Petrol in a Diesel Chevrolet Trax? Leave It Switched Off
Anybody who has put petrol in a diesel Chevrolet Trax without starting the engine should keep it turned off, and not run it even to roll it off the petrol pump. A fuel drain is normally enough to put your Trax right, as long as the petrol stays in your tank, which it does while your motor is off.
Petrol in Diesel empties wrongly fuelled vehicles where they stand, so the Chevrolet Trax can be left on the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Wait before trying anything yourself till you've rung us, and we will tell you what to do.
Petrol in a diesel Trax: what to do first
- Keep your motor off. Any diesel Trax will generally start and run with petrol inside the tank, and it may feel normal for a few miles, which is why people often drive off without noticing anything is amiss.
- The ignition has to stay off too, since turning it on sets the fuel pump priming on many diesels, and the pump then draws fuel out of your tank.
- Topping up with diesel to thin it is a bad idea, even with super unleaded, which is petrol as well. The tank on your Trax takes up to 52 litres, and each litre of diesel added is more contaminated fuel for us to drain.
- Speak to the forecourt staff when the vehicle is blocking a pump. They usually help push the car out of the way after it's in neutral.
- Ring 0333 366 0103 then let us know which Trax you drive and where it is parked, roughly how much petrol was put in, and whether your motor has been run. Where the exact variant is on the badge, for instance the Trax 1.7D AWD, give us that too.
What starting the motor does with wrong fuel in your Chevrolet Trax
The engine is not touched by wrong fuel in your Chevrolet Trax until it's drawn out of the tank, and starting the engine is what draws it out. A diesel engine depends on the fuel to oil the high-pressure fuel pump and the injectors as it passes through them. That lubrication is stripped away when petrol thins your diesel, so the harm, where there's any, is down to driving on that mix.
Look for somewhere safe to pull in and switch off, when the Trax has already been driven. We empty your tank, then flush the lines and fuel filter through till no tainted fuel is left, so it can still be dealt with. If it is caught early and flushed out thoroughly, long-term harm is very rare.
The Trax 1.7D FWD is no different here from any other variant of the Trax.
The fuel tank capacity of the Chevrolet Trax
Since the danger depends on what proportion of the fuel is petrol, the size of your tank counts, and a couple of litres in a tank that was nearly empty are more of a problem than the same in a fuller tank.
In our figures, all of the diesel variants of the Chevrolet Trax share one tank of 52 litres, so the calculation works out the same for each.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Trax 1.7D AWD | 52 litres |
| Chevrolet Trax 1.7D FWD | 52 litres |
Which diesel variant of the Trax do you drive?
It is useful for us to have the version when you call, and it's usually on a badge at the back of your car.
Our list takes in AWD versions too.
AdBlue in a diesel Chevrolet Trax
Water and urea make up AdBlue, which some diesel vehicles use to treat their exhaust. It is stored in a tank of its own, with a separate filler. The key should remain out of your ignition if you've got AdBlue in a diesel Chevrolet Trax through the incorrect filler, and that covers moving your vehicle.
Even a tank holding up to 52 litres does nothing to dilute AdBlue the way it would dilute petrol. AdBlue does not mix with diesel, so it sinks to the bottom, right where your pump draws its fuel, and being largely water it neither ignites nor offers the fuel pump any lubrication.
Even a small quantity gets sucked into the fuel line. Once the water has dried off, what's left is urea, which crystallises inside your fuel system, filter and injectors among them, and eats into any metal it sits against.
If your Trax has an AdBlue filler, it may well sit beside the diesel filler under the same cover, as it does on plenty of cars. A blue cap and a nozzle much narrower than diesel generally pick out the AdBlue filler.
Our fuel drain on your Chevrolet Trax, in order
A fuel drain on your Chevrolet Trax is done beside your vehicle, so it never has to go to a garage. Before we fire up the motor, the system is primed and the tank refilled with clean diesel. First comes finding out what was put in and whether it has run, draining a tank that holds up to 52 litres on the Trax, and rinsing the pipes and fuel filter.
Fresh diesel is what the Trax is running on by the time we've finished, and you are free to drive it away.
What AdBlue removal from a diesel Chevrolet Trax involves
Like clearing petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Chevrolet Trax goes through the same stages. If the Trax has been started, AdBlue can form crystals in the lines, since it settles under your diesel rather than blending in. We clear those through as well, and change your fuel filter if it needs it.
AdBlue removal, as we use it on this page, is about AdBlue that went in the incorrect filler and has to come out of the diesel tank. It does not cover removing or disabling the AdBlue system on the car.
What decides the price of a fuel drain on the Chevrolet Trax
Since every task is different, we have no set quote to publish, and these are the main factors that affect it:
- most of all, whether the Trax has been driven or even started
- the size of the tank, set against how much went in
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- whether our van can easily and safely reach the Trax where it is
If you ring with those answers we can let you know what the work is likely to involve.
Questions about petrol in a diesel Chevrolet Trax
Can you tell me the fuel tank capacity of the Chevrolet Trax?
52 litres on every version in our data.
I just put a little petrol in my Trax. Should I fill up with diesel?
We would advise against it. That petrol stays in the fuel system when you drive, because putting in diesel only cuts its share and takes out none of that. With only a little petrol, a drain to get all of that out is usually all your Trax requires.
Is a trip to the Chevrolet dealer necessary for my Trax?
You don't have to. We have no tie with Chevrolet or any of its dealers, being independent, and the Trax is drained and cleaned wherever you have stopped.
Do you need to know which Trax I have?
We have data for 2 diesel variants of the Trax, and knowing which one you have assists us when you ring.
Am I insured for wrong fuel in my Chevrolet Trax?
It is worth checking your policy, as misfuelling cover is part of some and not others. Whatever it says, we come out to empty the vehicle.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Trax: what now?
In that case, as well, leave the key out of the ignition. Limp mode and a warning are what the majority of vehicles show you when they're driven that way, and their AdBlue system will need emptying. When you ring, tell us which tank the diesel went into.
I drove my Trax before I realised. What should I do?
Pull over where it is safe and turn your engine off, then keep it off until we get to you. Where you have stopped, the fuel system is emptied and cleaned on the spot, and caught early like this, it very seldom leaves lasting damage.