Petrol in a Diesel Dacia After You've Driven It
If you have been driving with petrol in a diesel Dacia, pull in as soon as it is safe, switch the engine off then keep it off. Spotted early, the problem only very rarely leaves permanent damage, and where you have stopped is still the place we can put it right.
Where your car has stopped, Petrol in Diesel travels out to it. We drain the fuel tank then clear the petrol out of the fuel system, leaving it running on clean diesel once more.
Petrol in a diesel Dacia: the signs to watch for
A diesel car with petrol in the tank frequently drives normally for the first couple of miles, so the signs usually appear later. With petrol or AdBlue in the fuel tank, these are the ones motorists tend to notice:
- the motor drops power, especially when you ask it to pull
- it ticks over unevenly or runs rough
- the exhaust gives off more smoke than usual
- the dash shows warning lights
- stalling, then possibly refusing to start again
If these symptoms began following a fill-up, what was put in will be on the receipt.
What happens when you drive with wrong fuel in your Dacia
The fuel tank keeps wrong fuel in your Dacia until the motor draws it out. Once you drive, it goes through the filter, and then your high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors. The further the vehicle goes, the more of the system the blend hits, as petrol weakens the diesel that keeps the pump and the injectors lubricated.
Because of this, stopping the moment you can beats completing the trip. Harm, when it occurs, comes from a long drive on mixed fuel, and a drain and a clean are normally all a motor needs if it's stopped soon.
It is the same for the Sandero as for every other diesel Dacia.
Staying wherever you have stopped
No one needs to take your car anywhere. We travel to it at the side of the road or outside your home, so there's no need to start it or book a tow.
Put on the hazards when the road beside you is busy, then choose a safe place to wait, well away from the traffic.
During the call to 0333 366 0103, we ask how far you went, more or less, along with the model and where you are. The model name is enough to begin with, such as the Lodgy.
What a fuel drain on your Dacia involves after a drive
Next to a drain on the forecourt, a fuel drain on your Dacia goes one step further once it has been driven. We drain the fuel tank first, then open the fuel lines and rinse them through with the fuel filter, so that no petrol is left between the fuel tank and the engine. The system is primed once fresh diesel goes in, and the engine is started to make sure it runs properly.
The first step with the Logan is draining a tank that holds up to 50 litres.
Driven with AdBlue in a diesel Dacia
Rough running, smoke and warning lamps are the normal symptoms after you have driven on AdBlue in a diesel Dacia, and your car might cut out as well. The pump draws fuel from the bottom of the tank, which is where AdBlue sinks, so it reaches the fuel line quickly. AdBlue does not burn or lubricate at all. When its water evaporates, what remains is urea, which forms crystals in your lines and the fuel filter.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Dacia is done
Emptying your tank comes first with AdBlue removal from a diesel Dacia that has been run, after which the crystals are flushed out of your fuel lines and the fuel filter, with the fuel filter changed if it needs it.
Only your diesel tank is dealt with here. If the vehicle has its own AdBlue tank, it is left as it is, and its AdBlue system is not removed or turned off.
Tanks in the diesel Dacia range
Every diesel Dacia in our data comes with a fuel tank of 50 litres.
Up to 50 litres fits in the Duster, for example.
Each of the 4 diesel Dacia models we cover has its separate page below, with every version and its fuel tank.
Costing a fuel drain on a diesel Dacia that has been driven
The price of a fuel drain after driving hinges largely on how far your car went and where it has stopped, and whether it was petrol or AdBlue makes a difference as well. What the job will need is something we can tell you when we have those details from your call.
Driven with petrol in a diesel Dacia: your queries
Is the harm to my Dacia lasting?
Lasting damage is very unlikely. It's rare when the car is stopped early and your fuel system is drained and flushed, which is what we do wherever you have stopped.
Can I finish the drive home first?
We'd prefer you not to. Every mile on mixed fuel takes it further through your system, and we can deal with the car where it stands, so there's no need to move it.
It has stalled and will not restart. What do I do?
Every attempt draws more of that mixture through, so please leave it rather than trying again. Once we've emptied and flushed it then put clean diesel in, we prime your fuel system and get it started for you.
My insurance and wrong fuel in my Dacia: am I covered?
Some policies include misfuelling cover, so it is worth checking yours after your car is sorted. We come out regardless.