Put Petrol in a Diesel Citroen XM?
When you have got petrol in a diesel Citroen XM but the motor hasn't been started, leave it switched off, even to move it away from the pump. The petrol can't leave the tank as long as your engine is off, so the XM can generally be put right with a drain.
There's no reason to move your Citroen XM off the forecourt, or from any other spot where it stopped, since the drain is done by Petrol in Diesel where the car is. Hold off attempting anything on your own till you have rung us, and we'll explain what to do.
Your first steps after petrol in a diesel XM
- With petrol inside your tank, a diesel XM will usually still start and run, and feel perfectly ordinary for several miles. That's how motorists frequently drive off without noticing a problem, and why the engine should be left off.
- Leave the ignition off as well. On many diesels switching it on is enough to start the fuel pump priming, which draws fuel out of the tank to your injectors.
- Diluting the petrol by topping up with diesel does not help. It only adds to the contaminated fuel to be drained from a tank that holds up to 80 litres in your XM, and super unleaded counts as petrol here too.
- Forecourt attendants will generally help push your car clear in neutral if it's in the way of a pump.
- When the badge shows the exact variant, for example the XM Estate 2.5 Turbo D VSX, give it once you call 0333 366 0103. Tell us too which XM you have and where it is, roughly how much petrol was put in and whether the motor has run.
What starting the motor does with wrong fuel in your Citroen XM
Wrong fuel in your Citroen XM only begins to reach your motor when it is pulled from your tank, which is exactly what starting the motor does. As it flows through, diesel fuel leaves the high-pressure fuel pump and the injectors lubricated, and the engine relies on that. That protection is washed away as soon as petrol thins your diesel, so the damage, where there's any, is down to driving on that mixture.
Stop somewhere safe then switch off if your XM has already been driven. It can still be put right, with the tank drained and the lines and filter rinsed till every trace of the tainted fuel has gone. Lasting damage is very unusual if it is caught soon and given a proper clean.
The XM Estate Turbo D 12 SX is no different here from any other variant of the XM.
Citroen XM fuel tank capacity
The size of the tank matters since the risk hinges on what proportion of your fuel in there is petrol, so the same few litres are more of a problem if your tank was nearly empty when you filled up.
The fuel tank holds 80 litres on each diesel Citroen XM we hold figures for, so that calculation is the same whichever variant you drive.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Citroen XM 2.5 Turbo D VSX | 80 litres |
| Citroen XM D 12 | 80 litres |
| Citroen XM Estate 2.5 Turbo D VSX | 80 litres |
| Citroen XM Estate Turbo D 12 SX | 80 litres |
| Citroen XM Turbo D 12 SX | 80 litres |
What diesel version of the XM is yours?
Most of the time the variant is badged on the boot lid, and it is helpful for us to know when you call.
All of the versions on our list have 2.5-litre engines.
Our list takes in Estate versions as well.
AdBlue in a diesel Citroen XM
Water and urea go into AdBlue, which some diesel vehicles use to treat the exhaust. It's stored in a tank of its own, with a separate filler. If you've got AdBlue in a diesel Citroen XM since it went into the incorrect filler, don't turn the key, even to move your vehicle.
The fuel pump has no protection at all from AdBlue, which is mainly water and will not burn. It won't blend with diesel either, and settles to the base of your tank, the very spot the pump pulls from, so a tank of up to 80 litres won't dilute it.
No matter how small the quantity, some of it is drawn into the line. When the water has dried off, what's left is urea, which crystallises in your fuel system, filter and injectors among them, and attacks any metal it sits against.
Where your XM has an AdBlue filler, it may well sit beside your diesel filler under the same flap, as it does on plenty of motors. You can normally tell the AdBlue cap by its blue colour and the far narrower nozzle it accepts.
Fuel drain on your Citroen XM: how it works
Taking your vehicle to a garage isn't necessary, as a fuel drain on your Citroen XM is carried out right at the car. On the XM your tank holds up to 80 litres, so we drain all of it once we have found out what was put in and whether your motor has run. Your fuel lines and your filter are rinsed next, then we refill with fresh diesel and prime the fuel system before starting the motor.
By the end, your XM is running on fresh diesel once more and ready for you to take away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Citroen XM
AdBlue removal from a diesel Citroen XM follows the same steps as a petrol drain. As AdBlue does not blend in but gathers at the bottom of the tank, running the XM on it may leave crystals in the pipes. Those get cleared through too, and the filter is swapped if it needs it.
AdBlue removal here means taking AdBlue out of your diesel tank after it has gone in the wrong filler. It does not mean removing or switching off the AdBlue system on your vehicle.
Pricing a fuel drain on the Citroen XM
The work changes from one job to the next, so we do not publish a fixed price. The main factors that affect it are these:
- starting or driving the XM, which makes more difference than anything else
- the capacity of the tank, set against how much went in
- which of the two it was, petrol or AdBlue
- where the XM is, and whether we can bring the van to it safely
Ring with those details and we will be able to explain what's likely to be involved.
Petrol in a diesel Citroen XM: questions
Do you know the fuel tank capacity of the Citroen XM?
It takes 80 litres, and our data show the same tank on each version.
Can I fill up with diesel if I only put a little petrol in my XM?
We would advise against it. The petrol remains in your system when you drive, as putting in diesel just reduces its share and removes none of that. Your XM generally needs no more than a drain when just a small amount went in, and that takes the petrol out completely.
Must my XM go to the Citroen dealer?
No, we come to it. The XM is emptied and cleaned where it is parked, by an independent business with no connection to Citroen or any dealer.
Does the version of my XM make a difference?
It helps us to know which one you drive when you ring, as we hold data for 5 diesel versions of the XM.
Will my insurance policy pay for wrong fuel in my Citroen XM?
Misfuelling cover is part of some policies and not others, so check yours. We will come out to empty it for you whether it does or not.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my XM: what now?
Don't put the key in your ignition in that case either. Limp mode and a warning are what the majority of vehicles show you when they are driven in that state, and their AdBlue system will need draining. Which tank your diesel went into is worth telling us when you call.
I've already driven my XM. What do I do?
Look for a safe location to pull over, then turn the motor off and keep it that way until we get there. Where you have stopped, the system is drained and cleaned on the spot, and caught early like this, it very seldom leaves long-term harm.