Petrol in a Diesel Citroen C4: Already Driven It?
The motor wants turning off then keeping off once you can pull over somewhere safe, if you've travelled on petrol in a diesel Citroen C4. We can still deal with it wherever you've pulled up, and when it is caught early, permanent damage is very rare.
Your Citroen C4 can stay wherever it has stopped, because Petrol in Diesel comes out to it, empties its tank on the spot and clears its fuel system of petrol. It's on clean diesel and running when we go.
Noticing petrol in a diesel C4
A diesel C4 with petrol in your fuel tank commonly feels normal at first, so the symptoms tend to show up a couple of miles later on. With petrol or AdBlue inside the tank, these are the signs motorists usually spot:
- the engine is short of power, particularly whenever it has to pull
- it ticks over unevenly, or it runs roughly
- the exhaust gives off more smoke than usual
- warning lights on the dash light up
- it cuts out and may not restart
Any of these beginning after you fuelled up is a reason to look at the receipt to see what went in.
What driving does to wrong fuel in your Citroen C4
The fuel tank holds wrong fuel in your Citroen C4 in one place until it is pulled out by the engine. After you drive, it is drawn through the fuel injectors, the fuel filter and the high-pressure fuel pump. Diesel lubricates your pump and your injectors as it passes through them while petrol weakens it, and so the further the C4 is taken, the more of your fuel system the mix gets to.
That is the reason to stop the moment you can and not finish the trip. Harm, where it occurs, comes from a long drive on contaminated fuel, and draining and cleaning are usually all a car requires when it's stopped soon.
Whether yours is the C4 Aircross HDi 115 or a different version of the C4, nothing changes.
Right where you pulled over
The C4 doesn't need getting anywhere. We come to it at the side of the road or outside your house, so there is no need to restart the car or organise a tow.
With the hazards on, wait clear of the traffic somewhere safe if the road next to you is busy.
When you ring 0333 366 0103, tell us where you are, which C4 it is and roughly how far you travelled. Giving us the version on the badge, like the C4 HDi 90 FAP, is useful too.
Fuel drain on your Citroen C4 once you've driven on it
Once it has been driven, a fuel drain on your Citroen C4 takes one step more than one at the forecourt. No petrol should be remaining between the tank and the motor afterwards, so the tank is drained first and your fuel lines are then opened up and flushed through with the fuel filter. Before our technicians go, the engine is started to check it's running correctly on clean diesel, once the fuel system has been primed.
The fuel tank emptied first on the C4 Picasso HDi 165 FAP holds 60 litres.
AdBlue in a diesel Citroen C4 after it has run
Travelling with AdBlue in a diesel Citroen C4 normally brings warning lights, smoke and rough running, and the car might stall. The fuel pump picks up fuel from the base of the tank, which is where AdBlue sinks, and so it reaches the fuel line quickly. It also doesn't burn or lubricate. As its water dries, the urea crystallises in your lines and the filter.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Citroen C4 is done
The lines and the filter have to be cleared of the crystals after the fuel tank is drained, which is what AdBlue removal from a diesel Citroen C4 that has been run involves. If the fuel filter needs it, we change it.
If your C4 has a separate AdBlue tank, that's not touched. This is about liquid in your diesel tank, not removing or switching off the AdBlue system.
Citroen C4 fuel tank capacity and engine sizes
The C4 Aircross HDi 150 sits at the top end and the C4 Grand Picasso 2.0 e-HDi at the bottom of the Citroen C4 versions, with diesel tanks from 55 to 63 litres.
For example, the C4 Grand Picasso HDi 150 FAP holds 60 litres.
Diesel C4 versions carry HDi badging.
On every version listed, your engine is 2.0 litres.
Some of them are Coupe versions.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Citroen C4 Aircross HDi 115 | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Aircross HDi 150 | 63 litres |
| Citroen C4 Coupe HDi 110 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Coupe HDi 135 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Coupe HDi 140 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Coupe HDi 90 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Grand Picasso 2.0 e-HDi | 55 litres |
| Citroen C4 Grand Picasso e-HDi 115 | 55 litres |
| Citroen C4 Grand Picasso HDi 110 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Grand Picasso HDi 135 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Grand Picasso HDi 150 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Grand Picasso HDi 165 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Grand Picasso HDi 90 | 55 litres |
| Citroen C4 HDi 110 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 HDi 135 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 HDi 140 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 HDi 150 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 HDi 90 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Picasso 2.0 e-HDi | 55 litres |
| Citroen C4 Picasso e-HDi 115 | 55 litres |
| Citroen C4 Picasso HDi 110 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Picasso HDi 135 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Picasso HDi 150 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Picasso HDi 165 FAP | 60 litres |
| Citroen C4 Picasso HDi 90 | 55 litres |
Fuel drain on the Citroen C4 after a drive: the cost
Whether it was petrol or AdBlue affects what a fuel drain on the Citroen C4 costs after driving on it, though it hinges mostly on how far it went and where it has stopped. We can tell you what the work will need once you phone with those details.
Usual queries about petrol in a diesel Citroen C4 after a drive
Has the petrol ruined my C4?
It's very unlikely. Lasting harm is rare when the vehicle is stopped soon and the fuel system is emptied and cleaned, and that's what we do wherever you have stopped.
Can I drive it home first?
We would rather you did not. Contaminated fuel gets further into the fuel system with every mile, which means you can leave the C4 where it is whilst we empty it there, with no need to shift it.
It has stalled and will not restart. What should I do?
Leaving it alone is wiser than having another go, as each try draws the blend further through. We prime the fuel system and start it for you after it's been emptied and flushed and clean diesel is in.
Does the version of my C4 matter?
The badge on the tailgate shows the version you have, out of the 25 diesel versions of the C4, and knowing it assists us when you call.
Will my policy cover wrong fuel in my Citroen C4?
We still come out whichever way your policy goes, and some do offer misfuelling cover, which means looking at yours after the car is sorted out is worth doing.