Put Petrol in a Diesel Alfa Romeo 164?
We'd ask you to keep the motor off if you've put petrol in a diesel Alfa Romeo 164 and not run it yet, and that counts for moving it off the forecourt as well. A drain is normally sufficient to set the 164 right, provided that petrol remains inside the tank, which it does whilst your motor is off.
Your Alfa Romeo 164 can be left wherever it ended up, forecourt or not, as Petrol in Diesel empties wrongly fuelled vehicles on the spot. Call us before anything else and let us talk you through it, rather than attempting anything on your own.
Put petrol in a diesel 164? What to do first
- Leave your engine off. Any diesel 164 will generally fire up and run with petrol inside the tank, and it may feel normal for a few miles, and that is why people frequently drive away without noticing something is wrong.
- Fuel can be drawn to the fuel injectors before your engine has fired, since on plenty of diesel motors your ignition alone starts priming the fuel pump. Leave your ignition off too.
- Topping up with diesel to thin it is a mistake, even with super unleaded, which counts as petrol as well. The tank on your 164 holds up to 70 litres, and every litre of diesel put in is more tainted fuel for us to drain.
- If your car is in the way of a pump, put it in neutral then roll the car clear. Forecourt staff are normally happy to help with that.
- When you call 0333 366 0103, we need to know which 164 you have, where it is, how much petrol you think was put in and whether the motor has been started. The precise variant is useful as well if it is on the badging, for example the 164 TD.
Running on wrong fuel in your Alfa Romeo 164
Wrong fuel in your Alfa Romeo 164 only starts to affect the motor when it's pulled out of your tank, which is what starting your engine does. In a diesel motor, your fuel lubricates your injectors and the injection pump on its way through. That lubrication is taken away as soon as petrol dilutes the diesel, so the harm, where there's any, is down to driving on that blend.
Pull over somewhere safe and turn off if the 164 has already been on the road. We can still deal with it, by emptying your tank and flushing the pipes and your filter until all the tainted fuel is gone. Long-term damage is very uncommon when it is caught early and given a thorough clean.
The fuel tank capacity of the Alfa Romeo 164
The size of the tank counts as the risk depends on what proportion of the fuel in it is petrol, so the same couple of litres are a bigger problem if your tank was nearly empty when you filled up.
Each diesel Alfa Romeo 164 we have data for uses the same tank, which takes 70 litres, so the variant you have doesn't alter that calculation.
Telling which diesel 164 you have
The version is normally on a badge on the boot lid, and knowing it helps us when you ring.
On the diesel 164, the badging found is TD.
AdBlue in a diesel Alfa Romeo 164
Some diesel cars hold a blend of water and urea, known as AdBlue, in a tank of its own with a dedicated filler, and rely on it to clean up their exhaust. Even to move the car, don't turn the key when you have AdBlue in a diesel Alfa Romeo 164 after it went into the incorrect filler.
Since it is mainly water, AdBlue doesn't burn and offers the fuel pump no protection whatsoever. It does not mix with diesel either, so it drops to the base of the tank where the pump picks up its fuel, and a tank of up to 70 litres won't dilute it as it would dilute petrol.
Even a little of it is enough to end up in the fuel lines. Crystals of urea form in your filter, the fuel injectors and the rest of the system once the water dries off, and they corrode the metalwork they rest against.
Check under your fuel flap if the 164 has an AdBlue filler, because on many vehicles it is right next to the diesel filler. AdBlue caps are normally blue and fit a far smaller nozzle than diesel.
How a fuel drain on your Alfa Romeo 164 works
We carry out a fuel drain on your Alfa Romeo 164 where your vehicle is, and it never needs to go to a garage. First we check what went in and whether the engine has run. Your tank, which takes up to 70 litres on the 164, is then emptied, the lines and fuel filter are flushed, and the vehicle is refilled with clean diesel and primed before we start it.
Fresh diesel is what your 164 runs on by the time the job is done, and you are free to drive off in it.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Alfa Romeo 164, step by step
Like draining petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Alfa Romeo 164 goes through the same steps. When the 164 has been started, AdBlue can form crystals inside the lines, because it settles under your diesel instead of mixing in. We clear those out as well, and replace your fuel filter if it needs it.
What we call AdBlue removal is emptying AdBlue from the diesel tank after a mistake at the filler, not taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on a car.
A fuel drain on the Alfa Romeo 164: what it costs
We do not publish a fixed price, because the work differs from one task to the next. These are the biggest factors that change it:
- whether anybody has started or driven the 164, the thing that matters most
- the quantity put in, weighed against the capacity of your tank
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- whether our van can safely reach the 164 where it sits
Call with those details and we will be able to say what's likely to be involved.
Petrol in a diesel Alfa Romeo 164: your questions
Do you know the fuel tank capacity of the Alfa Romeo 164?
All the versions we have figures for hold 70 litres.
Does filling up with diesel help with a little petrol in my 164?
We'd recommend against it. The petrol stays in your system when you drive off, since adding diesel only reduces its share and takes out none of that. A drain gets all of that out, and with a small amount that is usually all the 164 needs.
Do I have to take my 164 to the Alfa Romeo dealer?
There is no need to take it elsewhere. We drain and clean the 164 where it is, and we're independent, with no link to Alfa Romeo or any of its dealers.
Is wrong fuel in my Alfa Romeo 164 covered by my policy?
Some policies have misfuelling cover and some do not, so it's worth looking at yours. Either way, we come out to empty your vehicle for you.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my 164: what happens?
In this case, too, the right thing is to leave the ignition alone. The AdBlue system will need draining, and when the car is driven like that, it will most likely show an alert and go into limp mode. Do say which tank took the diesel when you ring.
I've already driven my 164. What do I do?
Till we reach you, the engine needs to remain off, so stop where it's safe then switch it off. We empty and clean the fuel system where you are, and when it's caught early like this, long-term damage is very rare.