What the Tank Holds: Petrol in a Diesel BMW X1
The capacity of your fuel tank is one of the first points worth knowing after you have got petrol in a diesel BMW X1, because the share of what is in there that's currently petrol depends on it. Every version of the BMW X1 we have figures for is listed on this page alongside its tank size, and so are the motors it was sold with.
When it has happened, the same advice holds whatever the number happens to be. Keep the engine off then ring Petrol in Diesel, and we'll come out and drain the car where it is.
Version by version: BMW X1 fuel tank capacity
On the BMW X1, the fuel tank holds 61 litres, and it's the same on each version we have figures for.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| BMW X1 s-Drive 16d | 61 litres |
| BMW X1 s-Drive 18d | 61 litres |
| BMW X1 s-Drive 20d | 61 litres |
| BMW X1 s-Drive 20d EDE | 61 litres |
| BMW X1 x-Drive 18d | 61 litres |
| BMW X1 x-Drive 20d | 61 litres |
| BMW X1 x-Drive 23d | 61 litres |
| BMW X1 x-Drive 25d | 61 litres |
Wrong fuel in your BMW X1: what a few litres means
How full your tank was when you filled up sets the share of petrol, because wrong fuel in your BMW X1 mixes with whatever diesel was still there. How much petrol goes to your engine rests a lot on the level in the tank. It takes up to 61 litres, and on an almost full one a few litres stay a small share of the whole, yet in a tank sitting close to empty the same few litres make up a much larger share.
Frequently, drivers ask at what point the petrol becomes too much. It's more helpful to check whether the motor has run, as a running motor is what carries that mixture out of your tank and through the pump and your injectors.
With a modest quantity, a drain is usually all your X1 needs, and whatever the share, having it emptied is the right course.
The engine options in the diesel X1
Before you phone, it is worth noting the version name on the badge, because it tells us which engine your X1 has.
When you are not sure which version you own, call anyway then we'll figure it out together.
When there's AdBlue in a diesel BMW X1
With AdBlue, fuel tank size works differently. AdBlue is mainly water and does not mix with diesel, and so with AdBlue in a diesel BMW X1, your diesel surrounding it does nothing to dilute it. Since it settles to the bottom of your tank, where the fuel pump pulls from, even a tiny quantity reaches your fuel lines.
AdBlue doesn't burn and gives the pump no lubrication, and as its water evaporates, the urea left over crystallises in your lines and your filter and eats into the metalwork around it.
The filler for AdBlue, on diesel cars that carry it, commonly shares a fuel flap with the diesel one and leads to a separate tank. Where your X1 has an AdBlue filler, its cap is usually blue and fits a slimmer nozzle than the diesel filler.
What a fuel drain on your BMW X1 involves
Whatever size your tank is on your version, a fuel drain on your BMW X1 clears the lot, just where the vehicle is parked. First the tainted fuel is pumped out, then the filter and fuel lines are purged. After filling up with fresh diesel, we re-prime the fuel system and start the engine.
Parked at home or still at the pumps, your X1 receives the same drain. When we finish the drain, the vehicle is running on clean diesel and free to drive away.
What AdBlue removal from a diesel BMW X1 involves
With AdBlue sitting at the base of your tank and not mixed in, AdBlue removal from a diesel BMW X1 begins by clearing your tank fully. Where your engine has been run, your lines and the fuel filter are rinsed through too, and the fuel filter is replaced if necessary.
What this covers is AdBlue that ended up in the diesel tank, not taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on the vehicle.
The cost of a fuel drain on the BMW X1
There is no fixed price published on this page, as jobs on one model can vary quite a lot. What affects it most is whether the X1 has been started or driven, and next how much got in compared with the size of your tank, whether it was petrol or AdBlue, and where the car is.
Ring with those facts so we can tell you what the job will take.
Petrol in a diesel BMW X1: tank queries
How many litres is the BMW X1 fuel tank capacity?
The same tank is fitted to every version in our data, taking 61 litres.
Is petrol less of a worry in a bigger tank?
In a bigger tank, petrol is a smaller part of the whole, yet it hasn't gone anywhere, and it reaches your pump once the engine runs. A fuel drain clears all of that while your X1 stays turned off.
Do you cover more than one diesel X1?
Our data cover 8 diesel versions of the X1, all set out in the table above, so you can find yours there by the name shown on its badge.
Wrong fuel in my BMW X1: what does that include?
Anything apart from diesel in your diesel tank, which means petrol of every type, super unleaded as well, or AdBlue intended for its own dedicated tank.
Will you drain the BMW X1 where it is?
Yes. We travel to your car, whether it's still at the forecourt or left on your drive, and so it doesn't need to be shifted or started.