Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel BMW?
When you have got petrol in a diesel BMW but your engine hasn't been started, keep the vehicle switched off, including to shift it away from the pump. In this position, the car generally needs only a fuel drain, as the petrol hasn't yet moved out of your tank.
Wherever a diesel BMW has stopped, including the forecourt, Petrol in Diesel empties it where it stands. If you would much rather talk it through before attempting anything yourself, phone us. Each model gets a page of its own, linked below.
The first steps with petrol in a diesel BMW
- The ignition needs to remain off as well as your engine, as on many diesels turning it on sets the fuel pump priming, and that pulls fuel from the tank to your injectors.
- Every litre of diesel added on top is more tainted fuel for us to drain, and diesel BMW models take up to 93 litres, so do not top up to water it down.
- Forecourt staff will normally help push the car clear in neutral if it's blocking a pump.
- Tell us which model you have when you phone 0333 366 0103, even if it's only the name, for example the X3. We also want to know where you are, whether the motor has been run and about how much was put in.
Wrong fuel in your BMW: why the engine matters most
Starting your engine is what pulls wrong fuel in your BMW out of your tank, and till then it doesn't cause problems. Driving any distance on the mix is what can cause harm, as diesel oils your high-pressure pump and your injectors on its way through, and petrol dilutes it.
Switch off once you can stop somewhere safe, when your vehicle has already been driven. Spotting it early keeps permanent damage very rare, and sorting it out where you've stopped is still something we can do.
It's the same whatever BMW you drive, and that includes the 6 Series.
How large the tanks are in the diesel BMW range
The capacity of your tank counts since what matters is how much of the fuel in there is petrol, so a few litres count for more in a tank that was close to empty.
Throughout the diesel BMW range, tanks vary from 50 to 93 litres.
The largest is on the X5 and the smallest is on the 1 Series.
Up to 65 litres fits inside the tank of the 3 Series.
We hold data for 11 diesel BMW models, and each one has its own page with the tank on every version.
If there is AdBlue in a diesel BMW
The first step is the same if you have AdBlue in a diesel BMW after it went in the wrong filler. Moving the vehicle isn't a reason to turn the key.
The fuel pump gets no lubrication from AdBlue, which is mostly water holding dissolved urea and will not burn. It will not blend with diesel either, so it sinks under your diesel inside your tank, where your pump pulls from. The urea forms crystals as the water dries out, settling in the pipes and the fuel filter, and eats into the metalwork around it.
On diesel vehicles with AdBlue in a tank of its own, the AdBlue filler frequently lies next to the diesel filler, the two under one cover. The AdBlue cap on yours, if it has one, is usually blue, and it takes a narrower nozzle.
Our fuel drain on your BMW, step by step
There is no need to move your car, because we do a fuel drain on your BMW where it stands, at the forecourt or on your drive. Before we start your engine, the fuel system is primed and your tank filled up with clean diesel. That follows finding out what went in and whether it has run, draining your tank and rinsing your fuel lines and the fuel filter.
A tank of up to 60 litres is what we empty on the 4 Series.
We leave when the vehicle is back on fresh diesel and running.
What AdBlue removal from a diesel BMW involves
AdBlue removal from a diesel BMW takes the same steps as a petrol drain, with more care at the base of your tank, where AdBlue collects. A vehicle that has been run gets its lines and filter flushed through, plus a fresh fuel filter where needed.
This means AdBlue taken out of the diesel tank. It does not mean taking out or switching off the AdBlue system.
What a fuel drain on a diesel BMW will cost
Because jobs differ, you will not find a set price on this page. Starting the engine or driving the vehicle affects our quote most. How much went in against the capacity of the tank matters as well, along with whether it was petrol or AdBlue and where the vehicle is parked. Those answers are what we need to explain what the work involves, so ring with them.
Petrol in a diesel BMW: your questions
Can you drain any diesel BMW?
We can drain diesel cars of any make, and this page links to every diesel BMW model in our figures.
Diesel BMW models on the list: how many?
There are 11 diesel BMW models on our list, and 143 versions between them.
Should my BMW go to the dealer?
You do not have to. As an independent business, we have no connection with BMW or any of its dealers. We empty the vehicle wherever it has stopped.
Can I claim on insurance for wrong fuel in my BMW?
Some policies include misfuelling cover and some don't, so it is worth checking yours. We come out whichever it is.