Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Audi A1?
As soon as it is safe, pull in and switch the motor off, then leave it off. Running on with petrol in a diesel Audi A1 just carries the petrol further in. Where you've stopped, we can still put it right, and damage that lasts is very rare when it's spotted soon.
Once Petrol in Diesel travels out to wherever your Audi A1 has stopped, the petrol is cleared out of the system and the fuel tank emptied. Once we go, your vehicle is running on fresh diesel.
Warning signs of petrol in a diesel A1
It is usually a couple of miles until the symptoms show up, as with petrol inside the tank a diesel A1 will often drive normally at first. People usually spot these signs when there is petrol or AdBlue inside the fuel tank:
- the engine is short of power, especially whenever it has to pull
- rough running, or an uneven idle
- there's more smoke than normal from the tailpipe
- the dashboard displays warning lamps
- the motor stalls and may not restart
If any of these started after you fuelled up, check your receipt to confirm what was put in.
Wrong fuel in your Audi A1 and the result of travelling on it
Till the engine pulls it out, wrong fuel in your Audi A1 stays in the fuel tank, but driving pulls it on to the filter, and then to your high-pressure pump and your fuel injectors. As diesel passes through the injectors and your fuel pump it lubricates them, but petrol weakens it, which is why the A1 spreads the mix further into your system the more it is used.
So completing the journey is a poorer choice than stopping as soon as you can. Travelling a long way on contaminated fuel is what can cause damage, and when a vehicle is stopped early, draining and cleaning are normally all it requires.
It makes no difference if yours is the A1 2.0 TDI or a different version of the A1.
Staying where you've pulled up
You don't have to get the A1 anywhere. No recovery truck has to be booked and there is no reason to restart it, because we come to it at the side of the road or outside your home.
If you're alongside a main road, turn the hazards on and wait somewhere safe, away from the traffic.
Phone 0333 366 0103 and say where you are, what A1 it is and roughly how far you have driven. Knowing the version on the badge, like the A1 Sportback 1.6 TDI, is useful as well.
Fuel drain on your Audi A1 after it was driven
Next to a drain at the forecourt, a fuel drain on your Audi A1 goes one step further after driving. Once your tank has been emptied, the lines are opened and flushed through along with the fuel filter, which leaves no petrol anywhere from the fuel tank to the motor. With fresh diesel in and the system primed, we start the motor then make sure it runs smoothly.
AdBlue in a diesel Audi A1 once driven
If you have AdBlue in a diesel Audi A1 and you have driven on it, the signs are typically uneven running, smoke and warning lamps, and the vehicle can cut out. AdBlue doesn't burn or lubricate, and it sinks to the bottom of the tank where your fuel pump draws fuel, so it reaches your fuel line fast. The urea crystallises in your fuel filter and your lines as its water evaporates.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Audi A1 works
AdBlue removal from a diesel Audi A1 that has been run means emptying your tank then flushing the crystals from the fuel lines and the filter, and we change the filter if it needs it.
If your A1 has a dedicated AdBlue tank, that is left as it is. This is about liquid in your diesel tank, not taking out or turning off the AdBlue system.
Tanks and engines: Audi A1 fuel tank capacity
The Audi A1 has the same diesel tank, 45 litres, on every version in our data.
The badges on diesel A1 versions are TDI.
The smallest engine is 1.6 litres, on the A1 1.6 TDI, and the biggest is 2.0 litres, on the A1 Sportback 2.0 TDI.
Some of them are Sportback versions.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Audi A1 1.6 TDI | 45 litres |
| Audi A1 2.0 TDI | 45 litres |
| Audi A1 Sportback 1.6 TDI | 45 litres |
| Audi A1 Sportback 2.0 TDI | 45 litres |
What a fuel drain on the Audi A1 costs after a drive
Whether it was petrol or AdBlue changes what a fuel drain on the Audi A1 costs after driving on it, though it depends mainly on how far it went and where it has ended up. We can tell you what the job will need once you phone with those details.
Driven with petrol in a diesel Audi A1: your questions
Is my A1 ruined?
Almost certainly not. With the vehicle stopped early and your fuel system drained and cleaned wherever you have pulled up, which is what we do, permanent damage is rare.
Is it all right to drive it home first?
Our guidance is not to. Tainted fuel reaches further into the fuel system with each mile, which means you can keep the A1 where it stands whilst we empty it there, with no need to move the vehicle.
It will not restart after stalling. What now?
Trying again pulls more of the blend through on every try. Please leave the car as it is. After we've emptied and flushed it and put fresh diesel in, we prime your system and get it started for you.
Do you need to know which A1 I drive?
There are 4 diesel versions of the A1, and the badge on the tailgate shows which one you have. Knowing that assists us when you ring.
Insurance and wrong fuel in my Audi A1: am I covered?
Misfuelling cover is included in some policies, so do look at yours after your car has been sorted. Whatever it says, we still come out.