines and flush them through with the filter, until there's no petrol left between the tank and the engine. The fuel system is primed after clean diesel is in, and the motor is started to check it runs smoothly.
Once it's run: AdBlue in a diesel Alfa Romeo 146
If you have AdBlue in a diesel Alfa Romeo 146 and you have driven on it, the signs are normally rough running, smoke and warning lights, and your car may cut out. As AdBlue sinks to the base of your tank, where your pump draws its fuel, it's in your fuel line quickly, and it does not burn or lubricate. Its water drying out lets the urea form crystals in your fuel lines and the fuel filter.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Alfa Romeo 146 works
AdBlue removal from a diesel Alfa Romeo 146 that has been run means draining the fuel tank then clearing the crystals out of your fuel lines and your filter, and we'll change the filter if it needs it.
A dedicated AdBlue tank, if your 146 has one, is left alone. The work is about liquid in the diesel tank, and doesn't mean removing or switching off an AdBlue system.
The Alfa Romeo 146 fuel tank capacity and the engines
Diesel tanks on the Alfa Romeo 146 go from 51 to 61 litres over its versions, with the 146 1.9 JTD at the top end and the 146 TD at the bottom end.
On the diesel 146, the versions wear JTD and TD badges.
Every version listed has a motor of 1.9 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Alfa Romeo 146 1.9 JTD | 61 litres |
| Alfa Romeo 146 TD | 51 litres |
Fuel drain on the Alfa Romeo 146 after a drive: the cost
Whether it was petrol or AdBlue affects what a fuel drain on the Alfa Romeo 146 costs after driving on it, though it depends mainly on how far it travelled and where it has ended up. We can tell you what the job will involve once you call with those details.
Petrol in a diesel Alfa Romeo 146: questions after driving
Will my 146 be ruined?
It is very unlikely to be. If your car is stopped soon, draining and cleaning the fuel system is what we do where you've stopped, and damage that lasts is rare after that.
Can I drive the vehicle home first?
Our advice would be not to. Shifting it isn't needed, because we can empty the 146 where it is. Driving it on only takes contaminated fuel further through the fuel system.
It won't restart after stalling. What now?
Leaving it alone is wiser than trying again, as every try pulls the blend further through. We prime the fuel system and get it started for you after it's been emptied and flushed and clean diesel is in.
Does the version of my 146 matter?
It helps when you call if we know which of the 2 diesel versions of the 146 you have, and the tailgate badge says.
Is wrong fuel in my Alfa Romeo 146 covered by insurance?
Misfuelling cover is offered in some insurance policies, so do check yours after your car has been sorted. Either way, we still come out.