Put Petrol in a Diesel Alfa Romeo Spider by Mistake?
We'd urge you to leave your engine off if you've put petrol in a diesel Alfa Romeo Spider and not started it yet, and that counts for moving it off the forecourt as well. The petrol cannot leave the tank whilst your motor is off, so the Spider can normally be set right with a drain.
Petrol in Diesel drains wrongly fuelled cars on the spot, and your Alfa Romeo Spider can be left at the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Wait before trying anything yourself until you have called us, and we'll tell you what to do.
First steps for petrol in a diesel Spider
- Leave your engine off. A diesel Spider will usually fire up and run with petrol in the tank, and it may seem fine for a couple of miles, which is why motorists commonly drive away without noticing something is amiss.
- Turning your ignition on is all it takes, on many diesels, to start the fuel pump priming and pull fuel from the tank to your injectors, so leave that off too.
- Diluting that petrol by filling up with diesel doesn't help. It only adds to the tainted fuel to be drained from a tank that takes up to 70 litres in your Spider, and super unleaded counts as petrol here too.
- Forecourt attendants will generally help push the vehicle out of the way in neutral if it is blocking a pump.
- Call 0333 366 0103 with where the Spider has stopped and which one it is, the approximate quantity of petrol that was put in, and whether it has been run. If you can read the precise variant on the badge, for example the Spider 2.4 JTDM automatik, that helps as well.
Wrong fuel in your Alfa Romeo Spider after your engine has been run
As long as it sits in the tank, wrong fuel in your Alfa Romeo Spider doesn't affect the motor. That only starts when it's pulled out, which is what occurs when the engine is started. In a diesel motor, the fuel lubricates your injectors and the injection pump on its way through. Petrol thins the diesel and strips that protection away, which is why it's driving any distance on that blend that can cause harm.
Pull over somewhere safe then switch off when your Spider has already been driven. We drain your tank, then flush the pipes and filter through till no contaminated fuel is left, so it can still be sorted out. As long as it's flushed out properly after being caught early, it very rarely leaves permanent harm.
Checking the Alfa Romeo Spider fuel tank capacity
If you fuelled up while your tank was close to empty, the same couple of litres make up more of your fuel in there, and the danger rests on that proportion, so the capacity of the tank matters.
Every diesel Alfa Romeo Spider we have data for uses the same tank, which takes 70 litres, so the version you have makes no difference to that sum.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Alfa Romeo Spider 2.0 JTDM | 70 litres |
| Alfa Romeo Spider 2.4 JTDM | 70 litres |
| Alfa Romeo Spider 2.4 JTDM automatik | 70 litres |
What diesel Spider do you own?
More often than not the variant is shown on your boot lid, and it's useful to us to know when you phone.
On a diesel Spider you will find JTDM on the badge.
Motor sizes run from 2.0 litres in the Spider 2.0 JTDM up to 2.4 litres on the Spider 2.4 JTDM.
AdBlue in a diesel Alfa Romeo Spider
Certain diesel vehicles carry a mix of water and urea, known as AdBlue, in a tank of its own with a separate filler, and rely on it to clean up their exhaust. Pouring AdBlue in the incorrect filler gives you AdBlue in a diesel Alfa Romeo Spider, so don't touch the key, not even to shift it.
Because it is mostly water, AdBlue doesn't ignite and gives the fuel pump no protection whatsoever. It does not mix with diesel either, so it settles to the base of your tank where the pump picks up its fuel, and a tank holding up to 70 litres does nothing to dilute it the way it would dilute petrol.
No matter how small the volume, some of that gets pulled into the line. Within your fuel system the water evaporates and lets the urea crystallise, in your filter and injectors among other places, where it attacks the metal it touches.
Where the Spider has an AdBlue filler, it could well lie beside the diesel filler under the same flap, as it does on a lot of vehicles. A blue cap and a nozzle much smaller than diesel normally mark the AdBlue filler.
How a fuel drain on your Alfa Romeo Spider works
There is no garage involved, since we do a fuel drain on your Alfa Romeo Spider at your car itself. First we confirm what went in and whether your engine has been run. The tank, which takes up to 70 litres on the Spider, is then drained, the pipes and filter are cleaned, and your car is filled up with fresh diesel and primed before we start the vehicle.
When we've finished, the Spider is running on clean diesel and you are free to drive off in it.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Alfa Romeo Spider
The steps are the same as a petrol drain for AdBlue removal from a diesel Alfa Romeo Spider. AdBlue settles at the bottom of the tank instead of blending in, and if the Spider has been run it can form crystals in the pipes, so we clear those out as well and change the fuel filter if it needs doing.
What we call AdBlue removal is draining AdBlue from the diesel tank after a slip at your filler, not removing or switching off the AdBlue system on a vehicle.
A fuel drain on the Alfa Romeo Spider: what it costs
Because every task is different, we have no fixed quote to publish, and these are the main factors that affect it:
- most of all, whether the Spider has been driven or even started
- how much went in compared with the size of the tank
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- whether our van can safely reach the Spider where it sits
Once you call with those answers we can let you know what the job is likely to involve.
Queries on petrol in a diesel Alfa Romeo Spider, with answers
How many litres is the Alfa Romeo Spider fuel tank capacity?
It takes 70 litres, and our data show the same tank on every variant.
Does topping up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Spider?
Topping up only lowers the proportion of petrol. None of it is taken out, so it's all still there when you drive off, which is why we would not advise it. Your Spider normally requires nothing more than a fuel drain if just a modest amount was put in, and that takes the petrol out completely.
Should my Spider go to the Alfa Romeo dealer?
No. We're independent with no tie with Alfa Romeo or its dealers, plus we drain and clean your Spider wherever it has stopped, so there is no need to move it anywhere.
Does it help to know which Spider I have?
It helps us to know which one you drive when you phone, because we hold figures for 3 diesel variants of the Spider.
Is wrong fuel in my Alfa Romeo Spider covered by my insurance?
We'll still come out to drain it for you, covered or not. Look at your insurance all the same, since not every policy has misfuelling cover.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Spider: what happens?
Do not put the key in your ignition in that case either. When it is driven like that, a car will normally show an alert and enter limp mode. The AdBlue system needs draining as well. Do say which tank took the fuel when you call.
I have already driven my Spider. What now?
Stop where it is safe and turn your motor off, then keep it off until we get to you. Catching it this soon means long-term harm is very rare, plus we empty and clean your fuel system wherever you are.