Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Citroen C3?
When you've put petrol in a diesel Citroen C3 and your engine hasn't been run, leave it switched off, including to move it away from the petrol pump. A drain is normally sufficient to put your C3 right, provided that petrol stays in the tank, which it will whilst the engine is off.
Petrol in Diesel empties misfuelled cars where they are, so your Citroen C3 can be left at the forecourt or wherever it ended up. We'll go through it with you over the phone, so call us before attempting anything on your own.
Got petrol in a diesel C3? First steps
- Leave the engine off. A diesel C3 will usually start and run with petrol in its tank, and it may seem fine for a few miles, and that is why people frequently drive away without noticing anything is amiss.
- Fuel can be drawn to the injectors before the engine has started, since on plenty of diesel motors your ignition on its own primes the fuel pump. Keep the ignition off too.
- Filling up with diesel to thin it is a bad idea, even with super unleaded, which counts as petrol too. The fuel tank on the C3 holds up to 50 litres, and each litre of diesel put in is more contaminated fuel for us to empty.
- Forecourt staff will usually help push the vehicle clear in neutral if it is in the way of a pump.
- Ring 0333 366 0103 and let us know which C3 you have and where it is, approximately how much petrol went in, and whether your engine has been run. If the exact variant is shown on the badge, for example the C3 HDi 110, tell us that too.
What starting the motor does with wrong fuel in your Citroen C3
Whilst it sits inside your tank, wrong fuel in your Citroen C3 does not affect the motor. That only begins once it's pulled out, which is what occurs when the motor is started. A diesel motor depends on the fuel to oil the high-pressure pump and the injectors whilst it flows through them. With petrol thinning your diesel, that protection goes, and driving for any distance on it is then what can do harm.
Where you've already driven your C3, pull over somewhere safe and switch off. We drain your tank, then rinse the lines and filter through till no contaminated fuel is left, so it can still be sorted out. When it's caught early and cleaned out thoroughly, permanent damage is very unusual.
It's the same whatever variant of the C3 you have, and that includes the C3 HDi 90 FAP.
Checking the Citroen C3 fuel tank capacity
Because the risk depends on what share of your fuel is petrol, the size of the tank matters, and a few litres in a tank that was close to empty are a bigger problem than the same in a fuller one.
Tank capacities on the Citroen C3 run from 45 to 50 litres depending on the version.
The smallest tank in our data is on the C3 1.4 HDi, and the biggest is on the C3 Picasso HDi 90 FAP.
The tank in the C3 HDi 70 FAP holds 45 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Citroen C3 1.4 HDi | 45 litres |
| Citroen C3 1.4 HDi 16V | 45 litres |
| Citroen C3 1.4 HDi 16V XR-T | 45 litres |
| Citroen C3 HDi 110 | 45 litres |
| Citroen C3 HDi 110 FAP | 45 litres |
| Citroen C3 HDi 70 | 45 litres |
| Citroen C3 HDi 70 FAP | 45 litres |
| Citroen C3 HDi 90 FAP | 45 litres |
| Citroen C3 Picasso HDi 110 FAP | 50 litres |
| Citroen C3 Picasso HDi 90 FAP | 50 litres |
| Citroen C3 Pluriel 1.4 HDi | 47 litres |
Checking your diesel C3 variant
It is useful for us to know the variant when you ring, and it is usually on a badge at the back of the car.
On your diesel C3, the badging found is HDi.
There is a single motor size throughout our records, 1.4 litres.
Put AdBlue in a diesel Citroen C3?
Water and urea go into AdBlue, which certain diesel vehicles use to treat the exhaust. It is kept in a tank of its own, with its own filler. If there's AdBlue in a diesel Citroen C3 as it went into the incorrect filler, do not turn the key, even to shift your vehicle.
Because it's mostly water, AdBlue doesn't burn and offers the fuel pump no protection at all. It does not blend with diesel either, so it settles to the base of the tank where your pump picks up its fuel, and a tank of up to 50 litres does nothing to dilute it as it would dilute petrol.
A small quantity is still pulled into the fuel system. Crystals of urea form in the fuel filter, the fuel injectors and the remainder of the fuel system once the water evaporates, and they eat into the metalwork they rest against.
Look under your fuel flap where the C3 has an AdBlue filler, because on many cars it sits right next to the diesel filler. AdBlue caps are normally blue and accept a much smaller nozzle than diesel.
How a fuel drain on your Citroen C3 is done
Taking your car to a garage isn't needed, as a fuel drain on your Citroen C3 is done right at your car. We start by checking what was put in and whether the engine has run, then drain the tank, which on the C3 takes up to 50 litres. Then we flush the fuel pipes and the fuel filter and fill up with clean diesel, and the fuel system is primed before we fire it up.
In the C3 HDi 70 the fuel tank takes 45 litres.
By the end, your C3 is running on fresh diesel again and ready for you to take away.
How we handle AdBlue removal from a diesel Citroen C3
Like draining petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Citroen C3 runs through the same stages. If the C3 has been run, AdBlue may leave deposits inside the pipes, as it gathers under your diesel rather than blending in. We flush those through as well, and swap the fuel filter if it needs it.
What we call AdBlue removal is draining AdBlue from the diesel tank after a mistake at your filler, not taking out or disabling the AdBlue system on a car.
A fuel drain on the Citroen C3: the cost
As every task is different, we have no fixed price to publish, and these are the chief things that shape it:
- most of all, whether the C3 has been driven or even started
- a tank's size next to the volume that went in
- what was put in, petrol or AdBlue
- where the C3 has stopped, and whether we can get the van to it in safety
The C3 Picasso HDi 110 FAP takes 50 litres when it is full, for comparison.
Call with those answers and we will be able to explain what's likely to be involved.
Questions on petrol in a diesel Citroen C3, with answers
How many litres is the Citroen C3 fuel tank capacity?
The table further up lists every version, with tanks between 45 and 50 litres.
I just put a little petrol in my C3. Should I fill up with diesel?
Topping up just reduces the share of petrol. None of it is removed, so it is all still there when you drive, which is why we would not advise it. A fuel drain takes all of it out, and with a small amount that is normally all your C3 needs.
Should my C3 go to the Citroen dealer?
You do not have to. We have no tie with Citroen or any of its dealers, being independent, and your C3 is emptied and cleaned where you are.
Does it help to know which C3 I have?
We have data for 11 diesel variants of the C3, and knowing which one you have assists us when you phone.
Does my policy cover wrong fuel in my Citroen C3?
We'll still come out and drain it for you, either way. Check your policy anyway, because not every policy has misfuelling cover.
What if I pour diesel in the AdBlue tank of my C3?
Leave your key out of the ignition in that case as well. When it is driven like that, a car will generally display a warning and go into limp mode. The AdBlue system needs emptying too. Please say which tank took the diesel when you ring.
I've already driven my C3. What should I do?
Turn the engine off after you've pulled over somewhere safe, and keep it off till we reach you. We empty and clean the system wherever you have pulled over, and if it's caught soon like this, permanent harm is very unusual.