Kept Driving With Petrol in a Diesel Fiat Multipla?
As soon as it is safe, pull in then turn the engine off, and leave it off. Driving on with petrol in a diesel Fiat Multipla just takes the petrol further in. It's very uncommon for permanent damage to result when it's spotted early, and it can still be sorted out where you have pulled up.
Wherever your Fiat Multipla has ended up, Petrol in Diesel travels out to empty your tank there and clean the petrol out of the fuel system. Once we go, the car is running on fresh diesel.
Symptoms of petrol in a diesel Multipla
At first, petrol inside your fuel tank frequently changes very little to how a diesel Multipla feels, so the symptoms show up a few miles further on. The following are the signs usually noticed when your fuel tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- a loss of power, especially when the motor is asked to pull
- it runs roughly, or the idle gets uneven
- the tailpipe puts out more smoke than normal
- warning lamps on the dashboard light up
- it cuts out and might not restart
The receipt will show what was put in, which means you should look at it if one of these began after you fuelled up.
Wrong fuel in your Fiat Multipla: what driving on it does
Driving is what pulls wrong fuel in your Fiat Multipla out of your tank then on through the filter, the injection pump and your fuel injectors. Till the motor pulls it out, it sits there. Diesel lubricates the pump and your injectors as it flows through them while petrol dilutes it, and so the farther the Multipla is taken, the more of your system that mixture gets to.
That is the reason to stop as soon as you can rather than complete the journey. Travelling a long way on tainted fuel is what can do damage, and when a vehicle is stopped early, a drain and a clean are normally all it needs.
Any other version of the Multipla is no different from the Multipla 1.9 JTD in this, so which version is yours makes no difference.
Right where you stopped
Getting the Multipla anywhere isn't needed. No recovery truck needs to be organised and there's no need to start it, because we come to it at the roadside or outside your home.
On a busy road, put on the hazards, then find somewhere safe to wait away from the traffic.
When you call 0333 366 0103, tell us where you are, which Multipla it is and about how far you travelled. Giving us the version on the badge, like the Multipla JTD 110, helps as well.
The fuel drain on your Fiat Multipla after driving
Once it has been driven, a fuel drain on your Fiat Multipla involves one step more than one at the forecourt. No petrol should be left between the fuel tank and the engine by the end, so the fuel tank is drained first and the lines are then opened and rinsed through with your filter. Before our technicians leave, the engine is started to check it's running smoothly on fresh diesel, once your system has been primed.
AdBlue in a diesel Fiat Multipla after it has been run
Watch for smoke, uneven running and warning lights if AdBlue in a diesel Fiat Multipla has been driven on, as the vehicle might also stall. As AdBlue settles to the base of your tank, where the pump takes its fuel, it's in your fuel line quickly, and it does not burn or lubricate. As its water dries out, the urea crystallises in your lines and your fuel filter.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Fiat Multipla
AdBlue removal from a diesel Fiat Multipla that has been run means emptying your fuel tank then flushing the crystals from your lines and your filter, and we'll change the filter if it needs it.
If your Multipla has a separate AdBlue tank, that is not touched. This is about fluid in the diesel tank, not removing or disabling the AdBlue system.
The Fiat Multipla fuel tank capacity and the engines
Each version of the Fiat Multipla in our records has a diesel tank of 63 litres.
On this diesel Multipla, the versions wear JTD and Multijet badges.
Labelled Multijet rather than JTD, the Multipla 1.9 Multijet 8V is one of those.
On every version listed, the motor is 1.9 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Fiat Multipla 1.9 JTD | 63 litres |
| Fiat Multipla 1.9 Multijet 8V | 63 litres |
| Fiat Multipla JTD 105 SX | 63 litres |
| Fiat Multipla JTD 110 | 63 litres |
| Fiat Multipla JTD 115 | 63 litres |
What a fuel drain on the Fiat Multipla will cost after a drive
The mileage driven and where it is now count the most towards the price of a fuel drain on the Fiat Multipla after driving, and so does whether it was AdBlue or petrol. Tell us those details in a call and then we can say what is involved in the job.
Driven with petrol in a diesel Fiat Multipla: your questions
Is the Multipla done for now?
It's very unlikely to be. When the vehicle is stopped early, draining and flushing your fuel system is what we do where you've pulled up, and harm that lasts is rare after that.
Is it OK to drive it home first?
We'd ask you not to. Shifting it isn't necessary, since we can drain the Multipla where it sits. Taking it on only takes tainted fuel further through the fuel system.
It has stalled and won't restart. What should I do?
Please don't try once more. Leave it as it is, since every try pulls more of that blend through. We prime the fuel system and get it started for you after it has been emptied and rinsed and clean diesel is in.
Does it matter which Multipla I drive?
Knowing which of the 5 diesel versions of the Multipla you have assists us when you ring, and it's on the badge on the tailgate.
Wrong fuel in my Fiat Multipla: will insurance cover it?
We come out whatever your policy says, and some do offer misfuelling cover, which means looking at yours once the car is sorted is worthwhile.