Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Citroen DS3?
As soon as it is safe, pull in and switch the engine off, then keep it off. Driving on with petrol in a diesel Citroen DS3 only carries the petrol further in. It's very uncommon for permanent harm to follow if it is caught early, while it can still be sorted out where you have pulled up.
When Petrol in Diesel comes out to wherever your Citroen DS3 has ended up, the petrol is cleared from the system and the tank drained. By the time we head off, the vehicle is back on fresh diesel.
Signs of petrol in a diesel DS3
A diesel DS3 with petrol inside your tank commonly drives normally to begin with, and so the symptoms usually appear a few miles later on. People usually notice the following when there's petrol or AdBlue in the fuel tank:
- the motor is short of power, particularly when it has to accelerate
- the idle becomes uneven, or it runs rough
- more smoke than normal comes from the tailpipe
- the dashboard displays warning lights
- the motor cuts out and may not restart
Any of these beginning after you fuelled up is reason enough to check your receipt to see what went in.
How far wrong fuel in your Citroen DS3 gets when you drive
Till the engine draws it out, wrong fuel in your Citroen DS3 stays in the fuel tank, and driving draws it on to the fuel filter, and then into your high-pressure fuel pump and your fuel injectors. Petrol thins the diesel fuel that protects the pump and your fuel injectors as it runs through them, and running the DS3 further brings the mixture into more of the fuel system.
So finishing the trip is a worse choice than stopping as soon as you can. Travelling a long way on tainted fuel is what can cause damage, and if a vehicle is stopped early, draining and cleaning are usually all it needs.
Any other version of the DS3 is no different from the DS3 HDi 110 FAP here, and so which one is yours makes no difference.
Staying where you've pulled up
You don't have to take the DS3 anywhere. No recovery truck has to be organised and there is no reason to restart it, because we come to it at the roadside or outside your home.
If you're next to a busy road, turn your hazards on and wait somewhere safe, clear of the traffic.
Before you phone 0333 366 0103, have your location to hand, along with the mileage you drove and which DS3 it is. It helps too if the badge shows the version, like the DS3 HDi 90 FAP.
Fuel drain on your Citroen DS3 once you have driven on it
There is a step more to a fuel drain on your Citroen DS3 after it was driven than to a drain on the forecourt. No petrol is left between your fuel tank and the engine by the end, so your tank is drained first and your fuel lines are then opened up and rinsed through with the fuel filter. With fresh diesel in and the system primed, we fire up the engine and check it runs smoothly.
AdBlue in a diesel Citroen DS3 that has been driven
Uneven running, smoke and warning lamps are the usual symptoms once you've driven on AdBlue in a diesel Citroen DS3, and your car may stall. AdBlue doesn't burn or lubricate, and it settles to the base of your fuel tank where the pump picks up fuel, so it gets to your fuel line quickly. As its water dries out, the urea forms crystals in your fuel lines and your filter.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Citroen DS3 after it has run
The lines and the fuel filter have to be cleared of the crystals after your tank is drained, which is what AdBlue removal from a diesel Citroen DS3 that has been run means. If your fuel filter needs it, we replace it.
Nothing here involves switching off or taking out the AdBlue system. It covers liquid in the diesel tank, and a separate AdBlue tank your DS3 may have is left alone.
Engine sizes and Citroen DS3 fuel tank capacity
Across the versions of the Citroen DS3, diesel tanks run from 45 litres on the DS3 Cabrio HDi 90 FAP up to 50 litres on the DS3 e-HDi 70.
The badges on diesel DS3 versions read HDi.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Citroen DS3 Cabrio HDi 90 FAP | 45 litres |
| Citroen DS3 e-HDi 70 | 50 litres |
| Citroen DS3 HDi 110 FAP | 45 litres |
| Citroen DS3 HDi 90 FAP | 45 litres |
The price of a fuel drain on the Citroen DS3 after a drive
The mileage travelled and where it is now count the most for the price of a fuel drain on the Citroen DS3 after a drive, as does whether it was AdBlue or petrol. We can explain what the job will need when you phone with those details.
Driven with petrol in a diesel Citroen DS3: your queries
Has the petrol ruined my DS3?
The likelihood of that is very small. We empty and clean the fuel system where you have stopped, and if your car has been stopped early, lasting damage is rare.
Should I drive it home first?
We would ask you not to. Each mile on tainted fuel pushes it further through your fuel system, and we can empty the DS3 where it sits, which means there is no reason to move it.
Stalled, and it will not restart: what should I do next?
Trying again pulls more of the blend through with each attempt. Please leave the car as it is. With it drained and flushed and clean diesel in, we prime the system and get it started for you.
Do you need to know which DS3 I have?
It's useful when you ring if we know which of the 4 diesel versions of the DS3 you have, and the tailgate badge says.
Is wrong fuel in my Citroen DS3 covered by insurance?
Some policies offer misfuelling cover, so it's worth looking at yours once the car is sorted. We still come out either way.