Driven on Petrol in a Diesel Chevrolet Already?
If you've been driving with petrol in a diesel Chevrolet, pull over the moment it's safe, turn the motor off and keep it off. We can still sort it out where you have stopped, and if it is spotted early, lasting damage is very rare.
The petrol is cleared out of the system once your tank is drained, where the vehicle has stopped, as Petrol in Diesel travels out to it. It is running on clean diesel again before we leave.
Clues that suggest petrol in a diesel Chevrolet
A diesel vehicle carrying petrol in the tank commonly drives normally for the first couple of miles, so the signs usually show up later. Motorists usually notice these when there's petrol or AdBlue in the fuel tank:
- a loss of power from the engine, particularly when you ask it to pull
- it runs rough, or your idle turns uneven
- more smoke than normal comes from the tailpipe
- warning lamps show on the dashboard
- it cuts out and might not start again
If any of these started after you filled up, your receipt will show what was put in.
Wrong fuel in your Chevrolet: what driving on it does
Driving is what pulls wrong fuel in your Chevrolet through the fuel filter, your high-pressure fuel pump and your injectors. Until the motor pulls it out, it sits in your fuel tank. As it runs through the injectors and your pump, diesel lubricates them. Petrol thins it, and driving farther takes that blend deeper into the fuel system.
That is the reason to stop as soon as you can rather than complete the journey. It is driving a long way on mixed fuel that can cause harm. Stopped soon, a motor normally needs no more than a drain and a clean.
The Malibu works the same way as any other diesel Chevrolet in this respect.
Where you have stopped
Your car can stay exactly where it is. Whether it is at the roadside or outside your house, we come to the vehicle there, with no need to restart it or arrange a recovery truck.
Switch on your hazard lights when the road next to you is busy, then choose a safe spot to wait, staying away from the traffic.
Ring 0333 366 0103 and say where you have stopped, what model it is and roughly how far it has gone. A model name such as the Cruze works to start with.
What a fuel drain on your Chevrolet involves after a drive
After it's been driven, a fuel drain on your Chevrolet involves a step more than a drain at the forecourt. No petrol should be remaining anywhere from the fuel tank to the engine, which is why your tank is drained first and the fuel lines are opened and rinsed through along with your fuel filter. The system is primed after clean diesel goes in, and the engine is started to check it runs properly.
On the Orlando, the tank we drain first takes up to 64 litres.
Driven on AdBlue in a diesel Chevrolet
Look out for smoke, uneven running and warning lights once you have driven on AdBlue in a diesel Chevrolet, as your car might also cut out. The pump draws fuel from the bottom of your fuel tank, and that is where AdBlue settles, so it gets into your fuel line quickly. AdBlue does not ignite or lubricate at all. Crystals of urea form in the fuel lines and your filter once its water evaporates.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Chevrolet, step by step
AdBlue removal from a diesel Chevrolet that has been run means emptying your fuel tank and then flushing the crystals from the fuel lines and the filter, then we replace your fuel filter if it needs it.
Just the fuel tank is dealt with here. If the vehicle has its own AdBlue tank, it's left alone, and the AdBlue system is not removed or switched off.
Tank sizes in the diesel Chevrolet range
From 52 litres, diesel Chevrolet tanks go up to 159 litres across the models.
Up to 65 litres goes in the Captiva, for instance.
Every one of the 8 diesel Chevrolet models we list has its own page below, with every version and its fuel tank.
Pricing a fuel drain on a diesel Chevrolet that has been driven
The price of a fuel drain after driving hinges mostly on how far the car went and where it has ended up, and whether it was petrol or AdBlue makes a difference as well. Give us those details on a call, and we can say what's involved.
What drivers ask after driving with petrol in a diesel Chevrolet
Is the harm to my Chevrolet permanent?
Lasting harm is very unlikely. It's rare when the car is stopped early and the fuel system is emptied and cleaned, which is what we do wherever you have stopped.
Is it OK to drive it home first?
We would sooner you did not. We can deal with the car just where it stands, so it does not need moving, and each mile on contaminated fuel would carry it further through the fuel system.
What should I do when it has stalled and will not restart?
Each attempt draws more of that blend through, so please leave it rather than trying again. After we have emptied and rinsed it and put fresh diesel in, we prime the system and get it started for you.
Does my insurance cover wrong fuel in my Chevrolet?
When the vehicle is sorted, it is worth looking at your policy, because some include misfuelling cover. We come out whether or not it does.